Question 1

What is ACA or ACoA?

Accepted Answer

ACA, or ACoA, stands for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families. It is a free, anonymous twelve-step fellowship for adults who grew up around alcoholism or other family difficulty and want to recover from its lasting effects. The only requirement for membership is a desire to do that.

Question 2

What is the Laundry List?

Accepted Answer

The Laundry List is fourteen traits written by ACA's co-founder in 1978 to describe how growing up in a difficult home can shape an adult, such as becoming an approval seeker or fearing angry people. Members read it and see how much they recognise. It is for reflection, not a diagnosis.

Question 3

Do my parents have to have been alcoholic?

Accepted Answer

No. ACA welcomes anyone who grew up in a home marked by alcoholism, drug use, or other difficulty such as neglect or harshness. The full name includes dysfunctional families for that reason. You decide whether it fits.

Question 4

Is ACA the same as Al-Anon?

Accepted Answer

They are related but different. Al-Anon is for people affected by someone's drinking, now or in the past, often a partner. ACA focuses on the lasting effects of a difficult childhood. Many people find one speaks to them more than the other, and some attend both.

Question 5

Is ACA free and anonymous?

Accepted Answer

Yes. There are no fees and no referrals. A basket may be passed for room costs, but you are never expected to give. What is said in the room stays in the room, and a first name is all anyone uses.

What ACA is, and who it's for.

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