About the fellowship
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Families Anonymous, or FA, is a free, anonymous fellowship for the families and friends of people affected by drugs or related behavioural problems. It is for you, not the person using, and it offers a place to share honestly with others who understand.
There are no fees and no referrals. Any concerned relative or friend is welcome, even where there is only a suspicion of a problem.
FA is for parents, partners, brothers and sisters, grandparents, and friends affected by someone else's drug use or related behaviour. You do not need the person to be in treatment, or to agree there is a problem, and you do not need to know for certain. You come for your own wellbeing.
It is, in effect, the drug-world companion to Al-Anon, which focuses on drinking. Many people find FA a place to set down worry and exhaustion for an hour, in their own time and without anyone labelling them.
FA is based on the same twelve-step approach as other fellowships, adapted for families. Members support each other to step back from trying to control the situation, to look after themselves, and to respond to their loved one in a steadier way. What is said in the room stays in the room.
Families Anonymous began in California in 1971, started by a group of parents affected by their children's drug use. The first UK group opened in London in 1980, and there are now groups across the country, in person and online.