Al Anon suggested opening says, " In Al-Anon we discover that no situation is really hopeless."

[raccoon]

OK, maybe this seems unimportant, but it's bothering me.

Sometimes, a situation is fucking hopeless. Like when my mother took me and my sibs and left my
alcoholic father. Think "The Shining" when Jack Torrance was losing it. If we had stayed in that house with him, very likely we'd have ended up on the front page of the local paper.

I'd say that was a hopeless situation, and when a situation is hopeless, you need to get the hell out of it.

[JDC]

1. I get what you are saying, but "getting the hell out" is hope for many

They feel stuck or afraid to go. Hence hopeless.

This is meant, I believe, to empower those in Al Anon. Give them the courage to do what your mom did. Not everyone has that.

[Adsos Letter]

2. I can empathize with having an alcoholic parent.

My mom was alcoholic, went through two recovery programs plus AA, and relapsed each time. Finally developed a wet brain, and died at age 50.

I was an only kid, and I was stuck in the middle of all of the dysfuntion and fighting between my parents. She spent and borrowed pretty freely, and fights about money and drinking became a huge issue. As soon as I turned 17 I joined the Army to get away from home.

My dad always blamed me for my mom's drinking, insisting that "if you were a better kid your mom wouldn't drink so much." I'm 63 now, and I know objectively that it wasn't true, but on an emotional level it still does damage. Some things sink deeply into the core of who we are, and can be very difficult to undo.

While I agree with the other poster about the phrase being designed to bolster those in relationship with alcoholics, I also understand what you are saying. Sometimes you just have to let go.

Peace be with you, raccoon.

[Voltaire2]

3. Absolutely. Shit like that is in the same

bucket of bullshit as “god doesn’t give you more than you can handle”.

There are hopeless situations.

Sometimes you get dealt a really bad hand.

[violetpastille]

4. You are still with us :)

Where there is life there is hope.

Your mom was a hero to get you kids away from death and towards light and hope.

[stevil]

6. Hopeless life.

New feelings.

[raccoon]

5. Thank you all for your kind responses. Nt