Meeting Format - Work-Anon

Work Anon Meeting Guidelines 

 

Opening: Work-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of workaholics who share their experience strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe that work addiction is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery. Work-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Work-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions. Work-Anon has but one purpose: to help families, friends, and co-workers of workaholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps and Traditions of Work-Anon.   

For some of us, Work-Anon was a last resort: we were in pain, we were desperate, some of us had abandoned hope. We came to our first meeting – and we kept coming- to find relief from the terrible pain we had grown accustomed to feeling. We knew that our suffering was related to someone else’s work addiction, and we knew that we were unable to lead a normal life because of it. As newcomers to Work-Anon Family Groups many of us wondered what the group would be talking about. The things we heard – and did not hear- at meetings may have surprised us. We may have thought members of Work-Anon might teach us how to stop the workaholic from acting out with work. Some of us had come into the program believing that once the workaholic found abstinence, our pain would magically disappear. A great many myths were laid to rest at our meetings. We heard that we could not make another person stop working compulsively; that abstinence does not necessarily mean “happily ever after;” and that we are each responsible for dealing with our own pain. We also heard about placing our trust in a Power greater than ourselves. When we first come to Work-Anon Family Groups, full of hurt, frustration, and anger, we may see the workaholic as the immediate source of our pain. Our impulse may be to focus our discussion on that person. We may also be so unaccustomed to looking at ourselves that we tend to talk about everything but ourselves. In Work-Anon we come to realize that much of our discomfort comes from our attitudes, and to learn about our responsibility to ourselves. This helps us discover feelings of self-worth and furthers our spiritual growth. The emphasis is lifted from the workaholic and placed where appropriate – on ourselves. When we tell our story, therefore, it is not the work addict’s story, it is the story of our own recovery. We continue to come to Work-Anon because it succeeds in reminding us to focus on ourselves. It succeeds because it is a positive program that is grounded in the common experiences of its members; people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s work addiction. We welcome you and hope that here you may find experience strength and hope and learn how to recover through using the Twelve Steps and this fellow-ship. 

Closing: In closing we ask that all respect the anonymity of everyone here and all that was shared. At our meetings, we share our experience strength and hope with one another, keeping the focus on ourselves and on the Work-Anon tools of recovery. Personal recovery through spiritual growth and the common welfare of the group are of prime importance. By concentrating on our own feelings and attitudes toward our situation, rather than on the details of the situation, we contribute to the group’s unity and our recovery. We talk about how the disease of workaholism has affected our thinking and our behavior. We talk about the part we played in our problems and how we change our attitudes and actions by applying the Work-Anon program to our lives. We may find that basing our group discussion on a Step, Tradition, Concept or Slogan or various other program tools helps to improve our understanding of the program, foster growth, and bring serenity. Will all who care to join me after a moment of silence, please join me in the Serenity Prayer followed by “Thy will not mine be Done.” God, Grant me the Serenity To Accept the Things I cannot change, Courage to Change the Things I can And Wisdom to Know the Difference. Thy Will Not Mine be done. Amen July 2021 updated

Courage Work-Anon Email Meeting OPEN

UPDATE IN 2017: THE COURAGE WORKANON EMAIL MEETING IS NOW LIVE AND WELCOMES YOUR PARTICIPATION.

More recovery for friends and families of workaholics is now available via another email meeting of Work-Anon. Contact courage.workanon.group AT gmail dot com and briefly qualify (could be two words, that you need it) and you can get added to the distribution list.

Here's what one of the founders describes about how the meeting will run, about the email meeting of "Courage WorkAnon":

The main thing is: there is a moderator (contact) email address
courage.work.anon.group@gmail.com
and people can join after they qualify (just write 2 words that they need it)

At the beginning it will be a closed meeting only for friends and families of workaholics till the group does not decide on another way.

Of course the group works based on the Steps and Traditions - only its form is written.

The letters sent on the list can be read by anyone being on the list: shares can be responded without crosstalk.

Of course members can discuss their own things in private [via one to one emails] just as after face to face meetings.

Shares are treated anonymously: no one forwards them to outside persons only if the sender permits it him/herself for request.


Participants can set up to receive each post or summary digests of posts sent to their personal email if they like.

Please feel welcomed to join the "Courage Work-Anon" Email meeting and again thanks to Jennifer and her HP and program friends for restarting this wonderful meeting!

INTERNATIONAL PHONE NUMBERS

Starting in May 2017, the Sunday Work-Anon Call-In Meeting is changing to twice monthly meetings, meeting at 8p Eastern time on the first and third Sundays of the month. 

Now there will be Work-Anon phone meetings every first and third Sunday evening (8:00p Eastern Time). And there's a new call-in number:

• Dial (605) 562-8400
• Access code 8136074 

The meeting format is available online here, and we can leverage the key practices of Work-Anon and other tools of recovery to support our recovery.

International Dial-Ins Available
Note: If you are calling in from a country other than the United States, you can use the appropriate country-specific call-in numbers from the list that follows, and then use the same access code: 8136074

Australia - Pinjarra   (08) 9520 3110
Austria - Mobile       0820 987601
Austria - Landline    0820 444599
Belgium - Brussels   02 808 76 34
Canada -    867 292 3030
Estonia - Tallinn    609 4175
Finland - Helsinki    09 74790416
Germany - Dusseldorf   0211 95987102
Hungary - Budapest   (1) 848 0439
Ireland - Dublin   (01) 437 0588
Latvia - Riga   67 652 298
Lithuania - Vilnius   (8-5) 207 8094
Netherlands - Amsterdam   020 262 1918
Poland - Warsaw   22 116 86 89
South Africa - National   087 195 0685
Ukraine - Kiev   089 320 2487
United Kingdom   0330 010 1990
United States -  (425) 436-6260

New Brochure Text Available - Key Practices of WorkAnon

Hot off the presses, here's the core text for our new Work-Anon brochure...

Work-Anon Key Practices In Our Program of Recovery
For Friends, Families, & Co-workers of Workaholics

Serenity and Recovery
We regain our inner balance through working the Twelve Steps and connecting with other recovering Work-Anons. Through deepening in our recovery, we are released from painful self-defeating patterns, including self-abandonment and neglect, chronic feelings of insufficiency and inadequacy, compulsive perfectionism and rescuing, and trying to please or control others. Our lives in recovery blossom with inner strength, conscious contact, wisdom, detachment, self-valuing, fun, and program friendships. Our interests and energy expand…. Welcome home to Work-Anon.

Key Practices of Work-Anon Recovery

Working the Steps Through individual and group self-study & writing, we learn about the roots and alternatives to intergenerational patterns of pain and the possibilities of amending our behavior, attitudes, and feelings with ourselves and others. Conscious contact awakens us. We uncover hidden assets and new ways of being.

Meetings Attending meetings helps us prioritize our own recovery. We learn from and stay in touch with others and share our growth.

Self-Care In Work-Anon recovery, we learn to establish new habits of self-nurture, exercise, rest, and renewal.

Writing We write in our recovery journals to cultivate habits of gratitude, attention, and focusing on the solution.

Detaching With Love We learn to detach with love from the workaholic’s demands, judgments, & behavior. We no longer cover or enable. We discover choices and set healthy boundaries.

Meditation Inner quiet increases conscious contact.

Bringing the Focus Back to Ourselves By bringing the focus back to ourselves, we return to our source of power and clarity, the ground of our being. We are strengthened by focusing on what we can effect instead of being distracted by trying to control things we cannot.

Healing Our Inner Selves For those who experienced neglectful, abusive or judgmental childhoods, attending to our “inner child” relieves chronic, self-defeating patterns and releases energy and vitality.

Cultivating Our Own Health and Joy Recovery releases us from living inside the disease. We discover hidden talents and interests. We learn to cultivate our own health and joy. By working the Steps, we learn to live as deeper wisdom guides us. We are revitalized & come alive.

Service We provide service to continue to learn and enhance our recovery. Only through helping others can we keep the gifts that recovery brings.

Program Literature Our spirits are renewed and new habits affirmed by reading program literature.

Join Us

Work-Anon has but one purpose: to help families, friends, and co-workers of workaholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Work-Anon.

Through calling into our phone meetings and using the key practices, we hear the experience, strength, and hope of others recovering from the effects of work addiction in the family or workplace. We believe that work addiction is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

v3c

Updated Work-Anon Meeting Guidelines and Format

Work Anon Meeting Guidelines
v1.4

Opening:

Welcome to the twice-monthly telephone meeting of WorkAnon. My name is ____, grateful recovering Work-Anon, and the meeting chair for this evening. Work-Anon Family Groups are a fellowship of relatives and friends of workaholics who share their experience strength and hope in order to solve their common problems. We believe that work addiction is a family illness and that changed attitudes can aid recovery.

Work-Anon is not allied with any sect, denomination, political entity, organization, or institution; does not engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any cause. There are no dues for membership. Work-Anon is self-supporting through its own voluntary contributions.

Work-Anon has but one purpose: to help families, friends, and co-workers of workaholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Work-Anon.

For Newcomers: (or For newcomers but to be read each meeting as a reminder to all)

For some of us, Work-Anon was a last resort: we were in pain, we were desperate, some of us had abandoned hope. We came to our first meeting – and we kept coming- to find relief from the terrible pain we had grown accustomed to feeling. We knew that our suffering was related to someone else’s work addiction, and we knew that we were unable to lead a normal life because of it.

As newcomers to Work-Anon Family Groups many of us wondered what the group would be talking about. The things we heard – and did not hear- at meetings may have surprised us. We may have thought members of Work-Anon might teach us how to stop the workaholic from acting out with work. Some of us had come into the program believing that once the workaholic found abstinence, our pain would magically disappear.

A great many myths were laid to rest at our meetings. We heard that we could not make another person stop working compulsively; that abstinence does not necessarily mean “happily ever after;” and that we are each responsible for dealing with our own pain. We also heard about placing our trust in a Power greater than ourselves.

When we first come to Work-Anon Family Groups, full of hurt, frustration, and anger, we may see the workaholic as the immediate source of our pain. Our impulse may be to focus our discussion on that person. We may also be so unaccustomed to looking at ourselves that we tend to talk about everything but ourselves. In Work-Anon we come to realize that much of our discomfort comes from our attitudes, and to learn about our responsibility to ourselves. This helps us discover feelings of self-worth and furthers our spiritual growth. The emphasis is lifted from the workaholic and placed where appropriate – on ourselves. When we tell our story, therefore, it is not the work addict’s story, it is the story of our own recovery.

We continue to come to Work-Anon because it succeeds in reminding us to focus on ourselves. It succeeds because it is a positive program that is grounded in the common experiences of its members; people whose lives have been affected by someone else’s work addiction. We welcome you and hope that here you may find experience strength and hope and learn how to recover through using the Twelve Steps and this fellowship.


[Chair will read the Twelve Steps and the Tradition corresponding to the number of the month.]

Meeting Format:

By group consensus, we avoid crosstalk, which means we speak in the first person and do not give advice. In our shares, we focus on our own behavior and thinking, not that of the workaholic. Members of other fellowships, including W.A., are encouraged to focus their share on the program of Work-Anon.

Our format is that we will read from Work-Anon or Al-Anon literature (with word substitution). Then we open the meeting up for a round of sharing. Feel welcome to share up to three minutes so all will have time to share. We pause at 45 minutes through the meeting to answer any newcomers' questions. Anyone who likes to can exchange phone numbers and email addresses directly after the closing of the meeting.

[Chair reads from Work-Anon or Al-Anon conference-approved literature and pauses for rounds of sharing.]

Closing:

In closing we ask that all respect the anonymity of everyone here and all that was shared. At our meetings, we share our experience strength and hope with one another, keeping the focus on ourselves and on the Work-Anon tools of recovery. Personal recovery through spiritual growth and the common welfare of the group are of prime importance. By concentrating on our own feelings and attitudes toward our situation, rather than on the details of the situation, we contribute to the group’s unity and our recovery. We talk about how the disease of workaholism has affected our thinking and our behavior. We talk about the part we played in our problems and how we change our attitudes and actions by applying the Work-Anon program to our lives. We may find that basing our group discussion on a Step, Tradition, Concept or Slogan or various other program tools helps to improve our understanding of the program, foster growth, and bring serenity.

Will all who care to join me after a moment of silence, please join me in the Serenity Prayer followed by “Thy will not mine be Done.”

God, Grant me the Serenity

To Accept the Things I cannot change,

Courage to Change the Things I can

And Wisdom to Know the Difference.

Thy Will Not Mine be done.

Amen

Updated 8/19/2007
Corrections 01/20/2008 and 5/11/2009
Updated with format highlights and crosstalk statement on 3/7/2010

Article Available for Friends and Family of Workaholics

An article by friends and family of workaholics is available as part of the W.A. Book of Recovery as a downloadable PDF, entitled "Living with a Workaholic- For Friends and Family."

The Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of Work-Anon

The Twelve Steps of Work-Anon
1. We admitted we were powerless over work—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Became entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to the friends and family of workaholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

The Twelve Traditions of Work-Anon
1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon Work-Anon unity.
2. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as expressed in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The friends and relatives of workaholics, when gathered together for mutual aid, may call themselves a Work-Anon Family Group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation. The only requirement for Work-Anon membership is that there be a problem of workaholism in a relative or friend.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or Work-Anon as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose: to help families of workaholics. We do this by practicing the Twelve Steps of W.A. ourselves, by encouraging and understanding our workaholic relatives, and by welcoming and giving comfort to families of workaholics.
6. A Work-Anon group ought never endorse, finance or lend the Work-Anon name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every Work-Anon group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. Work-Anon should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. Work-Anon, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. Work-Anon has no opinion on outside issues; hence the Work-Anon name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films. We need guard with special care the anonymity of all W.A. members.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.

The Work-Anon Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions were adapted from The Twelve Steps and The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous and The Twelve Steps and The Twelve Traditions of the Al-Anon Family Groups. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Steps and Traditions copyright © 1939 by A.A. World Services, Inc. and the Twelve Steps and the Twelve Traditions of Al-Anon Family Groups, © 1994 by Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc.