Italian
From anxiety and pessimism to serenity and positivity: the story of someone who has learned to see everyday life as an opportunity for growth.
For outsiders, Al-Anon practices may seem like abstract concepts, almost rituals detached from the concreteness of daily life. But for those who live them every day, they take on a different meaning: they become an invisible thread that connects people all over the world, creating a sense of belonging that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.
“The meetings we hold here,” the protagonist of our interview explains, “are identical to those that take place elsewhere. The attitude is the same, and this consistency has given me a sense of safety and peace of mind. Knowing that, somewhere in the world, someone is living the same experience in the same way makes me feel less alone. Even when everything outside seems to be falling apart, inside me remains the certainty that balance is possible.”
Before encountering Al-Anon, her outlook on life was dominated by pessimism. “I’ve always been a pessimist,” she admits, “and anxiety was a constant companion. I lived with a sense of irritation and heaviness that kept me from seeing anything else. But since joining Al-Anon, I can no longer say ‘it’s just pessimism and irritation’: I now have tools that allow me to also see the positive side. I’m not saying it’s easy, but at least now I know I can’t keep hiding behind excuses.”
With this new set of tools, the way she faces her most difficult emotions has also changed. Anger and resentment, once burdens she carried, have now become sources of energy. “For years I held a grudge against my family. It was a rage that ate away at me. Today I try to transform it: I channel it into sports, into meetings, into service. Service especially has been crucial, because it helps me direct my energy into something concrete. If I stay stuck in my thoughts, I risk falling back into that negative spiral, and I don’t want to go back there. If I do, I know the responsibility is mine alone.”
The choice not to be guided by anxiety anymore is now a cornerstone of her journey. “I’ve decided that anxiety can no longer be part of my life. It destroyed me for too long, just like resentment. Now I know I have the tools to face difficulties without being overwhelmed by them. I can’t change everything that happens around me, but I can do my part: live my twenty-four hours with more serenity.”
Serenity doesn’t mean the absence of problems, but a new ability to live with them. “All I can do is my part,” she concludes: “share my experience, try to be more positive—first for myself and then, if I manage, also for others.”
Her story shows that Al-Anon is not an abstract practice, but a set of concrete tools woven into everyday life. It doesn’t promise miracles, but it offers a path made of small steps, daily choices, and new awareness. And in this consistency lies the strength to change, turning what once felt like a burden into the possibility of renewal.
