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Adult Children of Alcoholics Support Groups Online

Live groups available daily.

Upcoming Groups

Shine on you crazy diamond!
Dom_F

Dom_F

Shine on you crazy diamond!

Anyone and everyone, nothing is too small to bring up

Alcoholism
General mental health
Substance abuse
1/16
Sun, 11/15, 8:00 PM • 90 min
Friday Night In Recovery
Andrea66

Andrea66

Friday Night In Recovery

anyone in recovery from SUD, MHD, or any behavior.

Addiction
Alcoholism
Eating disorders
1/16
Sat, 11/21, 1:00 AM • 60 min
Shine on you crazy diamond!
Dom_F

Dom_F

Shine on you crazy diamond!

Anyone and everyone, nothing is too small to bring up

Alcoholism
General mental health
Substance abuse
1/16
Sun, 11/22, 8:00 PM • 90 min
Friday Night In Recovery
Andrea66

Andrea66

Friday Night In Recovery

anyone in recovery from SUD, MHD, or any behavior.

Addiction
Alcoholism
Eating disorders
1/16
Sat, 11/28, 1:00 AM • 60 min

Growing up in a home with an alcoholic parent shapes how you read rooms, hold relationships, and ask for what you need long after childhood. A free online support group for adult children of alcoholics gives you a place to talk with peers who already know that dynamic from the inside.

Topic context

Understanding adult children of alcoholics

Growing up with an alcoholic parent teaches you to read a room before you walk into it. Many adult children of alcoholics took on a role early, whether the responsible one, the peacemaker, or the one who stayed invisible, and kept playing it as adults. The habits that kept you safe then, like hypervigilance, distrusting calm, and keeping your needs small, can make closeness hard now. These groups are about that inheritance, not about anyone's drinking.

Why it helps

How peer support helps with adult children of alcoholics

Peer support helps adult children of alcoholics because the patterns you developed as a child to survive often keep running in adulthood, even when they no longer serve you. A group of peers can help you name those patterns, recognize them in real time, and slowly build something different. The point is not blame; it is understanding.

Inside the room

What adult children of alcoholics groups often cover

  • The roles many ACOAs played growing up: hero, scapegoat, lost child, mascot, caretaker
  • Hypervigilance, people-pleasing, and conflict avoidance in adult relationships
  • Trust, control, and difficulty letting others in
  • Choosing partners or friends who recreate familiar dynamics
  • Boundaries with a parent who is still drinking, sober, or somewhere in between
Good fit for

Who these groups may help

  • Adults raised by a parent with alcoholism, whether or not that parent is still drinking
  • Anyone unpacking the long shadow of growing up in an alcoholic household
  • People in relationships affected by patterns learned in childhood
  • Anyone curious about peer ACOA support outside of a 12-step framework
Keep exploring

Related topics

These topics often connect with adult children of alcoholics and may offer another helpful angle, language, or support space.

Frequently asked questions

Is this group part of the ACOA 12-step program?

No. ShareWell groups are peer-led but not affiliated with ACA, AA, Al-Anon, or any specific 12-step program. Members from any background, including those in 12-step recovery, are welcome.

Does my parent have to be diagnosed or still drinking for me to belong here?

No. Many members have parents who were never formally diagnosed, who got sober, or who have passed away. The shared experience is growing up in a household shaped by alcoholism.

What if my issue is with another family member, not a parent?

These groups center the adult-child-of-an-alcoholic-parent experience, but many of the patterns overlap with other family-of-origin substance use. You are welcome to see if the group fits, and we have other groups focused on family-of-origin dynamics more broadly.
1-on-1 support

Want to speak to someone one on one about adult children of alcoholics?

Connect with a trained Peer Specialist for a private adult children of alcoholics session.

See Adult Children of Alcoholics specialists

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