Welcome to ACA

Adult Children of Alcoholics®/ Dysfunctional Families
Fellow World Travelers is an International online ACA group of English speaking online meetings

Meeting List

All Meetings are in English and use Zoom. When asked for a password Fellow World Travelers meetings use the same password 711, unless otherwise specified. Please check the meeting description, or just click on the meeting link on this page and no password will usually be needed, because the password is already embedded in the link.

Most Fellow World Travelers meetings are audio only, do not use the video function unless it is written in the meeting info.
See below for Zoom, top tips and best practices.

Please click here for the Quick Meeting List, or scroll down for a full meeting list with meeting descriptions and relevant downloads.

All meeting times shown below are CET (CentralEuropeanTime). This link may be helpful:

Time Zone Converter

Monday

Most Fellow World Travelers meetings are audio only, please do not use the video function, unless it is written at the meeting information.
Time shows CEST (Central European Summer Time)
All Meetings are in English and the password is 711 unless otherwise specified.

We have one
ACA
WhatsApp
group (WAG)

Whatsapp ACA NL Info Channel

A news and info bulletin and FAQ channel for all things ACA. Please forward any ACA events, resources, etc. to an admin who will post it to the group.
Please see our website for our Zoom Online Meetings list in CET (Central European Time is GMT/UTC +1hour) https://acafellowworldtravelers.com

Link to this Whatsapp Group:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/GhKHRkXCddMFubZtNxEgHe

Helps Finding Your
“True Self”

7th Tradition or Donation - PayPal

This group is self supporting and relies fully on voluntary contributions from all of us to pay all the expenses. This group does the 7th tradition by having members make a donation into the Intergroup’s bank account. The funds are used to pay the zoom account, the website, get other online tools, and other costs. Contributions may be made by PayPal, by logging in to your Paypal account and using acafwt.treasurer@gmail.com as the destination of your Paypal contribution.

Thank you!

ACA is a Twelve Step, Twelve Tradition support group focused on understanding the specific behavior and attitude patterns we developed while growing up in an alcoholic or other dysfunctional environment. These patterns continue to affect us today.

By attending regular meetings we come to a better understanding of our past so we can more effectively restructure our lives today. We begin to see more clearly what is positive and healthy in ourselves.

ACA is not a replacement for addicts working an abstinence program in other Twelve Step fellowships. However, Adult Children of Alcoholics is often the only program for many adult children recovering from the effects of alcoholism or other family dysfunction, including the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction. (Adapted from the ACA Fellowship textbook.)

Meetings are intended to be safe places where we can share our experience, strength and hope without judgement or criticism. We have the right not to share unless we are ready.

This program is grounded in spiritual guidance and not affiliated with any specific religion. We are individuals struggling through rigorous honesty to become the best we can be. We respect one another’s anonymity. Who we encounter at meetings and what they have said there is treated confidentially.

True emotional sobriety brings a connectedness to ourselves and to others. This connectedness in relationships is characterized by expressed feelings, trust, mutual respect, and an acknowledgment that a Higher Power is real. We realize we don’t need to chase after others to sooth our childhood fear of abandonment. We begin to see that we can bring our True Selves to a relationship. We have something to offer that is different than unhealthy dependence. This is what ACA recovery looks like.

We meet together to share our experience, strength, hope and fear; we offer friendship and understanding. We love one another in a very special way. We welcome you to join us.

Since each meeting is autonomous, and each meeting is a different experience, we recommend that you try as many different ones as possible before deciding if the ACA program can be helpful to you in your journey from discovery to recovery.

Keep coming back.

In becoming
your
“True Self”

USING “I” STATEMENTS

“Why Using “I” Statements is So Important!”.

When sharing with an individual or as part of a group, using “I” statements can make a big difference. An “I” statement is sharing in the first person, as opposed to using words such as “we,” “they,” “us,” and “you.” At first, it may seem like an insignificant detail, but using third person statements is distancing and impersonal.

It can even be an attempt to subconsciously control others or place responsibility outside of oneself. Example: “When you get abused, it hurts you.” Change this to: “When I got abused, it hurt me.” Sharing in the first person promotes self responsibility by divulging information only about yourself. When you are tempted to use the generic “you,” “we,” etc., try to catch yourself and replace i with “I.”

You will be surprised how different it feels and how much more you and others get out of your share. It may feel uncomfortable at first. That’s because you are casting off your protective shield and revealing the real you. Remember:

1. An “I” statement exercises my self control.
2. “I” statements build my self respect while offering others a true opportunity to have a real relationship with me.
3. Struggling with “I” statements will often reveal the hidden aspects of the issues at hand. If you truly want to disclose your feelings so that you and others can learn more about you, use an “I” statement!

Link to Using "I" statements

The help for
your
“True Self”

The Bill of Rights for Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families

1. I have the right to say no.
2. I have the right to say, “I don't know.”
3. have the right to detach from anyone in whose company I feel humiliated or manipulated.
4. I have the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
5. I have the right to be wrong.
6. I have the right to make mistakes and learn from them.
7. I have the right to make my own choices and decisions in my life.
8. I have the right to grieve any actual or perceived losses.
9. I have the right to all of my feelings.
10. I have the right to feel angry, including towards someone I love.
11. I have the right to change my mind at any time.
12. I have the right to a spiritually, physically, and emotionally healthier existence, though it may deviate entirely or in part from my parents' way of life.
13. I have the right to forgive myself and to choose how and when I forgive others.
14. I have the right to take healthy risks and to experiment with new possibilities.
15. I have the right to be honest in my relationships and to seek the same from others.
16. I have the right to ask for what I want.
17. I have the right to determine and honor my own priorities and goals, and to leave others to do the same.
18. I have the right to dream and to have hope.
19. I have the right to be my True Self.
20. I have the right to know and nurture my Inner Child.
21. I have the right to laugh, to play, to have fun, and the freedom to celebrate this life, right here, right now.
22. I have the right to live life happy, joyous, and free.

In finding
our
“True Self”

Call to Service for the online-meetings of ACAfellowworldtravelers.com

ACAfellowworldtravelers.com is an International english-speaking ACA Intergroup that unites several ACA online-meetings. These meetings depend on fellows doing service as chair, secretary or host of a meeting or helping screen sharing or mic monitoring.

Doing service helps the meetings and your individual recovery since you gather valuable experience on your recovery journey.

If you would like to help and do service in any of the online-meetings, please let us know.

Please write to us at acafwt@gmail.com

Thank you.

Anonymity & Privacy

In keeping with Traditions of the program, and to protect the anonymity of others, we suggest that you participate from a quiet, private location where you will not be interrupted by anyone, including children, babies or pets. Please treat this as you would a face-to-face meeting. If this is not possible, we suggest the use of earphones so others on the call cannot be heard.

What you hear at each meeting should remain at that meeting. We do not talk about another person’s story or experiences to other people. Please respect the anonymity of those who share with us in the meetings.

Please read No Cross Talk here

Read our Steps, Traditions and Concepts here

Zoom

To participate with the Zoom meetings is free. There is no need to register, no account needed, no invite needed, or sign up to join our Zoom meetings. Once Zoom is installed just click on – join a meeting – using the Zoom ID, or click on the Meeting ID of this website to startup Zoom to join the meeting of the current hour and day. You can download Zoom for clients from here.

Joining a Zoom meeting by phone only, using a traditional phone.

You can join a Zoom meeting by using a traditional phone. Dial an in-country number. If you dial a toll number, your carrier rates will apply. You can find the numbers on your meeting invitation or a full list of international dial-in numbers at: https://zoom.us/u/acxr2DdJEk

You will be prompted to enter the meeting ID - the nine (9), ten (10), or eleven (11) digit ID provided by the meeting list here on this page, followed by # (hash, hash sign, pound sign or hashtag ).

Phone controls for participants, using a traditional phone. The following commands can be entered via DTMF tones using your phone's dial pad while in a Zoom meeting:
*6 - Toggle mute/unmute
*9 - Raise hand

Most FWT Zoom meetings are audio only, we do not use the video function. Group chat is available at the end of each meeting. Important Notice Please update your Zoom app when recommended

Click here for more information.

Online Meeting Best Practices

When using Zoom it’s best to quit all other programs, especially Skype, Whatsapp, Viber, Facetime or other applications that use the internet, microphone and video.

Discovering the
“True Self”

ACA PSA’s ( Public Service Announcements)

These two audio Public Service Announcements are ready for distribution to radio stations, via the internet and anywhere audio mp3 files can be played for the public. The ACA World Service Organization asks that you update them with the contact info of the radio stations or other places where these are sent. Please submit this information to information@acawso.com.

WSO would like to know the name of the station or entity they are sent to, the contact person’s full name, the address including street, city, state, country, and zip if applicable. WSO also would like to have an email and/or phone number of the contact.

If anyone asks for a copyright release for the background music, please refer them to mpschair@adultchildren.org. We have this information available in a blanket license. 15-and-30-second-audio-psas-now-available-for-download-and-distribution

Click here for the 15 Second ACA PSA (Public Service Announcement).

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Click here for the 30 Second ACA PSA (Public Service Announcement).