Singer-songwriter Chynna Phillips has revealed that she has joined Al-Anon, a 12-step program that supports family members of alcoholics. Phillips has previously been very open about her struggles with substance abuse and addiction as a teenager. She wants to take the next step in her healing journey by supporting family members of those who are struggling with alcoholism. Despite being in a 12-step program decades ago, this is her first time joining Al-Anon, which she says has helped her understand what the group truly means to her.
Phillips often spoke about her troubled relationship with her late father, John Phillips, who was a member of the vocal group The Mamas & the Papas and suffered from drug and alcohol addiction. After experiencing an all-time low in her life, including flunking out of high school and suffering from five bleeding ulcers, she finally decided to turn her life around. She said that she felt down and bad about herself and looked at herself in the mirror, asking herself important questions about what she wanted in life.
She realized then that her journey with drugs and alcohol was over and that she needed to seek help. So, she called her only sober friend, who took her to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. She said that she cried her eyes out in the meeting and knew that her journey with drugs and alcohol was over. Phillips stopped craving drugs and alcohol after a few weeks in the program and eventually made new friends, began seeking therapy, and worked through intense issues that she had not yet processed.
Phillips said that she was grateful that she had been able to pull her life together at such a young age. She was 19 when she got sober, and God had a plan for her life. However, she had to get to a place of surrender and come to terms with the fact that she had a problem with drugs and alcohol. She is very lucky that she never overdosed and is grateful to be here today to tell her story.
Al-Anon is a 12-step program based on the same principles as Alcoholics Anonymous. However, it is geared toward helping family members, spouses, partners, friends, and co-workers, among others, whose lives have been affected by someone’s struggle with alcoholism. Al-Anon members often attend meetings to share their stories and support one another in an environment of mutual respect and understanding. Phillips has been attending meetings and is now “taking the cotton out of my ears and putting it into my mouth so that I can truly listen to what’s going on there.”
Phillips’ decision to join Al-Anon is a significant step in her healing journey and shows her commitment to helping others who are struggling with similar issues. Her openness about her own struggles with addiction and the steps she has taken to overcome them can be an inspiration to others. Phillips is an example of how seeking help, attending meetings, and working through issues can help individuals turn their lives around and find a better path forward
