Wegweiser Addiction · Help & Rights Deutsch

🤝 Self-help groups

Self-help and abstinence associations in Germany: for people affected and for relatives – an overview.

self-help group Alcoholics Anonymous Al-Anon Kreuzbund Guttempler

In brief

Alongside professional addiction counselling, there is a dense network of self-help groups. The five traditional abstinence associations – Blaues Kreuz in Deutschland, Blaues Kreuz in der Evangelischen Kirche, Kreuzbund, Guttempler in Deutschland and Freundeskreise für Suchtkrankenhilfe – say they have around 5,000 groups with about 85,000 weekly participants between them, of whom around 70 % are people affected and around 30 % relatives.

There are also the internationally organised 12-step groups Alcoholics Anonymous (AA, around 1,800 groups in Germany) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA, around 420 meetings, for illegal drugs). Specifically for relatives there is Al-Anon (around 450 groups) with its youth programme Alateen.

Step by step

  1. Choose the right directionPeople affected can find groups e.g. at AA (alcohol), NA (illegal drugs) or the abstinence associations; relatives specifically at Al-Anon or in relatives' groups of the abstinence associations.
  2. Use the meeting finderEach association has its own meeting finder online (e.g. anonyme-alkoholiker.de/meetings, al-anon.de, kreuzbund.de, guttempler.de).
  3. Try an open meetingMany groups offer open meetings that interested people and relatives can attend without registering.

Deadlines

~5,000
Groups of the five traditional abstinence associations nationwide, according to the associations.Association figures (including kreuzbund.de)
~1,800
Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the German-speaking region.anonyme-alkoholiker.de
~450
Al-Anon groups for relatives of alcoholics in Germany.al-anon.de
Watch out – common mistakes
  • Self-help groups do not replace medical treatment or detoxification – they are an important addition, especially for stabilisation and relapse prevention.
  • The exact split between people affected and relatives (e.g. "70 % to 30 %") is a rough figure from the associations, not an official statistic.
  • Not every group suits every person – changing group or association is common and perfectly fine.
In depth · legal basis, figures and practice – for advisers and professionals

The five traditional abstinence associations

Blaues Kreuz in Deutschland, Blaues Kreuz in der Evangelischen Kirche, Kreuzbund, Guttempler in Deutschland and the Freundeskreise für Suchtkrankenhilfe are members of the DHS and form the backbone of addiction self-help. According to the associations, they admit both people affected and relatives.

12-step groups

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) work according to the 12-step programme on alcohol; there are open meetings (also for relatives/interested people) and closed meetings (only for people affected). Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is the counterpart for illegal drugs, active in Germany since 1978, with a free information hotline (0800 44533 62).

Relatives: a self-help tradition of their own

Al-Anon is an independent self-help organisation exclusively for relatives and friends of people with alcohol problems; Alateen, as a sub-programme, is aimed at young people from affected families.

Uncertain/not officially verified

All group and participation figures mentioned come from the associations themselves, not from an independent official statistic, and are to be understood as orders of magnitude.

Who is responsible
  • The respective self-help association (independent, not a state body)
  • Addiction advice centre (often also refers people to self-help groups)
Further reading
Finding addiction counsellingFamily and relativesRelapse and aftercare

Quick questions

Worum geht es bei „Self-help groups“?
Self-help and abstinence associations in Germany: for people affected and for relatives – an overview.
Which deadlines and figures matter?
  • ~5,000: Groups of the five traditional abstinence associations nationwide, according to the associations. (Association figures (including kreuzbund.de))
  • ~1,800: Groups of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in the German-speaking region. (anonyme-alkoholiker.de)
  • ~450: Al-Anon groups for relatives of alcoholics in Germany. (al-anon.de)
What should I do first?
  • Choose the right direction: People affected can find groups e.g. at AA (alcohol), NA (illegal drugs) or the abstinence associations; relatives specifically at Al-Anon or in relatives' groups of the abstinence associations.
  • Use the meeting finder: Each association has its own meeting finder online (e.g. anonyme-alkoholiker.de/meetings, al-anon.de, kreuzbund.de, guttempler.de).
  • Try an open meeting: Many groups offer open meetings that interested people and relatives can attend without registering.
What do I need to watch out for?
  • Self-help groups do not replace medical treatment or detoxification – they are an important addition, especially for stabilisation and relapse prevention.
  • The exact split between people affected and relatives (e.g. "70 % to 30 %") is a rough figure from the associations, not an official statistic.
  • Not every group suits every person – changing group or association is common and perfectly fine.
Evidence
  • Kreuzbund e.V., self-help and abstinence associations of the Freie Wohlfahrtspflege (kreuzbund.de)
  • Anonyme Alkoholiker Deutschland, anonyme-alkoholiker.de/meetings/
  • Narcotics Anonymous Deutschland, narcotics-anonymous.de
  • Al-Anon Familiengruppen Deutschland, al-anon.de
As of

As of September 2026. · Sources and method

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