Movie About the Wife of the Alcoholic’s Anonymous Founder

Have you heard that there’s a movie out about the wife of Bill Wilson, the founder of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) program. As the story goes her husband suffered from the grips of alcoholism for seventeen years before be got free from it. If you know anything about the program of AA, Bill probably had a head on collision with God.

The TV premier of Lois Wilson’s story is scheduled to air April 25th on CBS. The movie is titled “When Love is Not Enough.” This is going to be an enlightening biography of her life and the beginning of the Al-anon program.





In the early years of AA and Al-anon, the wife of the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous would hold meetings in her kitchen area.
Meeting in Lois Wilson’s Kitchen
While the people who were struggling with staying away from a drink of alcohol were meeting in the living room, the family members and friends of the alcoholics were helping one another while enjoying cookies and coffee. That’s a tradition that is still occurring in the rooms of AA and Al-anon.

Bills wife had a heart for the family members who were suffering from the effects of living with an alcoholic. Something that she new all about after gaining wisdom from enduring a long seventeen years of her husbands drinking problem.

The Twelve Steps
The founder of AA is responsible for developing the twelve step program format which is basically designed to bring people into a right relationship with God and others. Since the formation of the program there have been thousands of groups who are using the proven steps that work to help people get free from addictions. A popular saying in the Al-anon program is; “It works if you work it and let it begin with me”

As the trailer for the movie reveals, the Alcoholic’s Anonymous founder was a very successful business man on Wall Street prior to becoming an alcoholic. Not long after the stock market took a huge crash, refereed to as the “Great Depression,” he turned to the bottle for comfort. It was a romance that would cost him dearly, but would in the end turn out for the good of millions of people all over the world.

What Will Happen the Night the Movie Airs?
“When Love Is Not Enough” is expected to bring in tens of thousands of calls into the Al-anon help line on the evening that the movie airs. From what I understand, there is going to be contact information for the program running periodically on the TV screen during the movie.

If you have ever lived with an active alcoholic, then you well know some of the frustrations that the wife of the Alcoholics Anonymous program’s founder was faced with. The disease has people lying, stealing, being angry and also keeping the family anxious on a regular basis. The program of Al-anon, which Lois Wilson founded, addresses these attributes of the disease and teaches family members how to deal with alcoholic situations in a more loving manner.

When Love is Not Enough

The title of the movie, “When Love Is Not Enough,” seems to fit perfectly with the hope that people find through the Al-anon program. Alcoholism causes the family members of the problem drinker to become lonely and frustrated. The program helps give a glimmer of hope to people who are at their wits-end.

We need more than just love when trying to understand and cope with this relentless disease. The wife of the Alcoholics Anonymous founder recognized the need and her vision joined with her husband has changed the lives of millions.

3 comments to Movie About the Wife of the Alcoholic’s Anonymous Founder

  • Thanks so much for posting this. That is really some great information on how people that have a problem with alcohol not only affect themselves, but especially those that they love the most. Their wives. I really hope that we all can find better ways on how to deal with alcoholic spouses.

  • We stumbled over here by a different website and thought I should check things out.
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  • Laurie Kelly

    Thank you for this movie to help shed light on how it impacts entire families.

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