(BAN only exists in areas where someone has volunteered to be the local Coordinator.)
*If there is no Coordinator listed for your area, you could volunteer to start a local group.*

Here's the process for volunteering to be a Coordinator:

--Read all the information, beginning at BAN.
--Read what's involved in being a BAN Coordinator.
--Fill out and submit the Coordinator Sign-up Form.

When you submit the Sign-up Form, I give you access to a BAN Coordinators Private Page on the website - that is accessible ONLY by BAN Coordinators. The page provides links to a lot of information to help you in your role as a Coordinator.

The material available through the BAN Coordinators Private Page includes:

Overview of Role of Coordinator

Coordinators Handbook
Basic guide and support for your local effort

eGroup Guidelines
An eGroup mail-list for all Coordinators to share information/ideas for working with BAN

Role of Coordinator
Focuses on "preparing" to have meetings

Getting out the Word

Press Releases
Tips for using press releases and other ideas
for getting out the word

Sample Brochure
A brief overview of BAN information to distribute to anyone in your community (civic organizations, churches, etc.) in an effort to reach people other than through your Coordinators e-mail address posted on the Website on the "List of Cities"

The BAN Book
This is an overview of the basic information about BAN,
mostly taken from the material posted on the website;
excellent resource to be given or sent out to counselors,
religious or civic organizations, etc. in your community
to inform them about BAN

Sample Cover Letter
This is a sample letter that can serve as a cover letter for giving out the "BAN Book" if you want to provide it to any counselors/therapists in your area

Setting up and Facilitating BAN Meetings

Setting up Meetings
Focuses on the role of the coordinator in "preparing" to have meetings, including:

Facilitating Meetings
Some tips for facilitating meetings,
both the First meeting and later meetings

Purpose and Guidelines(Handout)
To distribute to those attending the first meeting
and to each new member who joins later...
so everyone will understand the overall goals of BAN

Topics to Discuss at Meetings
This is a group of 18 previous Questions of the Week
(and my Responses) that can serve as possible topics for discussion at meetings.

Meeting Discussion Guides
This is a group of 7 discussion guides contributed by one of our Coordinators, that provide specific guidance in discussing some key topics at meetings.

Articles about Affairs (posted on the Website)
Note the 16 Articles under the "Personally Recovering" section that may be useful as another resource as topics for meeting discussions.

Recovery Graph
This provides good perspective as you work with others in going through the slow, jerky road to recovery.

So if you'd like to volunteer to be a BAN Coordinator,
please submit the Sign-up Form.

Finally, if there is no city in your area (and you are not interested in volunteering),
you can periodically check the List of Cities to see if someone else has volunteered.

In the meantime, if you are struggling alone...
I encourage you to read EVERYTHING on my site - so that at least you can recognize that you are not alone - that many others have been and are going through this experience.
(The more you learn/understand, the better you'll be able to recover.)
I also encourage you to reach out to find SOMEONE you can confide in and talk to - even if it's not in a support group. The isolation is one of the most difficult factors that makes recovery more difficult.