AA Recovery Interviews with Howard L.
Alcoholics Anonymous members from around the world share their awesome stories of experience, strength, and hope with interview host Howard L.
Episodes
Ray G. – Sober 20 Years
“Crazy Ray” G. shares his remarkable journey from a booze-soaked, drug-addled life and mounting DUIs to recovery. After years of failed attempts and a final shot at redemption, Ray found AA. Twenty years later, he’s sober, grateful, and dedicated to a life of maximum service.
Tilda B. – Sober Since February 1994
Tilda B. shares how AA carried her from alcoholism in London to lasting sobriety in Kenya, proving that recovery, fellowship, and hope truly have no borders.
Gary G. – Sober Since February 1983
Growing up amid music, success, and the chaos of an alcoholic home, Gary followed a path that led from the music business to alcoholism. After years of failed attempts to quit on his own, a chance encounter with a sober friend led him to Alcoholics Anonymous. In this inspiring episode, Gary shares how wholehearted commitment to AA and daily practice of its principles have sustained decades of sobr
Chris S.- Sober Since June 2009
Some alcoholics drink hard from the start. Chris S. didn’t. He rarely drank until his early 40s, despite a lifetime of loneliness, low self-esteem, and quiet emotional pain. But when alcohol and cocaine finally entered his life, they seemed to offer everything he had been missing—until they nearly destroyed him. After multiple relapses, six desire chips, and a life-changing sponsor, Chris finally
Jeff A. – Sober Since December 1992
Jeff’s drinking took hold in his late teens, fueled by isolation, low self-esteem, and a lack of purpose. As alcoholism and work addiction consumed his life, his marriage began to collapse. Faced with an ultimatum and urged by a therapist, he turned to Alcoholics Anonymous. Though the marriage ended, Jeff embraced AA’s program, built a rewarding life in recovery, married a woman he met in the Fell
Maryrose M. – Sober 5 Years
In this episode, guest Maryrose M. shares her journey to sobriety, detailing how alcoholism developed later in life despite earlier signs of its growing impact on her life. After facing escalating binges, blackouts, and deep self-reproach, she embraced a well-worked AA program to achieve over five years of continuous sobriety. Listeners will hear an inspiring story illustrating how finding similar
Corby M. – Sober Since Sept. 2020 (Encore Episode)
Corby’s story is one of pain, relapse, survival, and redemption—an honest reminder that alcoholism can reemerge even after meaningful time in recovery. After entering AA in 2017, Corby later faced a devastating relapse when prescribed pain medication for severe back problems gradually led him back to alcohol. What followed was a difficult journey through addiction, treatment, and ultimately a retu
C.T. – Sober 37 Years
C.T.’s story begins with loss and instability—
Like many recovering alcoholics, C.T. grew up in a fractured family. His mother died when he was five and he’d never met his biological father, early family contention centered on where C.T. should stay. He never knew why his grandparents didn’t take him in,
C.T. ended up being raised by his “Auntie” Irene, from whom C.T. learned values, virtues, an
April T. – Sober Since March 2019 (Encore Episode)
April T., experienced the kind of nightmare that recovering alcoholics refer to when we say, “There, but for the grace of God, go I”. April’s road trip of terror began while drunk during a 4-hour drive on a major interstate. Halfway into the trip, while drinking vodka from a plastic bottle, she crossed the median at over ninety miles an hour, and crashed head-on into a car of three people, ejectin
Rudy T. – Sober 27 Years
This episode is another deeply personal story—one that reflects the courage it takes to face alcoholism head-on and the transformation that becomes possible through recovery. My guest, Rudy T., has been sober for 27 years. What he shares is not just a timeline of events, but a lived experience of what it means to surrender, to grow, and to stay the course over time. It’s also a brilliant example
Julie R. – Sober 7 Years
Like many I’ve had the privilege to interview, today’s guest, Julie R., took her first drink at 14 and felt immediate relief from fear, sadness, and anxiety at home. Her early binge drinking didn’t stand out much in high school or college, but it quietly laid the groundwork for deeper struggles with alcohol and cocaine. Though she began to suspect alcohol was part of the problem, quitting wasn’t y
Craig S. – Sober 4 Years
Craig came to AA later in life, getting sober at 63. For years he appeared to manage his drinking while building a highly successful business and providing a rich lifestyle for his family. But alcoholism is patient—and progressive. As control slipped and cocaine entered the picture, the consequences grew harder to ignore. Anxiety mounted. Relationships suffered. The very abilities that built his s
Amy B. – Sober Since October 2018 (Encore Episode)
Amy’s fascinating story is one of early exposure to her father’s alcoholism and her mother’s active involvement in Al-Anon. But her parents also divorced when she was very young and she and her sister were shuttled back-and-forth to fulfill the terms of joint custody. Like many adolescents of divorced parents, Amy sought relief and release through the alcohol and marijuana she started using in 8th
Kirkland V. – Sober Since February 2005 (Encore Episode)
Kirkland’s family of origin was a difficult place to grow up. Alcoholism was rife and the cause of constant stress and chaos. Wracked with fear and isolation, he inevitably turned to alcohol and marijuana for solace. It didn’t take long for the disease of alcoholism to take hold and thrive. Kirkland’s subsequent use and abuse of alcohol and grass throughout high school and college affected every a
Gerry R. – Sober Since January 1990 (Encore Episode)
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Gerry’s road to utter ruin began with pot, pills, and intravenous drug use at 15. Living as a heroin addict for the next ten years, his sordid lifestyle supported his addiction until he was able to stop heroin through methadone treatment for the next ten years.
With his life spiraling out of control after two decades as a dope addict, Gerry was finally able to get
Kelvin S. – Sober Since September 2017 (Encore Episode)
Kelvin's life was defined and dominated by booze and drugs. Though there are similarities to other sobriety tales, many parts of his story contain things that most alcoholics must be referring to when they say, “There but for the grace of God go I” or “That could have been me”. Drinking, smoking crack, gang membership, desperate crimes, jail, broken probation, prison, and parole violations all occ
Sarah M. – Sober Since May 1996 (Encore Episode)
Sarah’s remarkable story begins with a relatively happy childhood in a family with little connection to alcohol. While other addictive behaviors may have been present, Sarah experienced issues with anorexia and bulimia years before her first drink. It manifested into feelings of low self-esteem and negative body-image, causing further shame and fear. By the time she found alcohol at age 16, she wa
Dan C. – Sober 3 Years
Dan C.'s story challenges conventional wisdom about alcoholism and recovery. We often think of alcoholism/addiction as a young person's struggle, a disease that wrecks lives early and publicly. But what happens when a cunning, baffling, and powerful disease lies dormant for decades, only to combust when a seemingly successful life hits an unexpected turn? This is Dan C.'s powerful and eye-opening
Kyle G. – Sober Since January 2019 (Encore Episode)
Kyle’s hard-fought battle with addiction and alcoholism was one he thought he could win on his own. He even managed to stay dry without AA for five years. But they were miserable years packed with trouble in every aspect of his life. So, back to drinking he went for ten more years, during which his disease rode him hard to the bottom. As his life swelled with problems and his options were dwindlin
Patrice T. – Sober Since January 1979 (Encore Episode)
Patrice T. has known alcoholism from both sides—first as the child of an alcoholic, and later as an alcoholic herself. For a time, her drinking overlapped her father’s struggle, until both of their lives were transformed by sobriety. Patrice grew up amid the turmoil of her father’s disease, yet like so many of us, she began drinking as a teenager anyway. Alcohol offered relief and escape as her li
Robert H. – Sober Since November 2001 (Encore Episode)
Robert got sober when he was just 13, after a brief, but vicious, struggle with alcoholism and hard-drug addiction. Twenty-two years later, he’s a living testament to what long-term recovery in AA can mean for those who get sober young. Robert’s family tree was infested with alcoholism, so his life seemed pre-destined to the ravages of the disease. Fortunately, both his parents and grandfather wer
Victoria H. – Sober Since January 1992 (Encore Episode)
Victoria started drinking early to deal with the strife of abuse she suffered as a child and the trauma she experienced at 15 witnessing the aftermath of a bloody massacre in the Philippines. Living with the shock and horror were more than enough propel her alcohol-dominated life for the next 20 years. Then she found AA.
Victoria is the first guest on AA Recovery Interviews whose spouse, Wes H.
Jackie B. – Sober Since October 2015
Jackie's story illustrates one of the most cunning aspects of alcoholism--the erroneous belief that going to AA meetings without necessarily doing the work is enough to stay sober. In Jackie’s case, she had survived her dysfunctional family and alcohol-infused failures at higher education, only to emerge as a full-blown binge drinker. As escalating alcoholism continued to addle her decisions, she
William B. – Sober Since June 1999
William’s story speaks to the devastating effects of alcohol on a life already afflicted with mental health issues. Raised in a drug-infested part of London, William describes his childhood as horrible amidst family members who were sex workers. Rather than be shielded as a child from this dysfunctional environment, he was exposed to it to learn the harsh realities of life. Seeking relief from the
Bob W. – Sober Since July 1999
A Viet Nam veteran from a family fraught with alcoholism, Bob’s post-war progression into the disease of alcoholism accompanied a long and hard-driven business career in the banking industry. But, by the time he had raised three children and accumulated a great deal of material success, Bob’s alcoholism and other addictive behaviors severely bit into his home life. His marriage unraveled and his r
Tom W. – Sober Since January 1995 (Encore Episode)
Incredibly, Tom hadn't had a drink in over nine years when he joined AA. He was "dry", but his behavior during those years was every bit as alcoholic as if he’d been drinking the whole time. Growing up in a very dysfunctional home, Tom’s early life was fraught with daily fear, shame, and lack of direction. His years in the army during the Viet Nam war and his early business career were soaked in a
Rosemary B. – Sober Since October 1980 (Encore Episode)
Rosemary started drinking at age 6 with a sip of beer. But unlike other children, whose experience with beer was an occasional sip, Rosemary's beer drinking became an everyday occurrence. Her parents, distracted by their own severe alcoholism, allowed her to continue drinking daily from age 6 until she got sober in her 20’s. As the oldest of five children in a very dysfunctional family, Rosemary a
David D. – Sober 9 Years
My guest on today’s episode of AA Recovery Interviews is David D., a man whose story of descent into alcoholism—and steady climb back through the Program of Alcoholics Anonymous—reminds us that no one is immune to the reach of this disease.
Born into a relatively normal family and raised in a stable environment, David’s early life was free of the turmoil that marks so many stories of addiction.
Courtney P. – Sober Since July 2014 (Encore Episode)
Courtney’s backstory is not dissimilar to those who grew up in tumultuous families in which alcoholism was present. The seeming frivolity and celebratory aspects of drinking cloaked the actual dysfunction that was occurring in the family. By the time she was drinking on a regular basis in her teenage years, Courtney’s budding alcoholism had become yet another family secret to bear. Though she was
Jimmy G. – Sober 7 Years
A "Man of the Cloth", Jimmy G.'s earliest aspirations were to be in service to the Episcopal Church. Though strict in many ways, when it came to drinking, Jimmy and his friends found plenty of opportunities to raid liquor cabinets across their neighborhood. By his teens, Jimmy was outdrinking his friends. His years in college and then seminary were rife with drinking as Jimmy wrestled with deep-se
Matt J. – Sober Since May 2014 (Encore Episode)
Matt J. describes his family tree as “littered with problem drinkers”, of which he became one all too quickly. As an only child, Matt grew up in a home where verbal and physical abuse reigned supreme. By the time his parents got divorced, his coping mechanisms included locking himself in his room with books and baseball cards upon which he could obsess. Such means of escape followed him into his t
Ron B. – Sober 43 Years
Today’s podcast is my interview is with Ron B., a man whom I’d just met at a Friends of Bill W. meeting on an enormous cruise ship earlier this year. As we had both attended floating AA meetings before, neither of us was surprised when the two of us were the only attendees. After talking for a while, I asked Ron if he’d like to share his story of 43 years of sobriety. Seeing it as an opportunity
Ray O. – Sober Since April 2009 [Encore Episode]
Ray’s difficult road to sobriety was paved with many failed attempts to get sober over the years. Each attempt was thwarted by the belief that his situation was somehow different than the people he met in 6 different treatment centers and sporadic AA meetings. The similarities of his loneliness and wanting to fit in were eclipsed by the differences he saw in his social standing and material advant
Justin M. – Sober Since June 2020 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 84 originally released June 29, 2022]
Alcoholism nearly ended Justin’s marriage and his career as an airline pilot. Then he found sobriety and recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous. Raised in a family rife with alcoholics, Justin’s role model was a father who suffered with alcoholism and co-occurring mental health issues, and ultimately committed suicide. Though warned
Nadia S. – Sober Since August 1980
Nadia's personal story was published in the 4th Edition of Alcoholics Anonymous in 2001. She’s the first AA member I’ve interviewed whose backstory can be read by anyone with a Big Book. Combined with today’s interview, Nadia’s story comes alive in many ways, beginning with her emigration from France after World War II with her mother who had suffered as a slave laborer under the Nazis. Landing in
Kristina C. – Sober Since August 2018 (Encore of Episode 74)
By age 15, Kristina had already been in treatment for drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and a suicide attempt. It took another 14 years for her to find lasting and contented sobriety in AA. Kristina’s struggles with addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness began with a difficult childhood. Though raised in affluence, her childhood was marred by a myriad of family chaos and conflict. By age five,
Richard B. – Sober 2 Years
Richard's life-long battle with alcoholism was abated for nearly two decades in AA. But he let up on his Program and ultimately relapsed on "thimbles" of moonshine in a Mississippi bar. His drinking resumed and he quickly found himself back in the same alcoholic quagmire that AA had extricated him from years earlier. Depleted physically, mentally, and emotionally, Richard found himself at the jump
Ted O. – Sober 42 Years
Welcome back my friends to AA Recovery Interviews. I’m your host, Howard L. and I’m an alcoholic, sober since January 1, 1988, one day at a time. I’m grateful you’ve joined us. AA Recovery Interviews is the podcast where Alcoholics Anonymous members from around the world share their timeless and extraordinary stories of experience, strength, and hope. There are over 180 interviews in this podcast
Richard B. – Sober 2 Years
Richard's life-long battle with alcoholism was abated for nearly two decades in AA. But he let up on his Program and ultimately relapsed on "thimbles" of moonshine in a Mississippi bar. His drinking resumed and he quickly found himself back in the same alcoholic quagmire that AA had extricated him from years earlier. Depleted physically, mentally, and emotionally, Richard found himself at the jump
Nancy K. – Sober 53 Years
Nancy K. is an extraordinary woman whose 53 years of continuous sobriety is a stunning achievement built upon the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Growing up in a home dominated by a violent alcoholic father, Nancy started drinking at age 12 to quell the constant fear and self-loathing she felt daily. Seemingly “rescued” at age 17 by her first failed marriage, Nancy continued to drink he
Susan D. – Sober Since January 2003 (Encore Episode)
Ever meet someone in an AA meeting for the first time whom you can just tell is working a good Program? My guest on today’s show, Susan D., is that kind of person. When she first attended a Tuesday meeting that I’ve been going to for the past 15 years, she showed up early with the countenance and confidence of someone who has attended many meetings. She comfortably introduced herself and was soon
Vicki A. – Sober Since April 2002 (Encore Episode)
Marijuana was Vicki’s primary addiction along with alcoholism. Like a lot of us, she smoked pot much more frequently than she drank, but ended up in AA just the same. The hauntings of a painful childhood in a dysfunctional family, fractured by her parents’ divorce when she was young, created self-loathing, shame, and a sense of not belonging. Fortunately, she found marijuana at 13. That, plus what
Jeff B. – Sober Since October 2017 (Encore)
Jeff B. reached the pinnacle of Major League Baseball, but alcoholism ultimately cost him his career, marriage, and peace. After years of failed attempts at sobriety and nine desire chips, he finally surrendered—and found lasting freedom in AA. His powerful story of defeat, redemption, and service reveals how surrender can become the first step toward winning the life we were meant to live.
Sabine H. – Sober 2 Years
Joining me from Copenhagen, Denmark, Sabine H. grew up in a culture in which alcohol is both ubiquitous and deeply ingrained in social life. She never considered drinking as the cause of her problems until well into her forties. By then, the ruinous effects of her drinking had supplanted Sabine’s diminishing ability to mask her growing alcohol abuse and other mental health issues. The fame, money,
Sam H. – Sober 38 Years
With his life in tatters, Sam's entrée into Alcoholics Anonymous literally came down to a coin flip. Heads, he’d go AA. Tails, he’d put a bullet through his head. Such an abject choice was the culmination of a life largely ruined by alcoholism. Sam was penniless, homeless, and suffering from untreated clinical depression. His options were running out quicker than the many quarts of booze he consum
Jay S. – Sober Since May 2003 (Encore Episode)
Jay’s foray into alcoholism stemmed from a difficult childhood in a home where his father drank, and fear and confusion reigned. By the time he started drinking in his early teens to quell the fear and ease his dissonance, he had set the pattern for a life of alcoholic behavior. Dishonesty and narcissism both isolated him and caused pain to those who cared about him. As his adult life was rapidly
Howard L. – Sober 37 Years – Celebration of 175th Episode
This is the 175th interview in the AA Recovery Interviews podcast series. This milestone episode celebrates the success of this podcast in touching so many peoples’ lives around the world over the past 4 ½ years. Its impact on listeners has been nothing short of astonishing. I invite you to revisit Episode 50, the interview in which I shared my personal story. I’ve sought to share parts of my sobr
Lauren A. – Sober Since June 2009 (Encore Episode)
Lauren rose to the top of her profession as a prima ballerina and enjoyed international acclaim during her 23 years of thrilling audiences around the world. But the career she had built through years of intense training and dedication were absolutely no match for the alcoholism and drug addiction she encountered along the way. Her early forays with alcohol and marijuana were not unlike the experie
Bud S. – Sober 44 Years (Encore Episode)
[Program Note: Bud S. passed away shortly after the release of this interview in 2022 at age 94. He had 44 Years of sobriety when he died. This interview may be the last time Bud shared his extraordinary story, but it lives on in the hearts those who knew him.]
My guest on today’s show is Bud S., a man of remarkable longevity and long-term sobriety. At 94 years old, his 44 years of sobriety is
Bret B. – Sober 14 Years (Encore Episode)
Growing up in a home fractured by alcoholism, Bret B. had first-hand exposure to his father’s untreated disease. The physical and verbal abuse was a lot for child to handle. Unfortunately, any solace or comfort that might have been offered by Bret’s mother was extinguished by a stroke she suffered in her early 30s (when Bret was 8) which left her paralyzed and unable to speak. Like many alcoholic
Paul B. – Sober 7 Years
Given up for adoption by his 17-year-old mother, Paul B. still describes his childhood as idyllic. Growing up on a rural English farm where beer and alcohol were a normal part of every day life, any alcoholism that Paul perceived in his family had little effect on his upbringing. In fact, his own drinking didn’t influence his behavior until his years at Oxford University where he rapidly became pa
Terri S. – Sober Since August 2003 (Encore Episode)
Terri S. first overdosed on pain meds when she was only six years old. Living in a Brooklyn apartment with an alcoholic father and chronically ill mother, who suffered from Crohn's disease, Terri had been given a tablet for stomach pain exacerbated by her dysfunctional home life. Reasoning that if one pill eased her pain, the whole bottle would be even better, Terri found and swallowed all her mot
Audie M. – Sober 36 Years
Celebrating 36 years of sobriety on the day of this interview, my guest Audie M. recorded this episode of AA Recovery Interviews during some free time between meetings at a men’s AA retreat. Audie’s proclivity for drinking was influenced by his father’s alcoholism and his mother’s helplessness dealing with it. Audie took up the family gauntlet and became a regular drinker in his teens and early 2
Kesenija P. – Sober Since February 1992 (Encore Episode)
Imagine trying to get sober in a country without AA meetings or the Big Book. That's what faced Ksenija when she got sober in 1992. That, plus Croatia's viscious War of Independence.
Though she had grown up in a Soviet country that paid little heed to the disease of alcoholism, the rest of Kesenija’s back-story is similar to those told by AA members around the world. She was raised in a culture
Jennifer S. – Sober 2 Years
Jennifer S. had a rough journey getting to AA recovery. She was raised in a home where her mother’s alcohol abuse was neatly ignored while frequent family parties gave Jennifer ample opportunities to sample alcohol as a child. But it was the drinking she did as a teenager and young adult to cope with family dysfunction and escape reality that turned alcohol into an unappeasable adversary. Working
Larry L. – Sober Since February 2011 (Encore Episode)
Larry got sober at age 65, finally claiming his chair in AA after drinking his entire adult life. As a life-long bachelor, he was also a loner. For decades, his daily routine consisted of working long hours, then putting in a shift at the bar, literally drinking until closing time several days a week. Whatever little social life Larry had was confined to occasional barroom acquaintances. Drinking
Mike V. – Sober 30 Years
Mike’s story is classic tale of a life dragged to the brink of ruin by alcoholism. Brought up in a mostly normal home, his introduction to booze in was similar to many of us alcoholics who started drinking in our teens. Mike liked the effects produced by alcohol and continued to drink through six years in the Navy and for years after. Negative consequences, including two failed marriages piled up
Max A. – Sober Since November 2008 (Encore Episode)
Max grew up in a horribly alcoholic home with a mother who later died of cirrhosis and organ failure from drinking. To deal with the madness, Max began drinking at 13 to escape the feelings wrought by the dysfunction of her alcoholic family. Her own alcohol use escalated through high school and college well into her twenties. She admits that, at the time, she knew intellectually that drinking was
Joe S. – Sober 26 Years
Joe's abuse of alcohol was a big part of his teenage and young-adult years growing up in Liverpool England. By the time he moved to Australia in his early twenties, he was a full-blown alcoholic. Joe was raised in a tumultuous home, where verbal and physical abuse were a regular occurrence. Even after his parents divorced, his drunken father continued to wreak havoc on the family. Not surprisingly
Emily M. – Sober Since November 1989 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 26 originally released May 13, 2021]
Some alcoholics go to AA meetings even though they haven't stopped drinking. They may fulfill AA’s only membership requirement, expressed in the 3rd Tradition, by having the desire to stop drinking. But, for whatever reason, they just cannot stop. Though it may be unusual to have someone in a meeting who's actively drinking, the
Jeff S. – Sober 26 Years
Jeff S. got sober in 1998 after years of alcoholism and addiction to crack cocaine. Coming from a tough upbringing, he started drinking as a teen. Jeff spent five years in the U.S. Army which he enjoyed mainly because it allowed him to drink with alacrity and few consequences. But the boozing followed Jeff out of the service into a series of dead-end jobs with few prospects for success. As a funct
Beth F. – Sober 3 Years
When Beth finally got sober less than four years ago, she had made it to middle age as an active, but functional alcoholic. She grew up in a family where alcoholism was present, but largely unaddressed. Beth moved nine times with her military family while still in elementary school, casting the die of a lonesome outsider. When she found alcohol early in her teens, Beth found the key to coping with
Leigh P. – Sober Since March 1995 (Encore Episode)
Born and raised in London, Leigh's love affair with alcohol began in neighborhood public houses, or pubs. These establishments were and still are the centers of gathering in the town where Leigh grew up. Despite the fact that he was underage, having a pint or two of beer at the local pub was an unremarkable occurrence largely ignored by those around him. But, as he came of age, Leigh’s drinking in
Teska M. – Sober Since July 2016 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 24 originally released April 29, 2021].
As the daughter of a Louisiana bar-owner, Teska’s father would spike her Coca Cola with whiskey when she was a child. But, though her family was rife with alcoholism within a culture where drinking was a way of life, Teska lived most of her life as a normal or social drinker. It wasn’t until she retired, after a long and succ
Ryan M. – Sober 14 Years
My guest today is Ryan M., who was given tequila at age nine by his father to induce an aversion to alcohol. But Ryan actually liked it, especially the warm and wonderful feeling of being drunk. That set the ball rolling in a life in which the pursuit of ease and comfort would morph into serious addiction to alcohol and drugs. Raised as an only child, Ryan describes a happy childhood and adolescen
Bruno R. – Sober 12 Years
In his late teens, Bruno R. initially attended Alcoholics Anonymous to satisfy the terms of probation after his first DWI. His half-hearted attempts resulted in short stints of sobriety. But he wasn’t ready to do what AA suggested. Even after violating his probation with another DWI, Bruno remained resistant to AA recovery and continued to drink. Facing felony charges after his third DWI in Texas,
Brent F. – Sober Since November 2018 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 61 originally released January 19, 2022].
It was 1996 when Brent first attempted to get sober. But like so many others, it took him several attempts to fully embrace AA and do the work necessary to achieve solid and contented sobriety. Those earlier attempts at sobriety included significant stints in AA over the years, during which time he went to meetings and actu
Claire H. – Sober 29 Years
Claire H. arrived in America from Great Britain 32 years ago as a full-blown alcoholic. It took her another three years before she got sober in AA. Growing up in England, the ubiquity of social drinking found in countless local pubs lead her to start drinking at 14. That constant exposure to alcohol, plus her father’s untreated alcoholism at home, seemed to predestine Claire’s future addiction to
Jason G. – Sober Since November 1994 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 45 originally released September 22, 2021].
Jason's moment of clarity materialized with the barrel of a cocked revolver resting against his head. That he didn’t pull the trigger, and managed to un-cock the hammer of the pistol while still drunk, gave him a singular pause to ask his higher power for help. That he’s still sober some 27 years later is proof positive t
Paul W. – Sober Since March 1990 (Encore Episode)
[This is an encore of Episode 100, originally released November 9, 2022].
Paul's award-winning achievements in the music industry are beyond compare. His work has woven itself into the fabric of 20th and 21st century popular culture. His memorable songs have touched multiple generations around the world. But, as with many alcoholics, Paul’s genius grew out of a Dickensian childhood, full of fam
Mike S. – Sober Since 1987 (Encore of Episode 27)
Mike's story is an inspiring testament to the critical importance of having an AA sponsor. In fact, my story is so intertwined with Mike’s that you’re likely to learn more about me in today’s podcast than you have in any other interview. When we first met in late 1988, I’d been sober only about 10 months. I had all but given up on AA and was headed towards relapse. You see, though I attended meeti
Brian A. – Sober 31 Years
Alcoholism’s tornadic sweep through Brian’s life laid waste to his prospects for a happy future. Brian was raised in a family deeply rooted in alcoholism, a disease that ultimately took his father’s life. Brian’s his childhood and adolescence were further complicated by a severe skin allergy that physically and emotionally isolated him from others. By the time he started drinking at age 13, Brian’
Wes H. – Sober Since November 1991 (Encore of Episode 56)
Wes’ love of writing songs as a kid grew into a hectic, alcohol-infused career in the music business. Whether it was writing, performing, or producing, daily drinking was just part of the gig. For a while, alcohol was unobtrusive and often served his creative endeavors. However, by the time alcohol turned on him, its debilitating effects on his body, psyche, and spirit had pushed him to the brink.
Cody T. – Sober 4 Years
Cody’s story is a tragic tale rooted in a family rampant with alcoholism and drug addiction. Both of his parents were hard-drug users who sadly never attempted to get sober. Cody used drugs with them on a regular basis in addition to his drinking, further complicating any notions that he might be an alcoholic. As booze and heroine addled Cody’s decision-making and behavior, he was whipsawed into t
Margie D. – Sober Since November 1979 (Encore of Episode 7)
Originally from New England, but having lived in Great Britain for many years, Margie has over 45 years of sobriety. Having faced countless obstacles to getting to AA and subsequent challenges to sobriety during her 4 decades in the Program, Margie has remained as passionate and committed to the AA as one can be. In all those years, the longest she’s ever gone without a meeting was 10 days (during
Mike J. – Sober 34 Years
Mike's qualification for AA was honed by years of alcohol and drug abuse. Like so many others in our Program, Mike’s experience with alcohol started as a young teenager who drank to overcome feelings of being “less than”, despite his being raised by his grandparents in a strict, but loving home. Mike’s grandfather was the local Baptist minister. Any abhorrent behavior Mike engaged in was quickly a
Laura B. – Sober 37 Years
Laura B. got sober at age 17 after 4 years of intensively developing her alcoholism into qualification for AA. In that first meeting, she picked up a desire chip that initiated her 37 years of sobriety as an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous. A compelling aspect of Laura’s story is that her father was in AA and her mother was in Al-Anon. They used the tools of their respective Programs to effe
David P. – Sober 37 Years
As the frontman for a British band that was among the vanguard of punk rock in the late 1970s, my guest, David P., rode the New Wave of that musical genre as both writer and performer. Like many rock stars, his alcohol and drug use preceded, then accompanied his career. Both in good times and bad, David’s life was soaked with the same booze and cocaine that went with him when he moved from England
Dale C. – Sober Since December 2008 (Encore of Episode 73)
When he started making the coffee, his life got better.... Thirteen years ago, Dale started attending one of my home groups, a men’s meeting that I’ve been going to for over 33 years. Since he first stepped into that meeting, his service to the group and individual men has solidified his spot in the middle of our herd. In fact, he says it was when he started making and serving coffee in the meetin
Aileen C. – Sober Since April 2009 (Encore of Episode 30)
A tough upbringing punctuated by violence and abuse led to Aileen's early use of drugs and alcohol just to survive home life. Her difficult and dangerous relationships in adulthood were mired by alcoholism of one or both parties. Self-loathing and despair, with ideations of suicide, haunted her at every turn. Indeed, Aileen’s story looked hopeless. In the end, it took in-patient mental health trea
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