Épisodes

  • Robert H. – Sober Since November 2001

    Robert H. – Sober Since November 2001
    Jan 8 2026
    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 were active members of AA and they intervened early before they would have lost him to booze and hallucinogens. Miraculously, treatment and an alternative peer group took hold in his young life. He soon found himself sitting alongside his father and grandfather in a men’s AA meeting, where I first met him. Though his father struggled with multiple relapses through the years, Robert never stopped working his AA Program. Incentivized by his grandfather’s promise of a fully-paid college tuition, Robert took the skills and maturity he had gained from AA into his higher education. He ultimately earned a Ph.D., launching a 17 year career in the field of addiction and mental health that encompasses private practice, clinical supervision, and the creation and management of clinical programming. He still credits AA with this gift and others in sobriety, including a loving wife and four children, close friends, and a spiritual practice that keeps him centered on helping others. With such a busy and fulfilling life, Robert still makes time for the very same basics he learned in AA when he was barely a teenager. Meetings, sponsorship, fellowship, and prayer continue to serve him, and are a model for others seeking long term sobriety in AA. Robert is one of many members of Alcoholics Anonymous whom I’ve known from their first days of sobriety. Watching him grow into a man of integrity, intention, and purpose while staying sober has been a huge blessing for me and countless others. His story is remarkable in many ways, but absolutely epitomizes the impact AA can have for those who want what we have, young and old. It’s a story you’ll likely want to listen to more than once. So, please lend your attention for the next hour and ten minutes to my excellent friend and AA brother, Robert H. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
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    1 h et 8 min
  • Victoria H. – Sober Since January 1992 (Encore Episode)

    Victoria H. – Sober Since January 1992 (Encore Episode)
    Dec 25 2025
    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., shared his story on an earlier podcast. They got sober together within days of each other over 30 years ago. Hearing both their stories provides unique context to their journeys before and after getting sober. Victoria’s story stands very much on its own. Raised in a military home by a mother with bi-polar disorder and a physically abusive father, her life as the oldest of 3 children was further complicated by frequent moves around world. The alcohol she found early helped ease the madness and numb the traumatic events she experienced along the way. Access to alcohol by hook or crook on military bases fueled self-destructive behavior that followed her into adulthood. By the time she found AA sobriety in 1992, alcoholism had taken a huge toll on her body, exacerbating medical conditions that required 31 surgeries over the years. Through it all, Victoria’s unceasing involvement in AA, and working with others, helped her survive death’s numerous importunities. One of her last surgeries during the past year was literally do or die. She credits Wes and her AA family for pulling her through with prayers and the collective healing energy of love. My interview with Victoria on today’s AA Recovery Interviews podcast runs a little longer than others, but flies by as her story unfolds. It’s a story that helps further define the phrase “Experience, strength, and hope.” So grab a cuppa and become engrossed for the next hour and ten minutes in the story of my friend and AA sister, Victoria H. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
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    1 h et 16 min
  • Jackie B. – Sober Since October 2015

    Jackie B. – Sober Since October 2015
    Dec 17 2025
    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 escaped her first toxic marriage with two young children only to find herself drinking more than ever. Her second marriage produced three children and one still born baby. The early-onset deterioration of that marriage caused by alcoholism persisted for 17 years until Jackie had finally had enough. She found AA and somehow stayed sober 8 years, even though her ever-diminishing involvement in the Program continually pulled her farther away from it. Her mistaken belief that she could find and maintain AA-type sobriety in church ultimately resulted in her getting drunk. It took her until 2015 to get back to AA. Beaten by the disease into a state of reasonableness, Jackie finally embraced the Program and its principals wholeheartedly. She remains sober to this day. Jackie’s story will not be unfamiliar to AA’s who thought they could find an easier, softer way to work the Program, only to slip in the end. I’m grateful she made it back to AA and has continued to do all of the simple, but not easy, things necessary to assure daily sobriety and a happy life in the center of the Program. I think you’ll find her story to be most engaging and offer you 60 minutes of listening pleasure on today’s AA Recovery Interviews podcast with my friend and AA sister, Jackie B. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
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    1 h et 7 min
  • William B. – Sober Since June 1999

    William B. – Sober Since June 1999
    Dec 10 2025
    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 daily horrors, William found alcohol at 11, and proceeded on an 8-year odyssey during which he lived on the streets of south London. For years, he remained isolated in worsening mental illness that was increasingly fueled by his alcoholism. Sleeping on cemetery benches and hustling just to stay alive, William slipped through all of London’s social service nets available at the time, and was completely ignored by society. As he became sicker from alcoholism and his life on the streets, his options evaporated and suicide appeared as the only way out. Fortunately, the bottom William hit didn’t kill him, but left him on the doorstep of Alcoholics Anonymous at age 19. He entered the rooms shirtless with piercings, an orange mohawk, and floor-length black leather coat. He was unexpectantly welcomed by a well-dressed middle-aged woman who simply offered him tea. That small gesture of kindness was enough to keep him coming back for days and weeks to come. Still feeling the outsider, even within AA, William’s response to AA was largely anti-social for a number of years during his early sobriety. He kept largely to himself and his relentless study of the Big Book and AA literature. Over time, however, William’s self-imposed boundaries lowered enough for him to experience the gifts of fellowship and service to others. From that point until today, William has become a valuable member of several home groups and purveyor of service throughout his London AA community, as well as online via Zoom. Throughout his 23 years of sobriety, he has often considered himself an “odd duck” in AA. But, his actual work in the Program has kept him firmly anchored to his own sobriety while facing his life with growing humility borne of actual experience of working with others. William’s story is a fascinating journey from physical, mental, and spiritual destitution to total redemption at the hands of AA fellowship. His well-worked program and daily presence in AA meetings has uplifted many whom he has touched with his simple message of hope. I’m grateful for William’s friendship and believe his story on this episode of AA Recovery Interviews will touch listeners on many levels. So gather your biscuits and tea, sit back, and enjoy the next 65 minutes with my mate and AA brother from across the pond, William B. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
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    Moins d'une minute
  • Bob W. – Sober Since July 1999

    Bob W. – Sober Since July 1999
    Dec 4 2025
    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 relationship with his adult children deteriorated. Completely dispirited by his late 50’s, Bob contemplated the same deadly exit plan his father had taken some 25 years earlier. Fortunately, his turning point was towards sobriety and AA. Interestingly, Bob’s sobriety through active participation in the Program had little impact on his other addictive behavior, which he struggled with for years after he got sober from alcohol. But, with the help of a sustained AA program, Bob finally surrendered his other addiction on his road of recovery. There’s a lot more to this story that you’ll hear shortly. After nearly 14 years of west coast AA, Bob made it back to Houston in 2016, which is where I caught up with him. Though divorced and estranged from his family in California, in the past nearly 5 years he has re-built a new and happier life for himself. His story is one that I admire greatly. I think you will, too. So settle back and enjoy the next hour of my interview with my good friend and AA brother, Bob W. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, Apple Books, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and Apple Books. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.
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    1 h et 8 min
  • Tom W. – Sober Since January 1995 (Encore Episode)

    Tom W. – Sober Since January 1995 (Encore Episode)
    Nov 26 2025
    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 alcohol and abhorrent behavior. By the time he was married and had two young children, Tom’s bitter and self-righteous temperment had recreated the same kind of toxic environment in which he’d grown up. As Tom’s burgeoning alcoholism was fracturing his marriage and family, he somehow managed stopped drinking. However, his dry years provided little relief from the madness. He found himself living on a miserable decline in mind, body, and spirit. The suggestion that he join AA, despite being dry, finally struck a responsive chord in his otherwise demoralized life and he started to attend meetings. Tom’s tenuous hold on the Program eventually became a tighter grip on all of the tenets necessary to live an AA-enriched life, including regular meetings, prayer and meditation, and unceasing service work. Tom has always stated his sobriety date as the day he entered AA, rather than the date he stopped drinking. This important difference between simply being dry and staying sober in AA has been well-demonstrated by Tom over the years. I’ve personally heard him share those differences with newcomers in countless meetings we’ve attended. His is an important message that needs reemphasis whenever alcoholics consider just getting dry in lieu of getting sober. The many gifts in Tom’s life since sobriety are proof-positive of the power of a spiritually-centered and active Program. As you listen to his story on today’s AA Recovery Interviews podcast, I believe you’ll be moved to truly appreciate what a life of sobriety looks like compared to a life of just staying dry. So, please relax and enjoy the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews with my dear friend and AA brother, Tom W. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio. [Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. – Howard L.]
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    1 h et 4 min
  • Rosemary B. – Sober Since October 1980 (Encore Episode)

    Rosemary B. – Sober Since October 1980 (Encore Episode)
    Nov 20 2025
    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 also became the chief caregiver for her younger siblings, essentially raising them while her parents’ disease made them oblivious to the needs of their own children. When she finally escaped the alcoholic madness of her childhood home, Rosemary’s daily drinking, bolstered by a variety of drugs, left her on the streets of New York City where her alcoholism and drug addiction flourished. But an early marriage to an alcoholic led to a pregnancy that was the turning point in her life. Scared by the prospects of having a baby with medical problems, Rosemary quit the alcohol and drugs cold turkey. Ironically, the DTs she suffered were mistaken for symptoms of morning sickness and neither she nor any of her doctors connected the dots. Fortunately, the baby was born healthy and Rosemary was sober for the first time in her life. A brief stint in Al-Anon re-directed her to the doors of AA, where she became a compliant and active member of the Program. Rosemary’s story has quite a few twists and turns, including a period of sobriety during which she attended few meetings. But she never strayed too far. Years of intensive trauma therapy helped realign her ability and willingness to both share in meetings and work with others. Her experience in therapy combined with a strong AA program, is one that many of us sober alcoholics have in our sobriety stories. In Rosemary’s life, that experience has been indispensable. Interestingly, she directly credits her success in business to what she learned at the hand of alcoholic parents, as well as what she experienced on the streets of New York. As you listen to Rosemary’s story, her soft-spoken words convey the importance of coming to terms with past demons. The sobriety she’s crafted over the past 40 years reflects both hard work in the program and a heart-felt desire to help others. So sit back and enjoy the next 60 minutes with my friend and AA sister, Rosemary B. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio. [Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. – Howard L.]
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    1 h et 6 min
  • David D. – Sober 9 Years

    David D. – Sober 9 Years
    Nov 12 2025
    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. His introduction to drinking came later, during college, where fraternity life provided both the social setting and the permission to drink freely. In those years, his drinking appeared typical, part of the camaraderie and celebration that defined young adulthood. After college, David built a promising career and enjoyed the outward signs of success. Drinking remained a social habit—something to accompany professional events or ease life’s minor stresses. But over time, that manageable pattern shifted. When business setbacks and personal losses began to mount, David found in alcohol the false comfort and control that every alcoholic comes to know too well. The very solution he trusted soon became the source of his greatest problems. Relationships faltered, opportunities slipped away, and his health began to deteriorate. What had once been a coping mechanism became a slow-motion collapse of body and spirit. By early 2016, David’s drinking had ravaged his liver and other organs, and the prospect of death was no longer theoretical—it was imminent. In February of that year, faced with the stark reality of what alcohol was doing to him, David reached out for help and found Alcoholics Anonymous. There, among others who had walked the same road, he discovered the grace and guidance that began to restore him to life. Nearly a decade later, David’s story stands as living proof of the hope that resides in our fellowship and the redemptive power of a Higher Power. His journey from quiet suffering to purposeful sobriety offers strength and reassurance to anyone still struggling in the shadows. So please enjoy the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews with my good friend and AA brother, David D. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series, have a listen to “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio. [Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. – Howard L.]
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    57 min
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