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.
