Guy R. – Sober 3 Years

02/14/24 • 71 min

By the time he got sober, the dark cloud of alcoholism had engulfed Guy's life. After years of heavy drinking and drug use, that cloud all but obfuscated Guy’s best efforts to manage the disease. The cleverly-crafted lies and innate charm that had worked so well for so long simply stopped working. In the dozens of jobs he held over the years, Guy’s ability to work harder and longer than others always seemed to set him on the right track to success. But the effects of his worsening alcoholism gave his employers little choice but to fire him. Even then, his denial of the disease kept him mired in misery and self-loathing. Towards the end, the negative consequences of his behavior, including a DUI and more job-firings, became irrefutable evidence of a life circling the drain. Fortunately, what little exposure to AA Guy had had from previous scrapes was enough to spur him into his first meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. He found a sponsor who took him through the steps and, slowly but surely, incorporated the Program into his daily life. Three years later, Guy is one of those AA members whose personal demeanor in and outside of meetings is one of humility and service. In the relatively short time I’ve known him, Guy is one of those sober AAs whom I feel is demonstrating the promises of the Program that always materialize if we work for them. Guy’s story is one of sanguinity and optimism. If you’re early in sobriety, I think you’ll find his story an important testament to the immediate impact of AA. If you’ve been around for years, you’ll recognize the enduring message of hope in everything Guy has to say. So, enjoy the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews with my friend and AA brother Guy R. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to 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. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, “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. [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.]

Previous Episode

Ro Y. – Sober Since April 1982 (Encore of Episode 71)

Jails, institutions, or death. These are the three bleak outcomes from alcoholism and drug addiction that faced my guest on today’s show, Ro Y. Actually, he fulfilled the first two in his late teens and early twenties after being incarcerated multiple times and being court-ordered into treatment facilities. The third option was not far behind. Ro’s increasing use from alcohol and drugs pointed solely toward a permanent, if not welcome, solution to his misery. His introduction to AA happened in the prison meetings he attended for no other purpose than to attain a less severe period behind bars. Upon release from every jailing, he ignored everything he'd heard in AA and returned to a life of drug use, alcoholism, and crime. Ro’s downhill slide accelerated with each felony conviction for buying and selling drugs. Prison sentences, parole violations, and failed attempts to stop drinking and using dogged his every move. Finallly, in Spring of 1982 when he hit his bottom and entered AA. With an earnestness born out of desperation, Ro finally began the tough work required in the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Working his way out of the debris field of his life, Ro continued to trudge the road of happy destiny one day at a time. That journey took him from sweeping floors as an ex-con to owning his own business for over 30 years, building and racing cars and boats while setting world speed-records in the process. He has never forgotten where he came from, nor taken for granted God’s gifts of sobriety. Living a rich and fulfilling life, Ro lives in the center of the AA herd. With 40 years of sobriety, he still attends daily meetings and can be seen talking to newcomers and old-timers alike, offering his unique folksy brand of support and friendship. His AA story is simply remarkable, yet told in very humble terms. I’m grateful for the friendship we’ve enjoyed for the past 30 years and I believe you’ll find today’s episode of AA Recovery Interviews to be especially engaging and meaningful. So, set your phone to Do Not Disturb for the next hour and 15 minutes as you enjoy my conversation with one of my favorite AA kinfolk, Ro Y. [This is an encore of Episode 71, originally released April 30, 2022]. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to 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. Check out I invite you to check out my latest audio book, “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. [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.]

Next Episode

Jim G. – Sober Since September 2000 (Encore Episode)

As a medical doctor who secretly battled his own addiction to alcohol and drugs for many years, Jim's alcoholism literally affected the lives and well-being of others. Jim grew up with an abusive father whose military career relocated the family many times during Jim’s childhood and adolescence. He faced additional suffering during countless hospitalizations for medical conditions related to hemophilia, a rare bleeding disorder in which the blood does not clot properly. Turning to booze and drugs during his high school and college years, Jim’s escalating alcoholism accompanied his medical degree, internship, and residency into his position as a OB/GYN at a major hospital. Turns out that the hospital culture, with its hard-working and hard-drinking doctors and nurses, further fueled Jim’s lifestyle with alcohol and cocaine. The effects of constant use soon threw Jim’s personal life into turmoil, replete with three failed marriages and ever-deepening despair. Professionally, his drug and alcohol- impaired medical practice became a severe threat to the safety of his patients. By the time Jim was intervened upon by his hospital and placed in rehab, he had had enough and was desperate to recover. Thankfully, he found a strong AA community that offered him the ego-deflation and no-nonsense support he needed to get sober. As he grew in that community, he built a humble new life in which he could be of real service to others, especially those in the medical profession who find it difficult to admit defeat by the disease. Jim’s story offers a rare perspective we don’t hear often in ordinary AA meetings, especially since many physicians attend closed meetings amongst their own. But his involvement and service as an active participant in everyday AA is proof positive of a man whose AA program is on solid ground. I’m grateful Jim’s here with me on AA Recovery Interviews and believe you’ll find this podcast to be both enlightening and reassuring. So please relish the next hour with my friend and AA brother, Jim G. [This is an encore of Episode 67, originally released March 2, 2022]. If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to 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. I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, “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. [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.]