Sober Speak- Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Interviews

Episode 94 In this episode of Sober Speak, Gary K revisits his experience of the Steps, in particular, steps 2-9. Gary speaks to how the object of these steps is to become transparent and how keeping secrets prevents intimacy. Gary talks about how the Big Book provides real specific directions on how to complete these steps, how newcomers are always his teachers and how changing your vocabulary ca...

Episode 93 http://www.austincitywide.com/ In this episode of Sober Speak, Harris S talks about how the simplest concept of Alcoholism Anonymous is, “Make a friend, Be a friend”. It was this concept that led Harris to form the Austin Citywide Group which is an open fellowship group with potluck and childcare as a way to connect the dots between all the various groups, entities and circumstances in...

Episode 92 In this episode of Sober Speak, Bill C talks about what it was like growing up in a home that was full of recovery and how despite that, he chose to live an alcoholic, drug-abusing, criminal life that scared him senseless. Bill speaks to how he has now found redemption in working with others in Alcoholics Anonymous and how he learned how to "adult" in the program. Now celebrating 34 yea...

Episode 91 In this episode of Sober Speak, Gary K is back at the mic sharing what his experience of Steps 1 and 2. Gary speaks to alcoholism not being a therapeutic illness but a spiritual illness whose consequences can be healed by surrender to a higher power. Gary reflects on how you don’t learn recovery but experience it.  Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  f...

Episode 90 In this episode of Sober Speak, Brenda J gives a compelling description of what it was like for her growing up in a very large Latino family, how for a time she found refuge in alcohol and how her desire to get her Dad sober led her into the rooms of AlAnon and then AA. Brenda shares how everything she ever wanted in life came for her the moment she gave away to someone else and how her...

Episode 89 In this episode of Sober Speak, Howard B shares about his rapid descent into drug and alcohol addiction and how with the encouragement of his family, a sober living house and the 12 steps he was able to become sober. Howard talks about doing the work of the program, how he views amends as a four-part process and how in his experience amends can be received very differently. Howard speak...

Episode 88 In this episode of Sober Speak we listen in as BillieKai shares her journey of recovery starting with Al-Anon and then transitioning into Big Book Awakenings leading her closer to her higher power. BillieKai speaks to how growing up in an alcoholic family she came to be addicted to chaos and intentionally creating drama for attention. She shares how working the 12 steps in the Big Book...

Episode 87 This episode of Sober Speak is a continuation of Episode 59 (Steps 1,2 & 3), Episode 67 (Step 4 and Episode 73 (Steps 4,5 & 6). In this episode, David G speaks to the humility he found through Step 7 and how doing the work helps you to see yourself as others see you. David speaks to the profound harm we have done to others and how it is these injuries that prevent us from having meaning...

Episode 86 In this episode of Sober Speak, Jack Z gifts the listener with an amazing story of the power of hope. Jack shares how with AA, prayer, and mediation he has been able to endure a terminal illness and drops several recovery pearls of wisdom throughout the episode. As with many others in recovery, Jack talks about how lifelong insecurities set the framework for several -ism’s in his life b...

Episode 85 On this episode of Sober Speak, Dawn C returns to the Sober Speak mic to answer some listener generated questions. Dawn C talks about how easy it is to become complacent once our lives get better from being sober and how on the verge of her 10-year soberversary she still makes recovery her priority.  Dawn shares how she has grown to love meditation and how meditation keeps her growing s...

Episode 84 This episode of Sober speak is a continuation of Episode 79 where Ricky R began sharing his personal experience and understanding of the steps of AA. Ricky speaks to how he was taught that the program of AA is not for him, but instead, it is for him to take to others in service. Service is an underlying theme throughout this episode and Ricky R recounts how small changes in his own beha...

Episode 83 In this episode of Sober Speak we listen to Laura R share how a traumatic incident as a child rewired her brain leaving her with the inability to properly handle emotions and to make true connections with others. Laura details how this unresolved trauma resurfaced with the death of her father and she found herself completely out of control and full of self-hate. Upon finally surrenderin...

Episode 82 On this episode of Sober Speak, Amy and Spencer weave stories of their recovery journey together as well as those of their individual paths (Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-anon). Amy speaks to how her inability to cope with her demanding life led her to turn to alcohol as an escape. She details the moment that saved her life, pushing her over the edge into recovery after years of strugglin...

Episode 81 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996  https://alcoholics-anonymous.eu/online-meetings/ Above is the organization I mention during listener feedback - JM In this episode of Sober Speak, John W talks about his experiences before he got sober, what it was like ge...

Episode 80 In this episode of Sober Speak, we listen to Suzanne R tell us about it was like growing up living in a fear-based cult. Suzanne details the characteristics and tactics used by cults to dominate, retain and segregate members from society and how this impacted her recovery during step work especially with the formation of her higher power. Suzanne closes with how her own first bad experi...

Episode 79 In this episode of Sober Speak, Ricky R shares how the moment he had his first drink at 14 dramatically marked the downhill progression of his life and alcoholism. Ricky describes what is was what like growing up in an alcoholic family, the repercussions of his drinking, and how plain abstinence made him miserable driving home the importance of doing step-work in obtaining recovery. At...

Episode 78 In this episode of Sober Speak, we listen in as speaker Jerry J shares his story of recovery starting with an entertaining little story about the family dog using that as a parallel for how he came to understand the definition of alcoholism. Jerry’s story continues with how he came to be sick of himself and how his wife’s participation in Alanon eventually led him into the program. Jerr...

Episode 77 In this episode of SS, Sue speaks about what it felt like growing up feeling different than and apart from others despite being popular and having lots of friends to hitting bottom and almost taking her life in her car one day. Brought into the program by her family who is also in recovery, Sue speaks to what can happen when you stop going to meetings and become spiritually and emotiona...

Episode 76 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996   In this episode of Sober Speak, Megan H from California shares how she went from stealing wine coolers from her parents to being an oblivion seeking-addict, getting fired from her dream job and going in and out of the roo...

Episode 75 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996

Episode 74 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996

Episode 73 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996

Episode 72 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996

Episode 71 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996

Episode 70 Leave us a message @  https://www.speakpipe.com/SoberSpeak Email us @  feedback@soberspeak.com Visit our website @  www.soberspeak.com Text the word "sober" to 31996 https://www.focusedintensity.org/