Boiled Owl Aa Recovery Podcast

Dave was in treatment at 15, in & out of AA for 3 years. Drugs were a problem, but alcohol? At 15-20 years old, he was the youngest person in AA in his area. On a road trip to DC with a friend, he got obliterated. "Gratitude first" about 15 years ago changed how he looks at life. Terrific tale of a motorcycle accident in sobriety. Dave's home group is Young People in Greensboro, NC, and his sobriety date is 04APR1988.

Sharon relives, rethinks, and refeels at her birthday each year. She tried many other ways before AA. Working in the restaurant business back then, she would book people in a blackout. Sharon drums for meditation. At a red light, she chose AA over wine. Sharon's sobriety date is 05DEC1981 and her home group is Big Book, No Smoke in Greensboro, NC.

Scott got sober at 24 in Houston, TX. His cocaine use led to his alcoholism. In his last year of college, he dropped all but one course and was failing that. He had a close call with death twice; the second is when he reached out for help. Wonderful discussions of Hot 'n Dry roundup, Crystal Meth Anonymous service, and racial and gender equity in recovery fellowships. Scott's sobriety date is 01APR1987 and his home group is Common Solution in Durham, NC.

Michelle got a DUI. 6 Months later, her drinking was worse. IOP led to AA. Fun story about a goat dealer! She is agnostic on her best days and atheist on her worst. We chat about mental healthcare and AA. Michelle's sobriety date is 18JUN2018 and her home group is Keeping It Green in Greensboro, NC.

Seth started drinking in the 3rd or 4th grade. He was forced into treatment at 16. "Fight Club" was his only understanding of AA at the time. ("The first rule of Fight Club is: You do not talk about Fight Club.") One month before getting sober, he couldn't not drink. He was on a boat for three months... with his 4th Step. Seth is in between home groups and his sobriety date is 08AUG2008.

Patrick didn't think he was an alcoholic; he just didn't know how to drink. A marriage counselor suggested not drinking and that led to his first 90 days sober. His first AA meeting was in a city an hour away so no one who knew him would see him. At 18 months sober, he divorced and his sponsor had died, leading to anger and anxiety. Patrick got sober on 28SEP1990 and his home group is Midtown in Wilmington, NC.

Gabi spent one and a half years picking up white chips. That kept her close to the program for when she was ready. She was in MacArthur Park in LA to buy drugs when her car was impounded. She was homeless and panhandling to get her car back. She stalked her second sponsor. She talks a lot about unmanageability. Here's her spiritual music playlist of unusual songs: 1. Fire and Rain: James Taylor 2. Let It Be: Beatles 3. Surrender: Cheap Trick 4. Beauty Mark: Rufus Wainwright 5. Drift Away: Dobie Gray 6. Good Vibrations: Beach Boys 7. Chicago: Sufjan Stevens 8. Black Water: Doobie Brothers 9. Boy in the Bubble: Paul Simon 10. What’s Up: 4 Non Blondes Gabi got sober on 12AUG2008 and her home group is the No-Name Group somewhere in central NC.

"My Name is Ebenezer S." is a ghostly 12th-Step call play that's been presented by members of AA in Greensboro, NC, for many years. We've pulled together a cast for this audio version to share with folks who can't join us in person. The script for "My Name is Ebenezer S." is available for free by request at giveahoot@boiledowlaa.org. We encourage you to put together your own production of this fun holiday play and to put your own local flavor into it. Our 2019 show is on Saturday, 07DEC, and details are available at nc23.org. Happy Holidays, y'all!

A lot of people wanted Emily to stop drinking. She lost 3 jobs in 1 year. She said, "I need major help" and then thought "Oh God, why did I say that?" She was confident there was a problem and not confident there was a solution. Early on, Emily drank while reading her Big Book. The 10th Step Promises touched her soul. Emily got sober on 28FEB2016 and her home group is The Way Out in Greensboro, NC.

For 2 years, Ric was not convinced he was an alcoholic. He was a pro at being apart from. Tacos tricked him into going to his first 3 meetings! There's the rat poison incident. At 2 years, the obsession to drink returned at a meeting. He then worked the steps quickly. Ric's home group is Young People in Greensboro NC. His sobriety date is 23DEC1995.

As a doctor, Tommie would come in at 12:30PM. Awake at 4AM, she was not OK with drinking then because that would be morning drinking, so she prescribed sleeping pills to herself. Oddly, there were times when many of the pills were missing. Clients would step over her passed out body in the bar. She had LOTS of blackouts. She went to her first meeting in 1985 "to help clients." She didn't think she was an alcoholic for 2-3 years after starting AA. Now at 31 years sober, she goes to meetings daily. Tommie's home group is the Jamestown Group in Jamestown, NC. Her sobriety date is 02NOV1987.

Drew got sober at 24. He sneaked airplane bottles into a 7th grade dance, equated fun with drinking, and alcohol preceded everything he did. His DUIs led him to treatment to avoid jail. Drew shares about a major health issue where he was facing death at 30 and how even that didn't stop his drinking. The science of alcoholism was the first inroad to him "getting it." Drew's sobriety date is 25FEB2008 and his home group is 16th Street in Greensboro, NC.

Paul came into AA in 2003 with the desire to stop drinking but didn't stop. He would go to the bar after a meeting. He got a DUI in his first 2 weeks in AA. Paul talks about motorcycle riding and Daytona... coffees to non-alcoholic beer to free beer with a t-shirt. Back home, he got a sponsor. Sober and out with friends, they were laughing too hard and were asked to leave an establishment. Paul's sobriety date is 17OCT2005 and his home group is Bethel in Greensboro, NC.

Leslie was in and out for 18 months. In a family program for her husband's treatment, she was pulled aside and asked how much she drank. Corked wine vs. screw-top... Giving wine and then stealing it back... The Great Baked Chicken Experiment... Recently, a 10th Step led to a 4th. Leslie got sober on 01APR1991 and her home group is Keeping It Green in Greensboro, NC.

Jackie got sober in North Carolina. She is working to find a balance between AA and life. She was saved multiple times from drinking, just at the moment of ordering a drink, by events that she attributes to her higher power. She saw a change when she began to share honestly in meetings about what was going on with her. I didn’t edit out any pauses between thoughts in Jackie's recording; she really does talk that fast! Jackie's home group is New Beginnings for Women in Greensboro, NC. Her last drink was June 13, 2016.

Greg got sober in Tampa, Florida. Daily Prayer and meditation is a big part of his recovery. He had a relapse after 2 1/2 years. The only furniture in his apartment when he got sober was a bed. His most pivotal moment was realizing the wall he held between himself and his children. That enabled him to surrender and return to AA. Greg's sobriety date is 06JUL1993 and his home group is Summit Fellowship Men's group in Greensboro, NC.

Lorna got sober in Phoenix, AZ, on her 32nd birthday... by accident. She spent 8 weeks in rehab. "I didn't want what I had." At 5 years sober, she helped clean someone's house, without wanting to. We discuss meeting styles, service positions, and meditation. Lorna's home group is the Oasis Group in Raleigh, NC. Her sobriety date is 26JUN1994. Lorna contacted us via boiledowlaa.org and we were thrilled when she accepted our invitation to be a guest. Join us for a coffee!

Michael's parents knew something was awry early on; he was introduced to AA long before he was interested in it. He was intoxicated at his first meeting. He came to realize he was an alcoholic in the years that followed. His family couldn't trust him and he pushed them away. Even is drinking/using buddies didn't want anything to do with him. On probation when he went to treatment, it was the first time he admitted powerlessness out loud. His early sober living arrangements were much like an "AA bootcamp" with thirty other guys. Michael's sobriety date is 05JAN2013 and his home group is Young People in Greensboro, NC.

Sallie had a traumatic event - we talk about pain meds and her use of the program for an ongoing resentment about the effects of the trauma. She was alcoholic for years and knew it; she drank every night. She met a guy in recovery and did controlled drinking or no drinking. Then she went to Al-Anon and realized they were talking about her. Sallie went to lots of speaker meetings and heard her story from many different types of people. Fun story about her 30-day chip. Sallie's sobriety date is 15MAY2011 and her home group is Bethel in Greensboro, NC.

Regarding AA, Keven was concerned about the "religious aspect." Keven talks about his first day sober and being stir crazy. His first meeting was on Step 1. A 6-week elimination diet led to his realization that alcohol was a problem for him. He drank only beer the last year due to a family vacation incident involving liquor. Keven got a sponsor and a home group within the first month of his sobriety. An atheist, Keven has a unique name for that power of his own understanding. Keven's sobriety date is 05OCT2017 and, until a recent move to Ohio, his home group was Young People in Greensboro, NC.