Tricia’s Raw AA Story: Born This Way, Finding Freedom

Hey friend — this episode feels like sitting across from someone who tells you everything, no filter. Tricia, an alcoholic with a sobriety date of January 1, 2011, shares the messy, heartbreaking, and fiercely hopeful story of how she went from a childhood of shame and an Irish-family culture of drinking to finding real freedom in AA.

She talks openly about the first sip at a festival, the feeling of being "born alcoholic," and the two-part beast of the allergy to alcohol plus the relentless mental obsession that kept pulling her back. There are raw moments here — psych ward stays, relapses, a marriage with someone actively using — and also the small, powerful turns that led her back.

What struck me (and will probably hit you too) is how the steps, a sponsor, and showing up to meetings slowly rewired her life. She describes writing out the fourth step, making amends, learning practical adulthood (hello, bank accounts and bills), and discovering a version of God that actually works for her. The promises of the program — especially the one about using your experience to help others — become her currency of healing.

Tricia doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle: she’s all-or-nothing by nature, battles control and people-pleasing, and still has days that are "lifey." But she also testifies, with humor and tears, that the freedom the program offers is real: it kept her alive, taught her how to be human, and gave her a life worth showing up for.

There are warm, funny flashes too — the irony of hating the happy faces in meetings, the ridiculousness of her early assumptions, and the joy of finding a loving partner in AA who actually has a program. Most of all, you’ll hear the way pain gets turned into connection: telling your story helps someone else say "me too," and that’s gold.

So if you want an honest, intimate listen — full of grit, laughter, humility, and the real work of recovery — stick around. Tricia’s story is proof that even when life gets lifey, there’s a path forward. If this resonates, come say hi to the group she loves (AA Solution Seekers meets daily at 7 a.m.), and if you’re enjoying the show, consider subscribing, leaving a review, or supporting the podcast.

 

 

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