Claire H. arrived in America from Great Britain 32 years ago as a full-blown alcoholic. It took her another three years before she got sober in AA. Growing up in England, the ubiquity of social drinking found in countless local pubs lead her to start drinking at 14. That constant exposure to alcohol, plus her father’s untreated alcoholism at home, seemed to predestine Claire’s future addiction to alcohol and drugs. By the time her father died from the disease at age 46, Claire had found the grief-numbing relief offered by booze and drugs. From there, her life became prey to the disease, though she managed to stave-off many of its deleterious effects well into her twenties. But heroin entered the picture and accelerated Claire’s abuse of alcohol. She somehow skirted the worst consequences of that deadly mix only to find herself at the edge of the abyss at age 30. Thoroughly beaten by the disease, with little reason to go on, Claire finally found the doors of Alcoholics Anonymous. Though somewhat resistant to the Program in the beginning, she constantly attended meetings. That, plus intensive Step work with her sponsor and service work along the way, inevitably changed the trajectory of her life to one of meaning and purpose.
Claire attributes her success in the Program to the same continuous work and involvement that kept her sober in the first place. As an active member of her vibrant AA community, she personifies her love for the Program by continually doing the simple things we tell newcomers to do if they are to stay sober. What’s more, her participation in various Zoom meetings around the world has attracted many people to her enthusiastic approach toward sobriety.
Claire’s willingness to share her story has been a fine gift to me and I’m thrilled to share it with you. It’s a story that’s both inspirational and intriguing. So, please enjoy today’s episode of AA Recovery Interviews with my friend and AA sister, Claire H.
If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews podcast, 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. While you're there, 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.
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[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.]