Keep Coming Back Podcast

Monica was never a child, she was constantly full of fear, and first picked up a drink at only 9 years old. It took her a long time to find the rooms of AA, and many, many relapses, but today, Monica is happy, joyous and free in a way she’s never experienced in this life. Quotes“Today I am full of hope, passion, energy, life, love . . . if I were to look in the mirror 6 yrs. ago, or even a year ago, I was a dead soul, my soul inside was dead from the disease of alcoholism.”“You’re gonna have to get sober anyway, why not now?”

Teddi came to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous for one reason: to get verification from real alcoholics that she was a normal drinker. They told her to keep coming back . . . and she hasn’t had a drink since. Quotes“I was always judging my insides by your outsides and I always came up short.”“If you’re new . . . and you’re listening to this, I want to tell you what they told me in my first meeting, Welcome Home.”“They told me to Keep Coming Back.”

Always feeling like an outsider and unable to connect to others, Ursula found something in the escape of alcohol. Ursula shares a beautifully honest and humble story of growing her small voice and finding peace and love and connection in this world.  Quotes“God this is it, this is that moment where I can go back . . . or I can pick up the tools . . . I could relapse, or I could work the program . . . and I’m so grateful that the urge started to melt away.”“Our program of action is really something powerful.”

Broken on the inside while presenting perfection on the outside led to Karen hating herself, before she ever began drinking. Once alcohol came into the picture, Karen found an escape from herself – and her alcoholism progressed. The day after she stopped breastfeeding, Karen became a daily drinker. Listen to her story of a double-life turned into a beautiful life of freedom.Quotes“The more I hated myself, the more I drank, and the more I drank the more I hated myself and it became a vicious cycle that I couldn’t stop."“Things work better if I just surrender to the flow of life instead of trying to control it.”

Jessica’s share contains painful stories of child sexual abuse, kidnapping, violent spousal abuse, trafficking, suicide attempts, and the development of alcoholism and addiction. Jessica found her path to recovery, freedom and peace through making a simple choice and doing the action that was necessary. Today, she gives back as she continues to heal—learn more about Jessica's purpose at SurvivingBeauty.orgQuotes“Recovery is a transformative process . . . I keep myself open to being teachable, knowing that the rewards that I will get from recovery directly relate to the amount of work that I put in.”“If I fall off the wagon, it’s not going to be because AA failed me, it’ll be because I failed to do the work of AA.”

In this calm share Margaret shares her beginnings in the rooms, which started as an Al-Anon member, before she realized it was AA that was needed. As a young single mother of two, Margaret was able to do 90 meetings in 90 days all because she couldn’t figure out how to go home and not drink – and she’s been sober since.Quotes“When I take alcohol into my body, I can’t control my thinking. I surrender what I’m thinking—I surrender my body’s actions to the alcohol acting in my body.”“I walked into the meeting . . . and I felt like I had come home, it felt like I fit in my skin, it felt like for once, I was ok.”

Glenn didn’t drink much until he was a successful business man, which quickly came with high prices: loss of marriage, kids, job, tons of money, and more than 70 hospitalizations and 4 full rehab programs. But today, Glenn is proud of who he is, a new and completely different man. You can also check out his podcast at Sober.CoffeeQuotes“I have learned and continue to learn a new way of living, so I don’t need to drink to escape from me.”“If it wasn’t for my alcoholism, I never would have learned to be the dad I am today.”

1st generation kid that began serious drinking at 10 yrs. old, with lots of drugs thereafter, Alex is just learning how to be gentle to herself; 2 years into the program, she is starting to hear her thoughts, embrace them and find her true self.Quotes“I have to approach things with more love, more curiosity—and less panic.”“My thoughts will come up now, and I’m like ok, I’ll call someone.”

After waking up face down in his backyard, having no memory of the previous day, Howard surrendered to the program and what it could offer. Today he could not image his life without AA, as he once could not imagine his life without alcohol. Quotes“I found a life that I didn’t think was possible without alcohol, and it’s through this program.”“One thing AA taught me was it’s ok to ask for help.”

Hans was in and out of the rooms for 6 yrs. but he kept trying, and each time he’d do something a little different . . . and finally, it was 90 meetings in 90 days that brought him into long-term, double-digit sobriety . . . and a life of happiness.Quotes“It took the willingness to do something I really didn’t want to do, to get to long term sobriety.” “It’s so important to me to not only get the physical sobriety, but to figure out how to be happy in sobriety, or it’s not going to last.”“The two places that I feel closest to ‘God’ are hiking, and in a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Sam found sobriety at 30 yrs old, during COVID lockdown. A blackout drinker that didn’t realize she had a problem until she hid her first bottle – which was after two DUIs and catching on fire. Today she has a strong program and a therapist she stays close to, today she is her authentic self.Quotes“I am not my thoughts, we are not our thoughts.” "I felt hopeful for the first time, I felt safe, I felt optimistic that I could do something differently now.”

Married at 17, sober at 27, mother of two boys in the military, and having recently celebrated 30 yrs of sobriety, Carla is a very young old-timer that brings calm wisdom to her share.  Quotes“If you’re out there suffering, know you’re not alone, there is a solution.”“Alcoholics Anonymous isn’t the only way to get sober, but it’s a really great tool that works for a lot of people, so if you’re suffering, give it a try.”“I’ve found that Alcoholics Anonymous has given me a way of living that really works.”

Ralph – sober at 32, explains how he was “struck sober” when an acquaintance pointed out that he was an alcoholic. He set down his beer and hasn’t had alcohol since, between then and now he works a strong program to maintain his sobriety and thus serenity. Quotes“We get to build a faith system that works for us, as long as we don’t drink.”“Alcoholics Anonymous is the single greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

From his first drink, Eric drank like it was a marathon, always going overboard and beyond everyone else. It was in a moment of honesty with his father that his journey to sobriety began—that was 21 years ago. Quotes“I never had a normal relationship with alcohol, it was always drink as much as possible, as fast as possible.”“If you think you have a problem with drinking, you probably do; and if you have a problem with drinking, you’re in the right place.”

Approaching her 20th anniversary of sobriety, Jan gets real as she walks us through her journey to the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous—where she is happy, joyous and free.Quotes“The only place I was finding recovery was in the rooms of AA.”“I have reached a level of contentment I never thought was possible.”

26 yrs. old, gay, homeless and new to sobriety, during the AIDS epidemic, Paul found his way into Alcoholics Anonymous and a life of sobriety and joy.Quotes“I was struck sober, I didn’t want to get sober, I didn’t plan to get sober . . . I didn’t believe I belonged here . . . the message of Alcoholics Anonymous hit me and it stuck.”“I got a life that was so much better than I could have envisioned; I did not know people could live the way I live today, which is - I’m comfortable in my own skin.”

The progression of her disease went from food to cutting to alcohol to drugs to really serious drugs. Not everyone will relate to Sarah’s past, but absolutely every person in recovery needs the wisdom and insight she beautifully presents.Quotes “My thoughts no longer dictate my actions, my actions in fact, dictate my thoughts.”“I had the incentive to do the things I didn’t want to do because I knew relief was guaranteed and that’s still the principle I live on today in recovery.” “I have no desire to drink and use today, and that’s the side effect of my program today, and it’s glorious.”

The program of Alcoholics Anonymous brought out the genuine Adrienne; when you listen to her whole story, you get to hear Adrienne transform into a beautiful butterfly of sobriety and motherhood.Quotes“It’s a we program, not anI program, you’re gonna need that extra person to give you a boost.”“I just kept coming back regardless; I didn’t have a drink no matter what, because it wasn’t worth it.”

Bipolar, depression and alcoholism, Stephan shares his honest story from pain and a 6 yrs. relapse with 4 brain surgeries—to a life of joy, love and a growing family. Quotes“I have had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps in AA, and I am no longer the person that I was before.” “This is a very experiential program . . . once you experience something, you have Sober Reference.”

Henry shares a calm and gentle story of recovery. A medical doctor with 3 years of sobriety, he’s not completely ready to forgive or love himself, but the Principles and the people of this Program are showing Henry the way there.Quotes“I have a certain kind of peace, a certain kind of acceptance, a certain kind of serenity.” “I know that I want to believe . . . and I want to live my life in a way that acknowledges that there’s a power greater than myself.”