Jim W. – Sober 32 Years

As a toddler, Jim accompanied his siblings to parties where he got his first taste of marijuana and alcohol. For his 10th birthday, his adult brother got him a joint and shots of peppermint schnapps. By 13, he was a daily pot smoker and drinking whenever he could. His race to the bottom ended when he got sober at age 21. On this episode of AA Recovery Interviews, meet Jim W., an active member of AA for the past 32 years. His journey through alcoholism and drug addiction started early in life. After Jim’s parents divorced when he was six months old, he was essentially raised by his two sisters and brother who were 14, 16, and 18 years older, while his mother worked to support the family. As a child, he engaged in all of the drug and alcohol-riddled behavior practiced by his older siblings. By high school he was crashing cars and frequently getting into trouble. In addition to regular drinking, Jim became a drug dealer to support his own habit of mainlining cocaine. He went to a party college, where his first DWI landed him in jail replete with DTs and drug withdrawal. As he spiraled downward, a desperate visit to a psychiatrist, and coincidental death of two childhood friends who were on his path, provided Jim’s wakeup call at the age of 21. After two weeks in a treatment center, and another slip, Jim thankfully ran into a friend who had been sober in AA for five years. He offered Jim help. Completely defeated, Jim came into AA in Cleveland, Ohio and found a sponsor the first day. His immersive experience in the Program throughout his first 18 months, formed a solid foundation of sobriety and service for years to come. Jim frequently quotes the Big Book from memory, not to show off, but in the earnest desire to help others. He stills goes to lots of meetings and sponsors new men all the time, with the same firm, no-nonsense approach to working the 12 Steps that was ingrained in Jim by the northeast Ohio brand of AA. Jim's story is a fine example of what grateful sobriety looks like after 32 years in AA. I’m glad I’ve known Jim W. for the majority of that time and hope you’ll enjoy what he has to say in this, the, the 31st interview of the AA Recovery Interviews podcast. Visit the AA Recovery Interviews website for more information and to contact me, Howard L. Check out Howard’s Big Book Podcast, the complete unabridged audio version of the First and Second Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book Podcast is an engaging cover-to-cover, word-for-word reading of all 11 chapters and Personal Stories, many of which were left out of the Third and Fourth Editions. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com Join our Facebook Group and share your own experience, strength, and hope with other AAs. To contact Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, visit aa.org. [Disclaimer: In strict adherence to A.A.’s traditions, my anonymous guests and I speak for ourselves only, not for Alcoholics Anonymous at large. We share only our personal experiences with A.A. recovery. We acknowledge that AA’s sole concern is the recovery and continued sobriety of those alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. As members of AA, our primary purpose is to stay sober and to help other alcoholics achieve sobriety. – Howard L.]