Sober Friends

E105: Jean McCarthy Realized She Didn’t Have to Wait for Rock Bottom to Get Sober


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Jean McCarthy is the host of the podcasts, The Bubble Hour and Tiny Bubbles.  Jean is also the author of Take Good Care, The Ember Ever There and the Unpickled series of recovery books.

Jean was terrified to walk into an AA meeting when she got sober.  It was an epiphany for Jean to quit drinking when she was ahead, instead of waiting until she lost it all.  

She was active and visible in her community and was concerned about what people would think about her.  She learned later when she finally attended 12 step meetings, that no one really cared about her terminal uniqueness.

Jean decided to start a secret blog called Unpicked about recovery to keep the story together and that she would document what it was like.  She also felt, maybe this can help someone else who feels like me.

Jean did not go to her first meeting until she was 8 years sober because she was looking for fellowship first and was afraid she’d be kicked out.  Jean met a fellowship online from all over the world, but felt disconnected and alone in her own community.  She learned in AA that she could take what she liked and leave the rest.

Jean shared a powerful story about her son’s wedding and how, when in the grips of alcohol addiction, she could only think about booze and how if her family realized who she really was, Jean would lose their love.

Jean talked about why she is ending the hugely successful Bubble Hour podcast and her reason will shock you.  It’s the antithesis of her terminal uniqueness in addiction and a sign of her continued health in recovery.

We were so blessed to have Jean McCarthy share her story of hope and recovery and know you will be affected like we were.

You can find Jean McCarthy at https://jeanmccarthy.ca/

Cantina Blues - Take the Lead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100407

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

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