Given up for adoption at 18 months old by a mother who later committed suicide, Jane was raised by an older loving couple who never quite understood her pre-teen drinking or streak of independence which included running away from home at 14. Early attempts to become a good girl in a Christian youth group gave way to a dark side fueled by emerging alcoholism, wild behavior, and self-harm in the form of cutting. As alcohol and blood flowed over the next years, Jane’s foray into London’s early punk rock scene, preceded a marriage that endured 15 tumultuous years, only to end in divorce. Known to many as Mad Jane, the insanity of the intervening years precipitated her rapid descent toward alcoholic ruin. Fate, however, met her at the edge of the abyss, where she was snagged by the remembered words of a friend who had told her about Alcoholics Anonymous many years earlier. In sheer desperation, Jane flew to the U.S., where her friend helped her find AA. She returned to London with renewed hope and a suggested program of recovery. Though she slipped after a year and a half, Jane re-doubled her efforts, found a good sponsor, worked the steps, and ultimately claimed her current sobriety date over 26 years ago.

Through the years, Jane’s active involvement in AA has included service to her groups and sponsoring other women. Because her sobriety has been concurrent with abstinence from self-harm and cutting, Jane’s unique understanding and empathy related to that disease have been extended to others facing that same mental health issue. It’s rare service that goes above and beyond, but is so crucial in these days of multiple addictions.

There’s a gentleness in Jane’s recounting of her life’s story that’s both touching and poignant, but also quite impactful. In many ways, her story illuminates how another realm of addiction can encumber the ability and effort to get and stay sober. After you’ve listened to the next 60 minutes of AA Recovery Interviews, I think you’ll appreciate the wisdom and optimism of my friend and AA Sister, Jane P.

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 for free on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com

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.]