Jim's life as an alcoholic began with an addiction to morphine when he was 14.  Administered four times a day while he was hospitalized for a month after a serious surgery, Jim found that morphine did more than kill the pain. It helped him escape the mental tribulations he felt from childhood on. But morphine was difficult to get and he soon found that increasing amounts of alcohol was would have largely the same results. So, he didn’t stop drinking or using drugs until he was 46. Jim’s life prior to sobriety was the familiar odyssey of drinking and drug use, to which so many alcoholics in AA can relate. But the biggest challenges and threats to his sobriety occurred after he had joined AA. At 13 months sober, his wife of 17 years was found dead from a drug overdose suicide.  At nearly 4 years sober, a drunk driver caused a near fatal motorcycle accident for Jim that landed him in the hospital for 3½ months of multiple surgeries for shattered bones and brain injury.  Released to a life of chronic pain, he also lost his beloved career as a symphonic musician. Later on in his sobriety, Jim lost his best friend to suicide. More recently, as the only child, Jim has been caring for his 91 year old mother who’s been very sick.

Handling the tragedies that have befallen him during sobriety, as well as the gifts that have come from it, Jim has stayed firmly planted in the action part of his AA Program. Sponsoring other men and ceaseless service have never failed to improve the quality of his sobriety no matter what he faces in life. Jim’s story is both courageous and captivating. It provides a roadmap for navigating troubled times and an inspiring optimism for living a happy life in midst of Alcoholics Anonymous. So please enjoy this episode of AA Recovery Interviews with my fine friend and AA brother, Jim D. 

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

[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.]