The term functional alcoholic generally refers to someone whose personal and work lives appear largely unaffected by their alcoholism and/or drug addiction. We’ve all known certain members of AA, like my guest Larry E., who’ve achieved notoriety and great financial success, even while their disease was growing in the shadows of their denial. And whether their turning point occurred at the top of their game or in the depths of despair, their very presence in the Program is proof-positive that the disease ultimately prevailed.

In Larry’s case, his ascent to the top seemed unimpeded by his use and then abuse of alcohol and drugs. Neither a slew of DUI’s nor other consequences had much impact, until he landed in the inextricable grip of an addiction to freebase cocaine. It wasn’t until his wake-up call, when he literally woke up from passing out during a meeting of senior executives, that he finally acknowledged his problem and let the company send him to treatment. That was in 1995. He stayed sober until he slipped following his mother’s death in 2007. He regained his sobriety the day after that slip and is now approaching his 14th AA birthday. Larry’s been a good friend for many years and his multi-faceted story is one you’ll appreciate. And though the audio quality was somewhat affected by a glitchy Zoom connection, give it a few minutes and you’ll soon be sailing through an enjoyable hour of listening to my interview with my AA brother, Larry E.

Visit the AA Recovery Interviews website for more information and to contact me, Howard L.

To contact Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, visit aa.org.

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 word-for-word reading of all 11 chapters and more than 50 original stories most people have never seen. If you’ve only read the Fourth Edition, these amazing stories will be brand new to you. Subscribe 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.]