Radha's battle with the diseases of alcoholism and drug addiction was complicated by an eating disorder and clinical depression. Growing up in Great Britain, her East African/Asian roots uncomfortably stood out among the mostly white children with whom she grew up. Using food, and later alcohol, Radha blunted the ever-present feelings of fear, isolation, and self-loathing. Those feelings and her desperate desire to fit in, drove her intense efforts in athletics and school. Unfortunately, popularity for her achievements on the playing fields did little to mitigate feelings of emotional isolation from others. Escalating abuse of food, alcohol, and drugs emerged as major mental health disorders controlling much of Radha’s daily life. While years of subsequent therapy were increasingly focused on her eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, her alcoholism was left largely unaddressed.  Radha was still functional in her career despite her drinking. But her job performance inevitably began to decline as her alcoholic behavior carried over into her work. By the time she realized what a sick alcoholic she was, Radha was already in an extensive therapeutic program for her other mental health issues. Confronted by her room-mate, her one and only true friend, Radha was finally convinced that no amount of therapy was going to sufficiently help her out of her alcoholic malaise. Fortunately, a series of higher-powered coincidences occurred that led Radha into a London meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous.

In the past 8½ years, Radha has immersed herself in the Program, beginning with the good orderly directions  she received from her sponsor and earnest work on the 12-Steps. She sponsors other women and has gratefully accepted various AA service commitments. In addition to regular attendance at AA meetings, Radha has availed herself of other 12-Step programs to deal with her co-occurring addictions. All in all, it’s a formula for recovery that works well for Radha and greatly inspires others.

Moving the New York City about a month before our interview, Radha dove right into AA in the Big Apple finding vital meetings and meaningful fellowship. It’s another important demonstration of the amazing portability of Program. So, I invite you to enjoy the next hour of AA Recovery Interviews with my new friend and AA sister, Radha B.

If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testimonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.

Check out my 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. Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com

[Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs and no one receives financial gain from the show. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. -Howard L.]