John’s drug use began with marijuana, smoking it with friends but graduating to dealing in short order.  It’s also when he would try cocaine and pills that would make him hallucinate.  While he considered himself a “pot smoker” he would gravitate towards crack-cocaine which he would often combine with PCP.  Mike said it make him think he was bulletproof.  Into adulthood, getting high dominated Mike’s schedule, finding jobs that allowed him free time enough to use cocaine.

Mike’s first experience with drinking as a teenager left him wanting more of those warm feelings, despite being made the target if public humiliation after passing out.  The booze let to drugs, including cocaine and drug-fueled road trips with friends.  But after turning 18, Mike learned he could get the cocaine on his own and not needing anyone’s help.  This began a dark period of being alone and high.

Always referred to as “large”, Carol knew she had an eating disorder at a very young age.  When she lived on her own, she would go shopping on Friday night and buy huge gallons of ice cream, cookies, sandwiches, soda, and chips.  She would “gorge” on all of the food, and then take laxatives all weekend long.  On Monday, she would go back to eating lettuce and tuna.  She knew she had to stop, but how could she?  Food was her lover and best friend, and it meant everything to her.

Katya’s father is a drug addict. He has years of sobriety under his belt, but the damage done with the relationship with daughter is through. In fact, it was Katya’s father who first brought her to Al-Anon to begin her healing. Katya remembers a beautiful childhood, at first. She was born in Switzerland and raised in Israel. Even as a young child, however, she knew her father was a drug user. But she never saw him in such an altered state in which he couldn’t function and so she believed he had no problem. But as she grew older, her father’s drug use made her feel distant from her family to the point she sought the approval of other people; wanting praise and love from friends and strangers.

Paul was the “fat boy” in the military. He had hoped that by joining the service he would be battling America’s foes, but as he had been doing his whole life, he was battling the extra pounds; the extraneous weight he gained out of his insecurity. He was the soldier who stuffed lunch meat in his pockets. The shame would lead him to try wiring his jaw shut to hopefully stop eating.

Kelly was born and raised in a family of addicts.  Her parents still drink.  Her three brothers are drug addicts, and only two of them are in recovery. Kelly says her parents were functional alcoholics, but relied on alcohol to get through their day.  Still her parents neglected her and allowed her drug-using brothers to raise her. One brother would be high on LSD while babysitting her. It lead Kelly to abuse alcohol and drugs herself.

Don was raised in the south, in an alcohol-free family. He thinks now his inexperience with alcohol caused it to have an allure, and so he sought the experiences as often as he could. He would make up alternate personalities for himself while he was drunk so he can experience different lives. But his drinking worsened, as he chased the feelings he felt. He soon ended any drinking for socialization, just only to get drunk. He would drive drunk, singing and talking to himself circling freeways.

Al’s first drink was at age 13, having a sip of wine from a bottle belonging to her father. He took it up on himself to try it. He’s not sure why he decided to try the wine, but one day after school he was home alone and it seemed like a good idea. He drank two glasses full and felt nothing, so he put the wine back and went off to meet friends. And while he was out, he started to get drunk and loved it. He felt great. Al felt full of confidence. From then on, he was a weekend drinker, saving money from his teenage job to buy alcohol for Friday nights.

Bill drank for thirty years, coming from a long line of dysfunctional alcoholics of a heritage Southern family. Often his family found themselves in precarious situations due to alcohol, including his grandfather being killed. In his teens, Bill’s family encouraged him to drink. He liked beer, but loved bourbon. Bill was helped in his drinking by being the son of the local judge; his antics were easily dismissed and he was not held accountable for drunken driving. By age 25, he moved to New York with hopes of becoming an actor, but his drinking made it impossible.

Paula remembers her first drink. She recalls how all her inhibitions and fears would vanish as the booze crossed her lips. She was 13 and soon became a weekend drinker, following the example set forth by alcoholic parents and siblings. That, she says, gave a predisposition towards alcoholism. Reaching adulthood, pursuing a career in the business world, alcohol was prevalent at social gatherings and luncheons. But Paula drank even more often, keeping the coffee mug on her desk filled with vodka.