Terri S. first overdosed on pain meds when she was only six years old. Living in a Brooklyn apartment with an alcoholic father and chronically ill mother, who suffered from crohn’s disease, Terri had been given a tablet for stomach pain exacerbated by her dysfunctional home life. Reasoning that if one pill eased her pain, the whole bottle would be even better, Terri found and swallowed all her mother’s the pain tablets. She somehow survived, but the die was cast for a life dominated by drugs and alcohol. By 14, she was actively using and drinking to escape the harsh realities of her home life. By her late teens and twenties, she was flaunting an ability to drink and drug more than her peers. Very much the functional alcoholic, Terri continued drinking and using largely without major consequences, but her life was slowly spiraling downward. By her early 40’s, at the point at which her alcoholism and drug addiction were winning the battle, Terri was faced with the cold reality that if she didn’t stop, she was going to lose both her husband and her job. Making the right decision at the right time, Terri finally made it into AA in 2001 and managed to stay sober until a week-long slip on paid meds in 2003. She quickly redoubled her efforts in the Program through intensive work with her sponsor. She also became actively involved in service work for her group, which she credits with helping her stay firmly attached to AA. Over the years, Terri has made regular meetings a mainstay of her recovery. She’s also sponsored many women in the Program as insurance against the next drink.

In the midst of working a good AA program and passing onto to others the many gifts of sobriety she has achieved, Terri has fought her own battle with the same Crohn’s disease that afflicted her mother. Fortunately, she has responsibly handled the medical interventions necessary for living with that disease, while maintaining complete accountability to her sponsor and fellow AA members. Terri’s ability to stay sober through AA has very much informed her daily battle with Crohn’s disease and vice versa. For those recovering alcoholics who face similar battles, Terri’s experience speaks to the hope for living with whatever health challenges come our way. I’m grateful Terri agreed to share her remarkable story of healing and courage on this episode of AA Recovery Interviews. So please enjoy the next 60 minutes with my friend and AA sister, Terri S.

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: 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. No advertising is allowed. 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.]