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Pure Magic

My first spiritual awakening was at 52 years of age. I spoke to a friend (who I didn’t know was an alcoholic), about how to stop drinking as she was five years without drinking alcohol. She had posted online “5 Years ODAAT”, and I had no idea at that time what that meant. After the two hour or so conversation I realised that I was an alcoholic too without any doubt, and my journey to freedom started…

That day, I came out of the darkness and into the light, I now knew there was hope – to live a better life on life’s terms and not my terms. I drank alcoholically for over 30 years and had no idea about alcoholism and AA. Most of the bad things that happened in my life were caused by my drinking and, in the end when I reached rock bottom, what a revelation it was to know I had a disease. It wasn’t my fault and there was a solution if I wanted it badly enough.

She then took me to my first AA meeting, and I haven’t had a drink since. On September 30th, 2024, I will be five years sober. What a miracle and how much I have learned. Having done what was suggested: go to meetings and do service, I then found a sponsor who was amazing and took me through the Steps.

Having connected with my Higher Power, which was a missing link in my life, I was able to fully immerse myself into the AA Programme. Gratitude is one of the first things I learned about, and I know now if you are grateful, you can’t be resentful. Having handed over my will to a God of my understanding and taken a full inventory of my life, to then share this with my sponsor (I learnt all about myself – I had no idea who I was before this) was inspirational on so many levels. Having made my amends to people I had hurt; I was then able to keep stock on a daily basis through Steps Ten and Eleven and then carry the message through the final Step.

Step Twelve can only be done effectively having fully completed Steps One to Eleven and gained a conscious contact with a Higher Power, in my case God. Sponsoring, helping people both in and out of the Rooms is how we practice Step Twelve. I have been privileged to take a sponsee through the Steps and what an experience that is as we keep learning all the time. I use Step Twelve in all my affairs now and know that I am now a better version of myself: kinder, unselfish, more connected, happier and the love in the Rooms is like no other.

Even when I’m out of sorts and bad things in life happen, I am aware of this now and have so much support when it’s needed. I remember my first sober Christmas. I was nearly three months sober and hadn’t started with my sponsor. I didn’t know what to do with myself as drink is everywhere, and I remembered another lady who also had her first Christmas too, we had exchanged numbers, so I phoned her. We never forget that call, and whenever we see each other in meetings we reminisce.

I love it when people in my life who are not in the Rooms use some of the terminology used in the Programme: “It is what it is”, “Higher Power moment”, “God shot”, Live and Let Live”, as this way of living is effective for us all.

I was so unhappy until I found the Rooms, and I have learnt that happiness comes from within us, materialistic stuff will not make me happy. I feel so spiritually connected now, it is the best feeling, and this was a result of doing the Steps and working my Programme – One Day At A Time. To anyone starting this journey of recovery, it is a magical and rewarding experience, it has totally changed my perspective of living my life without alcohol.

ALI, Hampshire