Jessie’s Story

I knew I had a problem deep down but I was too terrified to tell anyone, or to stop drinking.  I would try to stop for a few days, sometimes even a few weeks but I would always end up drinking and usually on a bender.  I was ruining relationships, had lost my job, broken trust and my health was in jeopardy.  The first hospital visit wasn’t enough to get me sober, it wasn’t until the second visit that I finally surrendered and realised I needed help.  Full of fear, I went to my very first AA meeting.  I was greeted with bright eyes, warm smiles, and the offer of a cuppa.  I spent years feeling so alone, feeling that no one would understand me.  In the meeting, I heard stories similar to my own, people that understood what I was going through and people that were successfully sober. AA has given me my life back and I am forever grateful. 

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Marina’s Story

I picked up a drink at 16 years of age, and I remember thinking WOW what is this stuff, it’s like magic. After that I broke all of the rules my parents set. One night I was at basketball and had to be home at 10 pm, but I got home at 12 pm, becasue I was drinking. My parents were worried sick. I woke to a terrific hangover, and my mother said we will not punish you, because you look like you have punished yourself enough. I thought WOW I got away with it. It was around this age, that I left school and got a job. I was tall and skinny and a face full of acne. Being tall had it’s advantages, it got me into pubs and clubs, where I could get drunk. I couldn’t wait till the week-ends. Parties, boys, drinking, playing pool & dancing. I was 18 years of age, when I got into a relationship and he ended up moving into Townsville. 6 months later I followed. It was in Townsville, that I learned to become a bar-maid. When I wasn’t working, I was drinking, it was just what you did. There were lots…

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Zac’s Story

My name is Zac and I have not found it necessary to pick up a drink since Dec 2nd 2014. I am in Australia to visit my sponsor. Sponsorship can work across oceans. The meetings in MacArthur district are great. The AA fellowship is warm and welcoming from Campbell town and Tahmoor to Nowra. I was a black out drinker at age 25. I started going to psychiatrists, therapists, church & doctors, because I thought the thing wrong with me was being Gay. I would never tell the truth when I was asked how much I drank. A co-worker suggested I go to an AA meeting. I needed a few drinks before the meeting. I don’t remember much about that meeting, but I do remember them saying – Keep coming back! No one had said that to me for a long time. I was banned from my watering holes, I had no money or a job, I was lonely and my relationship at the time was on the rocks. I thought AA would help me stop drinking, to get a job & money and help me to drink like normal people. I went to meetings and was always obsessed with…

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Jetta’s Story

My name is Jetta & have been given a sobriety date of 2 January 1991. I was given that date as I did try to stop drinking on my own for a long time but just couldn’t stop. I was a business woman owning a beautiful florist & nursery. Had a big family of wonderful kids, I was married to a professional man and had built a very nice home in Sydney with a weekender on the Central Coast. I had it all great holidays new cars plenty of money coming in. I just couldn’t stop drinking. I started going to health farms, church & doctors, but not telling them the truth about the amount I was drinking, as was just so ashamed. I couldn’t understand why I was drinking so much always making promises to stop, begging God to stop me buying it. My head just couldn’t stop thinking about it. My kids started to leave home one by one as I was always fighting with the husband & them for accusing me of drinking too much and now violence was happening in the beautiful home we had built. Arguments screaming & lashing out with the husband. I even…

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