Recovery When the Intellect Is Not Enough — Jackie C.

About This Speaker Tape

Jackie C. shares a poignant account of a lifelong struggle with alcohol that began in a dysfunctional, violent childhood home. Growing up as the oldest of six, she assumed a surrogate parental role for her siblings while battling deep-seated fear and anger. She describes alcohol as a gateway that facilitated a pattern of instability, leading her to run away at seventeen and later engage in a nomadic existence, moving her children across various states in a cycle of crisis and temporary relief.

After multiple attempts at sobriety and several relapses over two decades, Jackie reached a physical and spiritual bottom in 1993. Facing severe health complications, including undiagnosed hepatitis C and liver corruption, she experienced a moment of total surrender and a spiritual awakening. This turning point led her to a lifelong commitment to the program, emphasizing the necessity of moving the recovery process from the intellect into the gut.

In her nearly 28 years of sobriety, Jackie highlights the importance of service, sponsorship, and the application of the steps to resolve long-standing resentment. She recounts overcoming severe health crises and professional conflicts through prayer and the support of the fellowship, ultimately finding a sense of peace and purpose in helping other women recover.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Host Howard L. introduces Jackie C. and her history of adversity and recovery.
• 7:18 Jackie describes her first drink at age 14 and the immediate relief from fear it provided.
• 15:55 Jackie discusses the 'roller coaster' of moving her family between New York, Florida, Chicago, and Memphis.
• 21:44 The 1976 oil spill experience and Jackie's first encounter with a mental institution and rehab.
• 30:55 The physical bottom in 1993 and the prayer for the removal of the obsession with alcohol.
• 38:12 Working the first nine steps in the first year of sobriety and making a difficult amend to a former employer.
• 46:30 Dealing with a health crisis and liver failure 13 years into sobriety.
• 54:58 Resolving a two-year resentment toward a school principal through prayer and surrender.