Ali H. at the Speaker Meeting – 2024

About This Speaker Tape

Speaker Meeting - 2024

A broken man from Iran Ali H. describes a twelve-year odyssey of 'in and out' sobriety marked by suicide attempts and a deep-seated spiritual malady. He recounts the cunning nature of the disease—how it lured him into a pill relapse after five years of sobriety by attacking his ego and professional insecurities. The turning point arrives through a profound surrender and a rigorous line-by-line study of the Big Book with a sponsor named Donna D. Ali details the grueling process of making amends to his father a man who mopped floors in a pizza joint after a life of power in Tehran and the miracle of a second son born against medical odds. He frames his recovery not as a set of rules but as a continuous spiritual awakening and a commitment to the role of a servant moving from a place of being 'unlovable and ugly' to a life of peace and gratitude.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening reading from page 53 of the Big Book regarding the choice of a Higher Power.
• 4:15 Ali H. discusses the 'back door' of the disease and his relapse on painkillers after five years of sobriety.
• 8:30 Discussion on the religious trauma from Iran and how the old-timers helped him find his own conception of a Higher Power.
• 13:45 Laughter: Ali H. describes the 'virus' in the brain that makes a drink an option even after suicide attempts.
• 17:20 Ali H. reflects on childhood trauma, including being molested and fleeing a war zone.
• 22:10 The 'menu' metaphor: Ali H. explains why attending meetings without working the steps is ineffective.
• 26:40 A profound spiritual experience and the start of a line-by-line Big Book study with Donna D.
• 31:15 Detailed experience with Step 9: making amends to his father and the shift in perspective on his father's sacrifices.
• 38:20 Ali H. shares his experience with early sponsorship and the importance of passing the message.
• 43:10 Discussion on Step 11 and the necessity of a daily prayer and meditation practice.
• 48:50 Ali H. describes the collapse and restoration of his marriage to Afsi H. through spiritual principles.
• 55:10 The miracle of the birth of his second son, Maximus H., against a 1% medical probability.