Russell S. – The Disease – The Disease In Your Mind – 2024

About This Speaker Tape

Diablo G. - 2024

Russell, a former high-powered major crimes prosecutor from Miami, dismantles the delusion of the 'not drinking club.' He traces his history of vanity—buying a brand new Camaro to feel seen, changing his entire career to law just to get into a woman's pants—and the wreckage of a first marriage destroyed by 12-hour drinking benders. He argues that sobriety is precarious if the alcoholic doesn't address the mental insanity and the 'voice' that calls them a piece of crap. Through the lens of the Sixth Step, Russell makes the case for a drastic, ego-deflating surrender, moving from a man who thought he was the smartest person in the room to a man who found peace making coffee for 18 months. He emphasizes that the only way out of the 'material evil' within is to make a Higher Power the central fact of life, shifting focus from worldly clamors to the simple goal of helping one more person.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Russell introduces himself and his 44 years of sobriety.
• 4:15 Laughter: Russell discusses the 'drunk-a-logs' and the insanity of the alcoholic mind.
• 8:30 Russell describes the 'slave to fear' mentality and the desire to impress people he doesn't even like.
• 14:20 Discussion of the 'voice' inside the car that tells the alcoholic they are a piece of crap.
• 18:10 The story of Tommy, the prosecutor who thought he was 'just crazy' rather than an alcoholic.
• 24:45 Russell explains the Sixth Step as the one that 'separates the men from the boys'.
• 32:10 The story of the brand new Camaro and the vanity of material possessions.
• 37:40 Russell describes his 'bum in a three-piece suit' persona and the wreckage of his first marriage.
• 45:15 The 'Sinner's Prayer' on Christmas Eve and the turning point toward a Higher Power.
• 52:30 Mention of the 12 Steps: Russell discusses the humbling experience of picking up a white chip.
• 56:10 Laughter: The story of the 'rectal thermometer' degrees and making coffee for the group.
• 62:15 The final lesson on being 'upsettable' and the focus on helping one more person.