The Password Was Shut Up and Don’t Drink – Geraldine D.

About This Speaker Tape

A crooked nose a foot that shoots out during dances and a pocketful of phenobarbital defined Jerry G.'s early years. She climbed the professional ladder with a precision that mirrored her drinking masking her chaos with twenty-three psychiatric reports that diagnosed her as 'overworked' rather than alcoholic. The wreckage peaked in a Chicago 'nut house' with bars on the windows and a door without a doorknob where she finally admitted she needed help.

After a brush with the Big Book that she repeatedly threw into mud puddles and laundry bins she found a spiritual awakening in a single night of sound sleep. Now known as 'Grambo,' she navigates the hurdles of long-term sobriety including the devastating loss of her husband Tom T. to a relapse triggered by a simple muscle relaxant reminding the room that the road to recovery is a narrow one.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:45 Laughter: Jerry G. jokes about her initials and 'owning the company'.
• 2:15 Jerry G. describes her childhood and the 'gallbladder attacks' her mother used to have.
• 5:30 The 'overworked' psychiatric reports and the bonus that she spent in six months.
• 8:10 Mention of Bill W. and the early days of AA in New Jersey.
• 11:45 The 'nut house' in Chicago and the moment she asked her brother for help.
• 15:20 The 'shut up' password and her struggle with arrogance in early meetings.
• 18:40 Step Study: Reading the steps in the first person and her first spiritual awakening.
• 22:10 Discussion of Marty M. and the importance of keeping it simple.
• 25:50 The story of Tom T.'s relapse and the danger of 'nerve' medications.
• 28:30 Jerry G. explains her 'Grambo' persona and her approach to the treatment center.
• 31:10 The practice of taking a written Fourth Step once a year.
• 34:00 Final reflections on faith and the poem about building one's destiny.