Workshop – Part 297 – Tim H.

About This Speaker Tape

July 22nd. A stiff cocktail in hand, Tim H. decided to get sober. For forty years, he was an "average, everyday drunk," a functioning alcoholic who didn't hit the classic low bottoms of jail or DUIs, but instead lived in a fog of ego and self-delusion. He describes his drinking as a calculated scale: a pint for an hour's drive, a fifth for two, and a handle for overnight. He spent decades as a passenger in his own life, claiming a "truck full of resentments" and a bottle of booze drove the car while he just kept putting gas in the tank.

After a failed attempt at a prayer book and a volatile marriage fueled by mutual drinking, Tim found a surrender that stuck. He recounts the visceral shock of a "phenomenon of craving" triggered by alcohol-free NyQuil, which cemented his identity as an alcoholic. Now, he lets his Higher Power drive the bus, focusing on service and the "footwork" of the steps to maintain a life beyond his wildest dreams.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Tim H. introduces himself and his sobriety date of July 23, 2022.
• 5:15 Tim describes his history as a functioning alcoholic and the lack of legal consequences.
• 12:40 Discussion of the 'hundred forms of fear' and self-delusion driving his decisions.
• 18:20 The story of his first surrender and the encounter with a sober acquaintance at a meeting.
• 25:10 Tim discusses his first sponsor and his initial struggle to understand the Big Book.
• 31:45 The NyQuil incident: A concrete example of the 'phenomenon of craving' and the disease concept.
• 36:10 Laughter: Tim describes his 'Higher Power shot' with the sunbeams and his sponsor's reaction.
• 42:30 Tim explains his current service work and his approach to H and I meetings.
• 48:15 The analogy of the car: The disease driving vs. the Higher Power driving.
• 53:20 Tim shares the emotional experience of being sober during his father's final days.
• 58:10 Discussion of his relationship with his wife, Victoria V., and the process of letting go.
• 1:05:15 Final advice to the listener: 'Try something different' and 'listen for the similarities.'