How I got sober at Alcoholics Anonymous

CapeTalk's Pippa Hudson is joined by Frank, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Listen below:

It was 90 years ago this week that a man named Bob famously took his last drink. 

He had been struggling with alcohol addiction for a long time, and recognised the toll it was taking on his ability to function in life and maintain relationships.

But it took a chance meeting with a fellow addict to help him admit that out loud – and in so doing, he realised how much the process of sharing his struggle had helped him.

That chance encounter between Dr Bob and Bill W, as they’re fondly referred to, marked the origin of the group we today know as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

Ninety years after Bob put down the glass for the last time, millions of other alcoholics can thank his legacy for helping them to do the same. 

Frank is one of them.

ALSO READ: Recovering addict putting his best foot forward: 'There's always hope, it's never too late'

"I have an absolutely lovely life. I would not have any of those things, probably even my life, if I had not found Alcoholics Anonymous."

- Frank, member - Alcoholics Anonymous 

"Everything I have today is a result of being a member of AA."

- Frank, member - Alcoholics Anonymous 

Frank said it was his wife who initially suggested, over 20 years ago, that he go to AA.

"I said, 'No, I don't need to go to AA.' It seemed like a step too far. So I said, 'I'll quit on my own.'"

- Frank, member - Alcoholics Anonymous 

Frank says he realised he needed help when he was unable to stop drinking on his own.

These days, he says, like many other members of AA, he can stay sober 'one day at a time'.

"Today, I'm not gonna drink. Tomorrow, I might get hammered, but today I'm not gonna drink."

- Frank, member - Alcoholics Anonymous  

Meetings of AA are held online and in person all over South Africa and are free to attend.

For more information, click here.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview.