George faced five drink-driving offences by 21
Recovery Month has prompted Alcoholics Anonymous to urge Australians struggling with drinking to seek help through local meetings, online meetings and a 24-hour helpline.
Each September, around Recovery Month, the fellowship reminds people that they are not alone and that recovery is possible. It says meetings let people hear from others with similar experiences and share what AA calls experience, strength and hope.
Support is also open to people worried about someone close to them. According to AA, membership has no dues or fees, and the fellowship is non-professional, self-supporting and non-denominational.
George’s path to AA
As part of the month, Alcoholics Anonymous shared the story of a member identified as George. AA said his account reflected many difficult but rewarding recovery stories.
George grew up in a working-class family and attended good schools, but he linked later problems to trauma from being adopted and difficulty focusing. He said he started drinking at 14 and drank on weekends.
Over time, he became anti-social and violent. He also described shoplifting, car stealing and breaking and entering as his drinking worsened.
After getting his driver’s licence, George’s behaviour continued. By the time he was 21, he had been charged with five drink-driving offences, and a magistrate warned he could face 1-2 years in jail if he did nothing about his drinking.
His life had also narrowed sharply. He lost his job after turning up drunk or missing work, his girlfriend left him, and he was left without a car, money or work.
Following the magistrate’s advice, George approached a lawyer and a doctor, and both encouraged him to attend Alcoholics Anonymous. Before that, he had spent a few years trying to stop or cut back.
Those earlier attempts included attending “DUI school” and working with a drug and alcohol counsellor who gave him a drinking diary. However, he said neither step changed his behaviour.
After seeing a GP, he also visited a psychiatrist and checked into a local detoxification unit. There, he learned he had an illness rather than simply being, in his words, a “bad egg” or “plain stupid”.
George said, “I was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and after a 12-month struggle to stop, I eventually was able to stop drinking and my life turned around 180 degrees.”
He credited AA with helping him build a stable life after that period. George said he later had a successful business career in banking, legal and other businesses, working in global corporations, and has been married for more than 20 years.
Australians can contact Alcoholics Anonymous on its 24-hour helpline, 1300 22 22 22, or find local and online meetings through aa.org.au.
