443- Rachel W - We take care of each other443- Rachel W - We take care of each other
Sober Speak- Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Interviews
Rachel W shares her journey from trap houses and deep shame to sobriety, higher education and running a treatment service, grounded in AA fellowship and sponsorship. She talks about grief, rebuilding a relationship with her daughter, and why rigorous honesty and simple acts of care matter so much in recovery.
56:26•10 Apr 2026
‘We Take Care of Each Other’: Rachel W on AA, Honesty and Starting Again
Episode Overview
- Rachel describes moving from a trap house and active addiction to long-term sobriety, higher education and co-owning a recovery-focused business.
- She explains how AA fellowship shows up in small actions, like sweeping Dr Bob’s porch, and the wider idea of “we take care of each other.”
- Guided by her brother’s advice to be “200% honest,” Rachel shares how rigorous honesty in the steps changed her recovery.
- Sponsorship and willingness to ask for help proved crucial, especially when facing her mother’s death and intense emotional pain without drinking.
- Her relationship with her daughter shifted from separation and trauma to closeness and shared experiences, offering hope that damaged families can heal over time.
“We take care of each other. That’s what we do in Alcoholics Anonymous.”
Curious about how others manage the messy, beautiful chaos of getting and staying sober? This conversation with Rachel W from Georgetown, Indiana is like pulling up a chair at a particularly honest AA meeting. Rachel shares how she went from living in a trap house with plywood windows and sheets for doors, trading drugs for a recliner to sleep on, to becoming a sober felon with a master’s degree who co-owns a treatment-focused business in rural Indiana.
Her story speaks directly to anyone who thinks their "colourful past" has ruined their chances in life. A big theme here is fellowship. Rachel describes standing on Dr Bob’s porch, watching her old-timer friend grab a broom and start sweeping: “We take care of each other.
That’s what we do in Alcoholics Anonymous.” From that simple act to the way her sponsor Amy showed up during the worst moments, you’ll hear how connection can carry someone through grief, shame and fear. She talks movingly about being told early on to be “200% honest”, the terror of sharing everything in a fifth step, and the relief that followed.
There’s raw emotion as she recalls the night her mum died in a house fire, calling her sponsor from a corded office phone, and then heading straight to a meeting instead of reaching for a drink. Rachel also reflects on her relationship with her daughter – once taken by child protective services, now a 24-year-old who calls mum first when life goes wrong or right, and travels with her to concerts and on trips abroad.
This chat will land with anyone in or around AA, people curious about 12-step recovery, and those who love someone still in active addiction. It asks a simple question: if Rachel can rebuild her life from that starting point, what might be possible for you too?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.
Related Episodes
Similar episodes from other shows in the catalogue.