Bob D Conference of the Lakes 2026Bob D Conference of the Lakes 2026
Mad Dog Recovery AA Speakers
Bob D shares a candid, humorous and often dark account of alcoholism, relapse and near-suicide, before describing how AA’s practical actions transformed his life. His talk focuses on craving, ego, spiritual willingness and the importance of sponsorship and service in long-term recovery.
1:10:05•3 May 2026
Bob D’s Honest, Hilarious and Hard-Hitting AA Story at Conference of the Lakes
Episode Overview
- Alcoholism is described as both an abnormal reaction to alcohol and an abnormal reaction to abstinence, making untreated sobriety extremely uncomfortable.
- Sincere promises to stop drinking are not enough; consistent action through the AA programme and sponsorship is presented as essential.
- AA is framed as an action-based programme where prayer, steps and service create access to grace, regardless of prior beliefs about God.
- Ego, judgement and self-centredness are highlighted as core problems, with humility and being sponsorable offered as the practical solution.
- Helping other alcoholics and showing up for service is portrayed as the ongoing ‘medicine’ that maintains long-term sobriety.
“My suffering begins where the bottle ends.”
This episode sheds light on the personal battles against addiction through the raw, funny and brutally honest story of Bob D at Conference of the Lakes 2026. Speaking to a room of AA members and newcomers, Bob shares how alcohol first felt like the answer, not the problem. He describes that first drink as the moment he "felt free. Like I could come out and play," and how he chased that feeling into courts, treatment centres, jails and near-suicide.
His style is punchy, sarcastic and full of dark humour, so even the heaviest moments land in a way that keeps you listening. You’ll hear Bob explain alcoholism as more than just a craving for drink. He talks about the "unrealized, unrecognized switch" that only alcohol can throw, and the equally dangerous “abnormal reaction to abstinence" that left him restless, irritable and chronically dissatisfied.
His story is aimed squarely at people who can’t understand why they keep going back to the bottle despite sincere promises to stop. A major thread is his shift from atheist to someone who prays on his knees, not because he suddenly adopted a belief system, but because he was desperate enough to follow a sponsor’s directions.
He stresses that AA is "an action-based recovery program", not a faith-based one, and hammers home the importance of being sponsorable, doing the steps, and helping other alcoholics. Bob doesn’t shy away from the darker outcomes either: long-term untreated sobriety, suicide in AA, and a priest who dies drunk despite deep religious faith. Yet the tone stays hopeful as he describes finding freedom from the "bondage of self" and building a life, family and purpose he never expected.
If you’ve ever felt like alcohol worked better than anything else, or that your head is your worst enemy, this talk might hit uncomfortably close to home—in a good way. Could this be the nudge that gets you to try AA’s actions rather than just its slogans?
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