Cherise R. AA Female

Cherise R. AA Female

Across this long-form share, Cherise talks through her journey from early AA into Al-Anon in the mid-80s, describing how a sponsor literally pushed her through the door of a meeting and how that room became an "invitation to get focused on myself." She mixes sharp humour with deep honesty, joking about being a “service junkie” and a Deadhead, then pivoting into childhood trauma, family abuse and the grief that sits underneath step one: "I used to do a lot of thinking about the first step.

What drives someone to seek a life built on recovery, self-respect and honest emotion? Here, Cherise R. shares exactly that, offering a raw, funny and emotionally honest account that many in AA, Al-Anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics will recognise.

Now I do a lot of feeling about the first step… and that feeling can best be described in one word, grief." The episode leans heavily into adult child themes: growing up with a high-functioning alcoholic father and an untreated Al-Anon mother, being made the family scapegoat, and the painful process of going no-contact, then re-contact, with family.

Cherise talks about outside help as well as 12-step work, stressing that, "If it wasn't for 12 step fellowships, I wouldn't be here today. If it was only for 12 step fellowships, I wouldn't be here either." You’ll hear candid reflections on gender identity, shame, boundaries and anger, all grounded in practical recovery tools: meditation, daily readers, step work, and learning to feel rather than act out.

The tone is direct, occasionally irreverent, but always honest and non-sugar-coated, ideal for anyone who’s tired of blaming themselves and wants to hear someone say out loud, "I am my own qualifier. I know that I am the one who abandons me." If you’re juggling trauma, family loyalty and 12-step recovery, this talk might leave you asking: what would it look like if you really put yourself in your own corner for once?