Diane H – Lack of power was our dilemma

Diane H – Lack of power was our dilemma

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This episode of SoberQ focuses on Diane H, who shares how the phrase "lack of power was our dilemma" stopped being just a line from a book and became the core of her recovery. Diane talks frankly about arriving in Alcoholics Anonymous in her mid‑40s with three children and a life she describes as "destruction". She jokes about being the kind of person who thought, "I put the alcohol down.

The problem's been removed. Ain't it grand?" only to realise that sobriety didn’t magically fix her ego, self‑righteousness, and habit of blaming everyone else.

The conversation centres on how the AA programme and the "big book" helped her see her part in the chaos: "I needed to have this powerful programme show me how I'd been that tornado, how I'd been that, you know, self will run riot." Diane explains how moving through the steps, especially step one and step two, keeps her grounded in what she’s really suffering from, rather than what she once thought the problem was.

She also talks about her relationship with a higher power, saying, "Life is with God and this beautiful programme. It gives me a solution for living where I didn't have one." Even with almost two decades of sobriety, three adult children and four grandchildren, she stresses that being sober doesn’t mean getting everything she wants. Instead, she leans on "trust God, Clean House, and work with others under all conditions".

You’ll hear about AA conventions in places like Atlanta and Vancouver, sponsoring groups of women through the steps, and the ongoing reality of being powerless over other people. Anyone curious about how long‑term sobriety can look – messy, honest, and filled with faith and service – will find Diane’s story both relatable and gently challenging. What might “lack of power” mean in your own recovery journey?