ESH: April S

ESH: April S

What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? April S from the Primary Purpose Group shares her journey with a mix of humour, honesty and hard‑won experience that many in recovery will instantly recognise. Speaking from a live AA meeting, April talks about growing up in a violent alcoholic home, swearing she’d never drink, then becoming a blackout drinker by 16.

She describes being given huge chances in life – a prestigious boarding school, study in England, a legal career – and watching alcohol quietly take over every decision: who she spent time with, what she valued, and what she was willing to risk. Her story turns darker as she recalls a sexual assault during a blackout, a failed marriage, and a suicide attempt that led to a 72‑hour hospital hold.

In a painfully funny twist, the suicide text she meant for her boyfriend went to her boss instead – a man whose father had over 20 years in AA and who pushed her into treatment. As she says, “Alcoholism is cunning, baffling, and powerful,” and she proves it with example after example of how she kept arguing with reality.

April then talks about early sobriety, white‑knuckling meetings to keep her job, nearly drinking during a big football weekend, and the moment the Ninth Step Promises hit her hard: “These aren’t even extravagant promises and you have none of this.” That shock opened the door to real step work, a fearless fifth step, and amends that slowly rebuilt her relationship with her mother and former boss.

Anyone juggling recovery, career and family will relate to her stories about lost jobs, humbling new work, and learning to trust a higher power with her plans. Her closing reflection on raising two children who have never seen their parents drunk offers a powerful picture of what long‑term sobriety can make possible. If you’ve ever wondered whether AA’s promises could apply to you, this talk might nudge you to ask what you’re truly willing to say yes to today.