Lee O. Age 38 Sober since: 7/3/06Lee O. Age 38 Sober since: 7/3/06
Keep Coming Back: Real Stories of Sobriety & Recovery
After years of sobriety, Lee O. took a break from AA. In this interview he discusses what lead to that break, what brought him back, and what keeps him coming to meetings after 13 years.
44:24•28 Oct 2019
Thirteen Years Sober and Still Showing Up: Lee O’s Honest Take on Recovery
Episode Overview
- Anonymity in AA is about protecting the programme, not hiding personal sobriety.
- Long-term sobriety can still include moments of strong temptation, so meetings and community remain vital.
- Negative sponsorship experiences are about personalities, not the principles of recovery, and can be addressed without abandoning support entirely.
- Different cultures and backgrounds may struggle to name addiction and depression, which can make entering recovery rooms harder.
- AA is one path among many; acknowledging a problem and seeking any form of support is already an act of self-respect.
“Sometimes you do have to lie in recovery. Whatever you need to do to make sure you don't drink, do it.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? This conversation with Lee O, sober since 2006, offers a candid look at long-term recovery, anonymity, and what keeps someone coming back to meetings after more than a decade. Host Mike S sets the stage by talking about anonymity in AA, why he goes by "Mike S", and how public figures linking themselves to AA can unintentionally set the programme up for criticism if they relapse later.
He also shares how shame about getting help slowly shifted into pride in sobriety and how a sponsor once reminded him that recovery is part of who he is, but "not the most interesting thing" about him. Lee, a 38-year-old Black man from Brooklyn, talks about getting sober at 24–25 and why meetings are still crucial: community, honesty, and a shared understanding that "shit will get really crazy" if he drinks again.
He speaks frankly about being the only person of colour in many rooms, wanting to help make meetings feel safer and more diverse, and how cultural attitudes can make admitting addiction feel like admitting weakness. He recalls a painful sponsorship experience that pushed him to take a short break from AA and try SMART Recovery, and how a therapist finally nudged him back before he drank.
Lee also talks about recent temptation at a wild party, the disease of "more", and the pride and self-respect that ultimately stopped him picking up. Practical stories bring early sobriety to life: pretending to drink on dates, asking bartenders for "adult-looking" soft drinks, and even telling colleagues he was Muslim to dodge alcohol at work – a lie that, in one moment, "saved" his recovery.
Lee closes by stressing that AA is not the only path, harm reduction has value, and simply showing up and staying alive is already an act of self-love. If you’re questioning your relationship with alcohol or wondering whether to return to meetings, could Lee’s honesty be the nudge you need?
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