Multiple Speakers: Del B from Scotland and Astrid H from Los Angeles NSFWMultiple Speakers: Del B from Scotland and Astrid H from Los Angeles NSFW
Sober Cast: An (unofficial) Alcoholics Anonymous Podcast AA
Two AA speakers, one from Glasgow and one from Los Angeles, share blunt, often humorous accounts of trauma, drinking and finding sobriety through the 12 steps. The focus stays on emotional sobriety, self-centred thinking, and daily spiritual practice as the basis for long-term recovery.
53:49•13 Apr 2026
From Chaos to Clarity: Del B and Astrid H Share Raw AA Recovery
Episode Overview
- Alcoholism is described as a condition rooted in the mind and self-centredness, not just in the bottle.
- Simply removing alcohol is presented as insufficient; working the 12 steps and applying their principles daily is key.
- Resentment, fear and selfish motives are highlighted as core problems that must be faced through inventory and amends.
- Building a practical, ongoing connection with a higher power through prayer and meditation is shown as vital for stability.
- Helping other alcoholics and staying close to AA are framed as essential to maintaining both sobriety and emotional balance.
“The calls are coming from inside the house, and I'm the self-manufacturer of my own misery.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This AA speaker meeting from the Road to Recovery Group in Plymouth brings together two very different voices with a lot in common: Del B from Glasgow and Astrid H from Los Angeles. Del kicks off with dark humour and brutal honesty about growing up amid alcoholism, violence and trauma, then chasing relief through boxing, bars and chaos.
He talks about crossing the line into alcoholism, failed attempts to fix himself with religion, and reaching the point of wanting to step in front of a train. What changed things was AA, a compassionate old-timer, and, years later, a deeper return to the programme when emotional sobriety collapsed even though he was dry.
Del shares candidly about resentment, double lives, sexual conduct, and being "addicted to me", stressing the importance of the 12 steps, amends, and living a "low profile" life centred on helping other alcoholics. Astrid comes in with a more fast-paced, fiery style, mixing humour with very graphic stories. She traces her alcoholism back through childhood trauma, a harsh, loveless home, and the way she learned to cope.
Alcohol first felt like magic at 12–13, but quickly became her master: "It's beer 30 every morning." She talks about how untreated alcoholism lives in the mind, even when the drink is down, and how self-centred fear and rage can wreck lives without a drop of alcohol. For her, the steps are a lifelong spiritual practice, not homework, aimed at shrinking self and growing a "God consciousness" through constant prayer and action.
This meeting suits anyone who wants straight-talking AA experience, from newcomers wondering if they’re "real" alcoholics to long-timers wrestling with resentment, trauma and emotional sobriety. There’s strong language, lots of laughter, and plenty of hard-won hope – what parts of their stories sound most like yours?
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