Raquel D. AA Female

Raquel D. AA Female

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? Raquel D, an AA member and self-described alcoholic, shares a raw, funny, and heartfelt account of how alcohol and drugs took over her life long before she knew what alcoholism was. You’ll hear how drinking started in her early teens in the Ramona Garden projects, where a bottle of Thunderbird made her feel like "Sophia Loren...

For the younger people, Angelina Jolie." Alcohol quickly became the thing that made her feel beautiful, confident, and "like I was somebody"—but it also led to blackouts, jail, prison, and losing her children. Raquel talks honestly about chasing comfort through booze, heroin, methadone, pills, and chaotic relationships, all while believing she was just a bad person who couldn’t stop.

It wasn’t until prison, severe health problems, and the death of her daughter that she truly broke inside and prayed, "I don’t want to die. Please help me." Her story then shifts to the reality of coming back to AA: sitting under the clock, convinced she wasn’t an alcoholic, refusing to raise her hand, and learning the hard way that "physical sobriety" without a programme leaves her defenceless against the first drink.

A painful relapse, and the look of disappointment from her daughter, finally pushed her to surrender and follow a sponsor’s direction. Through working the Twelve Steps, being sponsored, sponsoring others, and showing up even when she doesn’t want to, Raquel describes finding the peace of mind she always looked for in a bottle. She shares about rebuilding relationships, parenting without guilt, and the daily gift of waking up without obsession.

For anyone who feels broken, different, or beyond help, her message is simple and direct: stay, even if you don’t yet believe; "You might come to believe."