Ruth M. AA Female
Ruth M. AA Female

Recovery Radio Network

AA speaker Ruth M. shares a frank, funny and often painful account of her journey through alcohol, pills, jail and shattered family ties. She explains how Alcoholics Anonymous, the steps and the fellowship gave her a new way to live and use her past to help others.

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1:10:21•28 Apr 2026

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Ruth M’s Wild Ride from Chaos to AA Sobriety

Episode Overview

Alcohol was not Ruth’s first problem; her attitudes, fear and self-hatred drove much of her behaviour long before sobriety arrived.
Ruth stresses that no one can get another person sober and that trying to control other alcoholics only leads to more pain.
Acceptance of alcoholism as a terminal illness and honestly taking the third step are described as crucial for dealing with drink and drugs.
She shows how past shame and chaos can become a "greatest treasure" in helping other alcoholics who feel just as hopeless.
Staying sober sometimes means waiting out dark times "minute by minute" while relying on AA fellowship and a power greater than oneself.

“"In the beginning, alcohol was not my problem. In the beginning, sobriety was my problem."”

Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of what alcoholism really costs and what long-term sobriety can look like. In this AA speaker meeting from the Recovery Radio Network, Ruth M. from Bellflower, California, shares her story with a mix of sharp humour, brutal honesty and deep respect for Alcoholics Anonymous. Ruth calls herself "a total addict" and jokes that in the early days, "alcohol was not my problem.

In the beginning, sobriety was my problem." From growing up in an alcoholic home and strict religious environment, to chasing love, status and "class" through marriage, business success and parties, she traces how drink and pills steadily took over everything. She talks about jail, sanitariums, overdoses, failed relationships and the sheer exhaustion of trying to manage booze, medication and appearances. You’ll hear how her son confronting her drinking became a turning point, and why she says, "I'm an alcoholic.

She describes waiting out dark times "minute by minute, one heartbeat at a time" and learning that she can’t get anyone else sober, including her ex-husband: "If I could get you sober, I could get you drunk, and I don't have that power over you." For newcomers and old-timers alike, Ruth keeps bringing it back to AA basics: acceptance of alcoholism as a terminal illness, the third step, the fellowship, and the idea that their "dark and miserable past" can help "countless thousands".

I laid my son on the line. I drank him up." She doesn’t glamorise recovery either. Her style is candid, irreverent and very human, making this especially relatable if you’ve ever felt like you were beyond help. If you’re wondering whether AA can offer you a "design for living" and not just a way to stop drinking, Ruth’s story might be exactly the push you need today.

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