That's Me! That's Me! episode 32 with Gaby R.That's Me! That's Me! episode 32 with Gaby R.
Recovery Radio Network
Gabby R shares how a dramatic crisis on a cruise ship pushed her from years of denial into committed AA recovery. The conversation touches on growing up around meetings, finding a sponsor, women’s "lady level" energy, and the role of acceptance in staying sober.
41:02•18 Sept 2026
Groundhog Day Sobriety and the "Lady Level" with Gabby R
Episode Overview
- AA can be the one thing you haven’t tried when everything else has failed to ease the pain of drinking.
- Growing up around AA doesn’t guarantee early sobriety; denial and "terminal uniqueness" can persist for years.
- Reaching out to a sober contact, even a long-forgotten one, can be the first real step into committed recovery.
- Regular meetings, especially women’s meetings, help break isolation and keep sobriety from becoming a solo struggle.
- Acceptance, as described on page 417, is presented as central to finding serenity and staying sober.
“My sick mind can't fix my sick mind, and that's why I need AA and you guys.”
Curious about how others manage their sobriety journey? This conversation from "That's Me! That's Me!" shines a light on what makes someone come back for that crucial second Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Hosts Monica K and Julia J keep things relaxed and funny as they chat in the Cincinnati public radio studios, before welcoming their guest, Gabby R, whose sobriety date happens to be Groundhog Day 2023.
The show focuses on the moment people think, "that's me, that's me" in AA, and Gabby’s story fits that theme perfectly. Gabby grew up around AA, spending time as a child at Oak Street meetings while her mum was getting sober. Despite hearing countless shares and being surrounded by "the love of AA" and big biker guys buying her sweets, she still spent years convincing herself she was different.
She describes her drinking as "overshooting the mark" every time and trying everything from therapy, exercise and affirmations to controlled drinking, yet nothing worked. The turning point comes on a cruise, where Gabby discovers her partner is cheating and spirals into a dramatic, suicidal moment on the side of the ship: torn between wanting to jump and wanting whatever was wrong with her to be fixed. That night becomes her last drink.
Back home, she reaches out to a woman she once met in a scuba class, now her sponsor, and starts going to meetings.
Gabby talks honestly about young sobriety, the pattern of drifting away from meetings and getting miserable, and the special bond of women's meetings—what the show jokingly calls the "lady level." She also shares how meaningful it is to be in AA alongside her sober parents, including hearing her dad say, "my sick mind can't fix my sick mind." Her reading from page 417 on acceptance anchors the episode with practical wisdom.
If you’ve ever wondered whether AA is really for you, this story might sound uncomfortably familiar—in the best possible way.
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