That's Me! That's Me! episode 35 with Nancy J.That's Me! That's Me! episode 35 with Nancy J.
Recovery Radio Network
Nancy J shares how she moved from Al-Anon and secret drinking to accepting she is an alcoholic and embracing long-term sobriety. The conversation touches on faith, sponsorship, cravings years into recovery, and the quiet moments that kept her coming back.
45:05•9 Oct 2026
Secrets, Fridge Beers and Finding God: Nancy J’s Long-Term Sobriety Story
Episode Overview
- Honesty about how much and how often someone drinks is crucial, especially when fear of being an alcoholic is the biggest secret.
- Removing alcohol from the home and replacing it with a reminder of a higher power can reveal how deep the attachment really runs.
- Sponsorship that includes direct truth and eye contact can break through denial and help someone accept they are alcoholic.
- Cravings and thoughts of drinking can still appear after many years sober, making regular meetings and connection vital.
- AA offers a spiritual path rather than a religious rulebook, allowing each person to seek a God of their own understanding.
“"He said, 'Because you're an alcoholic. You're a drunk.' And I remember just sitting there and going, 'Oh my gosh, I really am.'"”
What makes a recovery story truly inspiring? This conversation with Nancy J from northern Kentucky gives plenty of clues.
A long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous whose sobriety date is 28 December 1994, Nancy looks back with humour and honesty at the path that led her from Al-Anon, to denial, to finally saying, "I think I'm thirsty." The show’s hosts, Julia J and Monica K, set a relaxed, cosy tone, chatting about rainy mornings, fireworks on the Cincinnati riverfront, and friendships that form around a weekly meeting.
Then Nancy joins and brings a mix of warmth, self-awareness, and laugh-out-loud detail about hiding beer in the basement, topping up bottles in the loo, and crying at the thought of throwing away three bottles from the fridge door.
You’ll hear how Nancy first went to AA after her husband sobered up, how she secretly feared she was an alcoholic, and how a single line from a man’s share – "I'm as sick as my secrets" – shook her to the core.
She talks about the moment she swapped those three beers on the fridge door for a piece of paper with the word "God" written on it, and how often she still opened that door just to check they were "there".
Nancy also speaks openly about sponsorship, including having a male sponsor with her husband’s full support, nearly drinking at nine and a half years sober, and what it meant when someone grabbed her hand and said, "We haven’t said the Lord’s Prayer." There’s honest chat about religion in meetings, feeling uncomfortable when people quote scripture at length, and how AA gave her a God in her heart rather than a Santa Claus-style deity.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “really” an alcoholic, or worried that long-term sobriety means losing fun and connection, this story might be exactly what you need to hear today. What line from Nancy’s journey resonates most with your own?
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