That's Me! That's Me! episode 37 with Gino B.That's Me! That's Me! episode 37 with Gino B.
Recovery Radio Network
Gino B shares how a childhood around violence, a teen rehab stay, and just seven years of drinking led to multiple trips in and out of AA. The conversation focuses on what appears to have brought him back for good, including fellowship, long-term amends, family experiences, and keeping recovery simple.
40:33•23 Oct 2026
“That’s Me, That’s Me”: Gino B’s Seven Years of Drinking and a Lifetime of Recovery
Episode Overview
- Returning to AA after relapse can feel brutally hard, yet even occasional meetings may be enough to spark a new beginning.
- Long-term sobriety often grows from simple consistency: showing up, doing what you say you’ll do, and staying connected to meetings.
- Amends to family can be a lifelong process based more on changed behaviour than on one-time apologies.
- Grief and painful memories do not vanish in sobriety; sometimes the healthiest option is to sit with difficult feelings rather than trying to fix them quickly.
- Redefining fun in recovery can mean late-night talks, road trips, shared projects, and everyday life with people you love instead of chaos and danger.
“AA works a lot better when you’re out of ideas. But running out of ideas is painful.”
What drives someone to seek a life without alcohol? This conversation on Recovery Radio Network’s "That's Me! That's Me!" zeroes in on that question through the story of Gino B, a long-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous whose drinking years add up to just seven – but whose alcoholism shaped almost everything. The show, hosted by Julia Jay and Monica Kay from the Cincinnati public radio studios, is all about what brings people back after their *second* AA meeting.
Rather than rehashing drunkalogues, you’ll hear the moment people start thinking, “that’s me, that’s me,” and feel just enough hope to return. Gino’s story fits that perfectly. Sent to AA at 14, turning 15 in rehab, and later relapsing after 12 years sober, he talks plainly about shame, violence, and trying to “manage” drinking because life looked more stable on the outside.
He shares the painful reality of coming back after relapse, describing how hard it was to move from active drinking to sitting in AA again. Yet there’s humour and warmth too – from food-truck birthday parties stocked with Mexican Coke to late-night talks on the steps of Oak Street. His deep affection for AA shines through when he says, “AA works a lot better when you’re out of ideas.
But running out of ideas is painful.” The episode also touches on family: a sister lost to addiction, a father who stopped drinking after Gino got sober, and the long, slow amends that happen through consistency, not speeches. There’s even a full-circle moment when Gino reconnects, decades later, with the sponsor who first helped him through the steps as a teenager.
If you’re wondering whether AA can still hold something new after many attempts – or what long-term sobriety can look like when it’s built on fellowship, meditation, and keeping things simple – this conversation might leave you asking yourself: is this “that’s me” moment yours too?
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