vol 299. A Full and Free Life with Sherryvol 299. A Full and Free Life with Sherry
Keep Coming Back Podcast
Sherry reflects on nearly 45 years of sobriety, sharing how AA transformed her from a despairing atheist into a grateful woman anchored by spiritual principles. Her story focuses on living one day at a time, shrinking self-loathing, and finding lasting freedom and connection through the steps.
1:02:45•20 Apr 2026
A Full and Free Life: Sherry on 45 Years of Sobriety, Spiritual Shift and Letting Go
Episode Overview
- Hearing alcoholism described as a “bottomless pit” helped Sherry finally understand her behaviour and feel a first spark of hope.
- The AA idea of “one day at a time” removed her terror of making a fatal mistake and taught her to live in the present moment.
- Labeling depression and self-loathing as aspects of her alcoholism made them feel smaller and more manageable with the steps.
- Treating every life problem through the lens of the steps – surrender, amends, service, prayer and meditation – slowly changed her attitudes.
- Continuing to attend meetings and seek spiritual growth, even into her 80s, keeps bringing new layers of freedom and connection.
“There is never a time when I forget that I am an alcoholic, and Alcoholics Anonymous has given me the way to get freer and freer from all the things that have blocked me.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? Sherry’s story, recorded shortly before her passing, offers a raw, articulate look at what decades of sobriety can look like – anxiety, self-loathing, grace, and all. Across almost 45 years sober, Sherry shares how she walked into Alcoholics Anonymous as a “dyed-in-the-wool atheist” plagued by violent self-loathing and suicidal thoughts, convinced there was something fundamentally wrong with her.
Hearing alcoholism described as a “bottomless pit” suddenly made sense of her inner chaos and gave her, as she puts it, “the tiniest spark of hope.” You’ll hear how simple AA ideas, especially “one day at a time”, cracked her life open. Realising there was “no such thing as a fatal error” lifted years of paralysing fear.
Depression, self-loathing and regret become things she can shrink “from the atmosphere I breathe into a little ball I can put in my pocket.” At 83, she describes a modest but steady programme of meetings, sponsorship and connection, and a life that has moved from wanting oblivion to feeling genuine gratitude: “In exchange for a bottle and a hangover, we’ve been given the keys to the kingdom.” If you’re feeling doomed, stuck in regret or unsure about the spiritual side of AA, Sherry’s words might be the dose of hope and honesty you need today – what if there really are no fatal errors, just the next right step?
She talks about how repeated exposure to meetings and the steps slowly shifted her from hiding behind an armour of defence to admitting, “Yes, I need help. Yes, I need to find comfort.” Sherry traces her spiritual awakening from atheism to studying religious experience and consciousness, finding that the program’s principles are not mental tricks but have “real effect” in daily life.
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