We Must Be Neutral To Alcohol

We Must Be Neutral To Alcohol

How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober? This RAW Recovery Podcast instalment centres on one core idea from the Big Book: reaching a point where alcohol simply stops running the show in your head. You’ll hear Dion and Michelle chat through lived experience rather than theory, mixing AA text with everyday examples and plenty of humour.

Early on, the conversation touches on old drinking one-liners like, “I drink, get drunk, fall down, no problem,” and contrasts them with the more honest language of recovery. From there, the focus shifts to what AA calls a “position of neutrality”—a state where alcohol isn’t loved, hated, or feared, just recognised for what it does. Dion explains that this neutrality doesn’t come from sudden willpower or hiding away from life.

Instead, it’s connected to spiritual fitness and doing the work, especially the Twelve Steps. He talks about why “shielding” people from all alcohol contact rarely works long term, and why the real question isn’t, “Is there booze there?” but, “Will I bring more confusion than harmony if I go?” Practical scenarios come up: concerts, family gatherings, recovery clubs, and social media.

Dion shares how he used to block alcohol ads online, how his family chose not to keep alcohol in the house, and how he now can attend events where people drink without feeling pulled back in.

A key line sums it up: “I do not hate alcohol… I am neutral but I do have a respect for it and that respect is if I put it in my body it's going to fuck everything up.” If you’ve ever wondered whether you must avoid every bar, party, or wedding forever, this conversation might give you something concrete to chew on. Where are you today—fighting alcohol, hiding from it, or starting to become neutral?