Join us as Denise McDonald reflects on her early experiences attending AA meetings in the ‘Step 1 Denise Lived Experience Series’. In this episode, Denise shares how attending meetings daily made her feel safe and understood. She recalls a woman who introduced herself as a “grateful recovered alcoholic,” a concept Denise initially couldn’t understand. Denise explains how, in those early days, she never introduced herself as an alcoholic and preferred to simply listen, quietly absorbing the stories around her.

Step 1 of Alcoholics Anonymous is about admitting powerlessness, and Denise’s experience highlights the importance of being in a space where people share common struggles, even when she wasn’t ready to speak out herself. Her story is a reminder that early recovery is a time for reflection, liste ...