AA Grapevine"s Podcast

29:37

The Right Door [Season 11, Episode 14]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/10/05

Christina, whose story appears in the October 2026 issue of Grapevine, tells Olis and Don that when drinking she saw everyone else living these normal lives, but it never occurred to her that alcohol was messing with her life. Christine tells the story that after judges, psych wards, losing relationships, she mysteriously found herself in the Vancouver Intergroup Office and talked to a woman who did not berate her but instead told Christina about her life as an alcoholic. Terrance tells of his love

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32:05

In AA We Talk Truth [Season 11, Episode 13]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/09/28

Rachel tells Don and Sam that drinking was a big part of her family life and she too followed that path. While friends were starting families, going to college, getting full-time jobs Rachel was going to jail, moving closer to bars so she didn't have to drive, and watching TV shows about interventions while drinking. She tried for years to avoid herself. Now in AA, Rachel is facing life on life's terms. Sometimes that brings pain, but it also brings joy and freedom, she says. In the feature Language

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32:18

Gated Communities [Season 11, Episode 12]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/09/21

Matt tells Don and Sam that he came to his first AA meeting at 17, but needed several more years of drinking before the internal bankruptcy and demoralization brought him to surrender. Matt found an AA member in prison who helped him on his journey. Matt helps others in prison as a volunteer too. His friend summed it up nicely: "I come to prison to stay out of prison." In Listener Feedback Don, Matt and Sam respond to Kevin, Carey and Eric. We hear jokes from Jim and Tom. Nora shares her love for

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32:20

Endless Bottles [Season 11, Episode 11]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/09/14

Tiombe found sobriety at a young age and was blessed to find a group of caring young people who helped her. They were the type who if you couldn't read the Big Book, they'd read it to you. She tells Olis and Don about learning that she not only had to give up drinking, but also the lifestyle she'd built to survive. Tiombe also talks about being a seeker through meditation. In the feature Using the Traditions in Our Lives, we hear about Tradition Nine from Julie, Jeff and Kelsey. Mike shares his love

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32:47

New Freedom [Season 11, Episode 10]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/09/07

Allison felt like a late bloomer starting drinking at 14, her friends were already at it. She tells Don and Sam that her first drinks were part of her people pleasing tendencies, but she stayed lonely nonetheless. Later, friends told Allison she needed to get help, and recommended AA. At her first meeting Allison felt welcomed — the group made it a First Step meeting and asked her to come back tomorrow. Bill shares about his love for Grapevine.While we provide the podcast at no charge, we do have

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35:09

Two Way Prayer [Season 11, Episode 9]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/08/31

Father Bill tells Olis and Sam about hitting a botttom and intentionally living in a shelter for a year. He stresses the importance of prayer and meditation in his sober journey and explains "two way prayer" as he understands it. Father Bill talks about hearing the AA program boiled down to three words: connection, correction and direction. He says that in his guided life part of his job is too look for contamination—finding disturbances. In Language of the Heart we hear from Terry, Matt and Jen

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30:20

No More "On My Own" [Season 11, Episode 8]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/08/24

Ann tells Olis and Don that fear drove her, and that she tried to control her drinking — often unsuccessfully. A marriage counselor told her to look at her own drinking, and she shared that with her mother. Ann's mother in turn invited Ann to join her at a meeting. Ann instead tried on her own, again unsuccessfully. When she finally went to her first meeting, Ann felt her life was over. She did not want to be an alcoholic. But, women helped her at that first meeting and ever since, and now she helps

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34:40

Stick with Us [Season 11, Episode 7]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/08/17

David tells Don and Sam that he was very shy, but with booze in him he would offer to sing to women. David was a full blown alcoholic at 24—when hung over he learned to drink and would pass out and wake up hungover — and repeat. David talks at length about his 9th Step work and living free of shame. Vicky tells us about her love for Grapevine. Kenneth shares a joke.While we provide the podcast at no charge, we do have expenses. Grapevine is the only AA entity that does not accept direct

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34:52

Struck Sober [Season 11, Episode 6]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/08/10

Heidi tells Olis and Sam that she thought she'd found the solution early on, and didn't need all the tools found in the twelve steps. She learned later that alcoholism is a tricky disease. Sober in AA, Heidi helped her group get online during the pandemic, and that led her down a new path of service. She talks about the upcoming National AA Technology Workshop that is coming up the weekend of September 11. In the Ask it Basket Drew asks about the twelve steps. Marcheta shares about Grapevine in her

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31:56

Mother Earth, Father Sky, God & Me [Season 11,...

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/08/03

Ronnie, whose article appears in the August 2026 issue of Grapevine magazine, tells Don and Sam how drinking was a solution for him to hide away from his emotions. He stopped drinking on his own periodically when life became unmanageable, but always returned to it when things straightened out. When he finally found the gift of desperation, his neighbor said, "I got a friend." Olis reports in from the Western Roundup Living Sober and talks to Ronny, Pam and David.While we provide the podcast at no

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31:51

Hi Marissa, It's Jack [Season 11, Episode 4]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/07/27

Marissa sits down with Don and Sam on her 13th sober anniversary. Lots of troubles followed Marissa into sobriety, and she says she learned slowly in AA that by taking actions, never alone, that she can walk through anything. Some great advice she got from a sponsor about a broken relationship: treat it as a service commitment until it doesn't feel that way. In the Ask It Basket we hear questions from Rudy and Alex. Johnny shares about using the Grapevine.While we provide the podcast at no charge,

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27:37

Crutches and Casts [Season 11, Episode 3]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Scott started drinking at 11, and says that alcohol was at the foundation of all he did. He chose to attend college in a party town, and it took seven years to get a bachelor degree. He is grateful that the rehab he attended brought him to AA meetings because the counselors talked about Scott and he put up his defenses, while the AA members talked about themselves, and Scott couldn't help but identify. Scott also talks about his work trying to make AA meetings more accessible for more alcoholics. In

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37:10

My Operating System Was Broken [Season 11, Episode 2]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/07/13

In his drinking years Leonard felt like life was punishment. He tells Olis and Don how a woman kindly asked him if he thought his drinking was a problem, and he soon found his way to an AA meeting. He walked through the door, got a sponsor and his life changed. In Listener Feedback we hear from Angela and Emily. We also hear back about favorite non-alcoholic beverages from Pat, Chad and Sunny. Pat shares a photo that you can see on Grapevine's Instagram. Gerry and Cynthia write in about the Get the

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31:48

The No Matter What Club [Season 11, Episode 1]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/07/06

Nina, a self-described raging alcoholic, tells Don and Sam that she did not understand that she could not stop and had no conception of the obsession or allergy of the body. She thought everyone drank like she did. In her drinking years Nina missed exams, lost jobs, and got arrested. The last arrest led to her getting sober in jail. There she learned about the disease and the value of service. Giving back, a big part of Nina's recovery today involves corrections work where she gets to witness others

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32:30

This is Alcoholism [Season 10, Episode 26]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/06/29

Even though Dana experienced anxiety, perfectionism, self hate, depression, loneliness and no hope with drinking, taking the suggestion of a therapist to try AA did not hit, because that would mean no drinking. Eventually Dana did try AA and felt it was "alright", but did come back. Putting alcohol down and learning other coping skills led to a whole new freedom and life. In the Ask it Basket C.A. asks about being a trans woman in meetings. Chevonne, Maeve and Dana share their experience, strength

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28:42

You Don't Know Me, But You Know Me [Season 10,...

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/06/22

Trevon was born into alcoholism and suffered through a chaotic childhood. He tells Don and Sam that when he first drank he felt like he could breathe for the first time. Trevon's alcoholism brought troubles including prison time. His amends to his son gave him a profound experience. Trevon also talks about his service work with Young People in AA and Black and Indigenous People of Color in AA. Elaine tells us how Grapevine benefits her sobriety.While we provide the podcast at no charge, we do have

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27:12

I Wanted to Always Feel That Way [Season 10, Episode 24]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/06/15

Jenna tells Olis and Sam that after a trauma at the age of 16 she tried drinking and that fixed it for her. But as an alcoholic she wanted to feel that way all the time. In AA she learned how to have fun sober, especially in young people's groups. Jenna learned how to be of service in all parts of life. In Stump the Thumper, the questions compare phrases from the Big Book and the Plain Language Big Book. Jack A. shares about the benefit of Grapevine in his sobriety.While we provide the podcast at no

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27:10

Stay Sober, Help Others [Season 10, Episode 23]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/06/08

Pedro from Portugal tells Olis and Sam about drinking in the discos of Long Island on weekends — that could last 2 or 3 or 4 days. He didn't know that binging qualified him, but in AA he learned there are many types of alcoholics. Now he lives a life of service and serenity. Pedro tells others that what happened to him will happen to them too. He says to go with the flow of love. Rick tells us why Grapevine is the best piece of mail he gets each month.While we provide the podcast at no charge, we do

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32:43

Lessons Learned [Season 10, Episdode 22]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/06/01

Bill, whose article appears in the June 2026 issue of Grapevine, tells Olis and Don that he had to learn to do what AA asks you to do. In the beginning he did not get the ideas of alcoholism as an allergy, or the phenomenon of craving, but his sponsor helped him understand these things about himself. He came in thinking his life was over, but now thinks of sober times when his face hurt from smiling and laughing so much. Leslie shares about the benefits of Grapevine. In Using the Traditions in Our

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31:47

You Are Doing Enough [Season 10, Episode 21]

AA Grapevine"s Podcast ·

2026/05/25

Tammy tells Don and Sam that she came into AA following a tragic car accident and felony conviction. She attended meetings long enough, for fear of consequences if she didn't, that she began to hear what AA members were saying. Tammy realized she too should be working the AA program of recovery. Tammy threw herself into service, for her group, district, local office and in corrections. She tells a story of a profound experience she had when bringing a meeting into a prison. In Listener Feedback we

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