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Dhom grew up in a poor village in the Philippines. Regularly drinking alcohol by age 14, he joined a gang and was involved in violent and illegal activities. The power of his growing alcoholism and disregard for his own life were acted out in various crimes and games of Russian roulette with a loaded .38 caliper revolver. Run-ins with the law became more frequent and he believed a geographic move to London would ease his troubles. But his worsening alcoholism accompanied Dhom and was fueled to new heights by the easy and attractive pubs he found on every corner. Soon, he was involved with nefarious friends and was being banned from many of those pubs because of his brutal behavior. His disregard for his own safety culminated in heavier drinking and instigating fights with night club bouncers. Dhom managed to function long enough to marry and have a child, but his violent and abusive behavior spurred on by ceaseless drinking, inevitably resulted in his wife leaving him and taking their son with her. As his bottom was fast approaching, Dhom’s moment of clarity emerged out of a black-out in the form of a scrolling advertisement at the bottom of a TV screen with a phone number to get help. He crawled over to the phone, made the call, and was soon attending AA.
Dhom encountered many challenges early in his AA sobriety, not the least of which was feeling isolated in meetings where there were few other Asians and/or people of color. But he persevered and soon discovered a broad cross-section of recovering alcoholics with whom he could trust his life. He got a sponsor, worked the steps, became involved in service work, and sponsored others. By the time he moved from London to Ottawa, his entire life had been improved by his active participation in Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dhom’s tale is rich, colorful, and inspiring. If you listen closely, I think you’ll find many similarities in his story that might not otherwise be familiar. But it’s a story that has a solid place among the other stories on this podcast series. So, please invest the next hour with this episode of AA Recovery Interviews with my with my affable friend and AA brother, Dhom R.
Check out Howard’s Big Book Podcast, the complete unabridged audio version of the First and Second Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Big Book Podcast is an engaging cover-to-cover, word-for-word reading of all 11 chapters and Personal Stories, many of which were left out of the Third and Fourth Editions. Follow us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Or listen on https://bigbookpodcast.com
If you’ve enjoyed my AA Recovery Interviews series and my Big Book podcast, have a listen to Lost Stories of the Big Book, 30 Original Stories Missing from the 3rd and 4th Editions of Alcoholics Anonymous. It’s an engaging audiobook I narrated to bring these stories to life for AA members who’ve never seen them. These timeless testamonials were originally cut to make room for newer stories in the 3rd and 4th Editions. But their vitally important messages of hope are as meaningful today as when they were first published. Many listeners will hear these stories for the first time. Lost Stories of the Big Book is available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book if you’d like to read along with the audio.
[Disclaimer: AA Recovery Interviews podcast strictly adheres to AA’s 12 Traditions and all General Service Office guidelines for safe-guarding anonymity on-line. I pay all podcast production costs and no one receives financial gain from the show. AA Recovery Interviews and my guests do not speak for or represent AA at-large. This podcast is simply my way of giving back to AA that which has been so freely given to me. -Howard L.]