Martyn C. – Sober 29 Years

Originally from England, Martyn immigrated to the U.S. in the mid-1970’s bringing along his predilections for excessive drinking. Insecurities from his earlier life, fueled by fears of not measuring up, stoked his drive to succeed. And for years, while Martyn’s drinking morphed into alcohol abuse, his rapid ascent in business and lack of consequences from drunken behavior, made functional alcoholism a working part of his life. While dodging alcoholic mishaps, Martyn rose in the ranks of the early computer industry and later he started, built, and sold a highly profitable company. But the culture of drinking both within his company and as an adjunct to its growth, inevitably transformed Martyn’s rise into a steep decline. As his disease rapidly took control of more and more of his life, the shift from functional to dysfunctional alcoholism became clearly appeared in Martyn’s life. Obtaining in-patient treatment, and ultimately entrée into Alcoholics Anonymous, he found the kind of relief and comfort that he had longed for throughout his life. Getting a sponsor, going to meetings, and digging into the Steps quickly became the most important aspects of Martyn’s life and something he could readily give away to newly sober alcoholics. And while the nearly three decades of involvement in AA have had their ups and downs in his life, Martyn’s desire for sobriety seems apparent to all who know him. It certainly does to me.

So without further verbosity, please enjoy this episode of AA Recovery Interviews with my good friend and AA brother, Martyn C.

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 testimonials 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 AudibleAmazon, and iTunes. It’s also available as a Kindle book and in Paperback from Amazon if you’d like to read along with the audio.

I also invite you to check out my latest audio book, “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism”. This is the word-for-word, cover-to-cover reading of the First Edition of the Big Book, published in 1939. It’s a comfortable, meaningful, and engaging way to listen to the Big Book anytime, anyplace. Have a free listen at Audible, i-Tunes, or Amazon.

[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.]

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