Brenda entered her marriage in the early 1970's with her mother's advice to 'never argue with a drunk'. After several years of trying to keep the peace in her marriage, Brenda took her young children and left in desperation. Even without Al-Anon, she acted in faith, knowing that she did not have the answers about how she would manage on her own. It was fifteen years later that she found Al-Anon when, in relation to one of her children, she realised that she needed help to cope in another situation she could not manage.In this episode, Brenda describes the freedom she has experienced in Al-Anon, having learned to make choices in her own best interests and allow others to do the same.If you think that Al-Anon  could help you cope with someone else’s problem drinking then you can phone 1300 252 666 or go to their website al-anon.org.auShow your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Poppy was born into a family struggling to cope with the trauma of migration from Greece to Australia. Her father drank to ease his sorrow and her mother had to cope with a growing number of small children, working, along with her husband, to provide for them all. Poppy has happy memories of celebrations with friends and family where there was plenty of drinking, but also carried a burden of shame about her father's behaviour when he drank. She fell in love with and married a man who also has a problem with alcohol and has now sought help in Al-Anon.If you think that Al-Anon  could help you cope with someone else’s problem drinking then you can phone 1300 252 666 or go to their website al-anon.org.auShow your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

John joined Michael in the studio to chat about his life. Starting in the South East suburbs of Melbourne in a family he described as a "battleground", John's life which included, scouts, cricket, a part-time job pumping petrol and a girlfriend changed dramatically around the age of 16 as his number one priority became drinking and chasing the effect it created for him. Left with very few choices at the age of 22, John was offered Larundel or Alcoholics Anonymous after another "bad decision". Nearly 40 years down the track, John shares his experience of getting and staying sober. 

Dan was on the show back in March 2024 and came in at short notice to help us out with a live interview. Dan’s earlier interview is available on https://www.3cr.org.au/livingfree/episode/alcoholics-anonymous-dan-21mar2024.Today we are talking about how recovery works and what it is like after stopping drinking and participating in a fellowship of equals in Alcoholics Anonymous.It was great to chat with Dan again and after the show I received a message from a long-time listener saying how much he enjoyed the show and listening to Dan talking on recovery.If you would like to find out a bit more about alcoholism for yourself or a friend, then you can give Alcoholics Anonymous a call on 1300 222 222 or check out their website aa.org.au.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem, then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at al-anon.org.au for more information.You can show your support to the Living Free show and keep us on air by:subscribing to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/subscribeand/or donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate  

This is a repeat of an interview that aired in December 2022.Carmen grew up in Germany in a family where there was alcohol abuse and violence. In her adult life, she developed a compulsion to control her eating and fell into a pattern of food restriction followed by bingeing. Carmen found herself preoccupied with food and when she realised it had become a problem began to look for help. A therapist's advice to eat in moderation did not work for her but through the support of Overeaters Anonymous and an understanding of the addictive nature of her relationship with food, Carmen found freedom from her compulsion.If you are having difficulty with compulsive overeating you might like to contact Overeaters Anonymous. You can find them at oa.org.au. All meetings welcome newcomers and the only requirement for OA membership is the desire to stop eating compulsively.There are meetings listed on the website at oa.org.au/meetings The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.Show your support to the Living Free show bysubscribing to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/subscribeand/or donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate

Glenda grew up in a stable family but prolonged periods of hospitalisation in childhood along with a shy disposition led to low self-esteem. Glenda used alcohol, cannabis and other drugs to fit in socially and eventually sought treatment at the age of 27 for the difficulties this caused, including cannabis-induced psychosis. For more than 40 years Glenda has been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous and she is also a member of Al-Anon. In both fellowships she shares her experience, strength and hope with others as they face their common difficulties. If you think that Al-Anon  could help you cope with someone else’s problem drinking then you can phone 1300 252 666 or go to their website al-anon.org.auYou can contact AA on 1300 222 222 or check out their website aa.org.au.Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Lin joined Michael in the studio and shared her story. From life as part of a large family in country Victoria, starting to drink as a 13 year old and leaving school young, Lin describes how alcohol became her solution to life until it stopped working. She also describes a 3 year period of abstinence followed by a lapse which brought her to her knees and then a moment of clarity. She then describes what 15 years of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous looks like now.

Jonathan is in his mid-50’s and has been in Gamblers Anonymous for over nine years now. His dad was a gambler and drug addict, and he was brought up by his single mother who worked multiple jobs. Jonathan started gambling in college then started working in finance and ended up in the entertainment industry.  He focussed on sports gambling and regularly used recreational drugs.  Johnathan started gambling with client’s money, continued trying to recover his losses and ended up in prison for 6 years for embezzlement.Johnathan was briefly in Gamblers Anonymous before prison but found that it really helped when he left prison as it was a lot more difficult to find a job then. GA members were non-judgemental, and enabled him to feel accepted and worthwhile. In GA, Jonathan learnt about the importance of trust, honesty and respect in dealing with others. He also found great benefit in helping others to navigate their recovery from compulsive gambling. He feels a strong bond with GA and the other members and to keeping the meetings open for those seeking help with their gambling addiction.If you’re having trouble with gambling, or have a friend or family member that does, then maybe Gamblers Anonymous could help – phone (03) 9696 6108 or visit their website gaaustralia.org.au for information and to see a list of local meetings.Show your support to the Living Free show by:subscribing to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/subscribeand donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donateUnfortunately, we are unable to include the music we played in our Podcast, due to Copyright issues, but we are happy to support Australian music via the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) https://amrap.org.au/ Here are the links to the artists and song played on today’s show:Nasman Donovan - Louvre: https://amrap.org.au/track/nasman-donovan-louvre-louvreLisa Crouch - I Love You More: https://amrap.org.au/track/lisa-crouch-i-love-you-more-i-love-you-moreNo PROMISES - Those Boots:https://amrap.org.au/track/no-promises-those-boots

This episode is a repeat. It was originally aired on 7 December 2023.Dan, a member of Al-Anon, grew up in a household in which another person's drinking was out of control. One of his parents was safe and nurturing during the day but in the evenings became a more dangerous presence. This inconsistency resulted in Dan feeling confused about how to trust people and eventually angry and distant from his parents. At 15 he went to Alateen where he found it healing to be in the company of other teenagers who understood his situation, did not judge and spoke authetically about their own experiences. If you think that Al-Anon or Alateen could help you cope with someone else’s problem drinking then you can phone 1300 252 666 or go to their website al-anon.org.au Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening. 

Feebee-Lou grew up in Sydney. In her childhood, her father had a serious accident that left him wheel-chair bound and this had an effect on the dynamics of the family. Feebee-Lou took care of him. Although he did not identify as an alcoholic, alcohol was a factor in the family situation. After a close relationship with a sober alcoholic Feebee-Lou found her way to Al-Anon and has since embraced the 12 Steps as a guide for living which she has found transformative, healing and fulfilling.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem, then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at al-anon.org.au for more information.If you would like to find out a bit more about alcoholism for yourself or a friend, then you can give Alcoholics Anonymous a call on 1300 222 222 or check out their website aa.org.au.Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Lisa joined Michael & Bill in the studio to describe her journey to recovery from alcoholism. Introduced to the 12 Step Fellowship of Alateen when young due to alcoholism in her family, she decribes the decline in her life as the unmanageability took hold. The progressive nature of the illness had her in its grip until she landed in rehab and was introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Noah is in his early 20’s and has been in Gamblers Anonymous for just over a year. Noah was brought up by his grandmother and he rebelled in his mid-teens and left home and eventually left school early. He discusses how his gambling progressed from playing Poker with friends in high school, to becoming a serious gambler after visiting a casino when he turned 18.He found that gambling offered him an escape from reality – the family, personal issues and his mum’s drug addiction.  The turning point was when he noticed the impact of his gambling on his family and considered suicide as a way out of his gambling problems. He contacted Gambler’s Help but found more support in Gamblers Anonymous - where he identified with the stories of other gamblers and their non-judgemental approach.Initially Noah spent 3 months in GA, before gambling again for a few months, and has now been in GA for over 14 months without gambling.  He feels a strong bond with GA and the other members and to keeping the meetings open for those seeking help with their gambling addiction.If you’re having trouble with gambling, or have a friend or family member that does, then maybe Gamblers Anonymous could help – phone (03) 9696 6108 or visit their website gaaustralia.org.au for information and to see a list of local meetings.Show your support to the Living Free show by:subscribing to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/subscribeand donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donateUnfortunately, we are unable to include the music we played in our Podcast, due to Copyright issues, but we are happy to support Australian music via the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (AMRAP) https://amrap.org.au/ Here are the links to the artists and song played on today’s show:Emily Jane Pritchard - Never Ending Holiday: https://amrap.org.au/track/emily-jane-pritchard-never-ending-holidayKim O'Leary - Your Feet Don't Touch the Ground: https://amrap.org.au/track/kim-oleary-your-feet-dont-touch-the-ground-your-feet-dont-touch-the-groundThe Redeemed - The Ride and Summer Surprise: https://amrap.org.au/track/the-redeemed-the-ride-the-ridehttps://amrap.org.au/track/the-redeemed-summer-surprise-summer-surprise

Tamara's German grandmother was an alcoholic whose children, including Tamara's mother, were affected by the difficulties that this caused. Tamara found herself in conflict with her mother in her adolescent years. When through a relationship with a recovering alcoholic who recognised the dysfunction in Tamara's family, Tamara found herself in Al-Anon, she identified with the stories she heard there. After an initial outpouring of grief, she began to work the 12 Steps of recovery. Now her relationship with her mother is much more loving because of improved boundaries, better communication and less enmeshment.Tamara has not had a flareup of her Chronic Fatigue symptoms since joining Al-Anon.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem, then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at al-anon.org.au for more information.If you would like to find out a bit more about alcoholism for yourself or a friend, then you can give Alcoholics Anonymous a call on 1300 222 222 or check out their website aa.org.au.Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Alcohol brought Keely out of her shell and into functioning alcoholism for years. After finding AA and a higher power of her own understanding, things began to change.  Link to Keely's meeting and other AA meetings in Australia - https://meetings.aa.org.au/meetings/eastern-twilight-wantirna-south-friday/

Samantha grew up in a family where alcoholism is an intergenerational illness, affecting her grandmother, mother, cousins, and now her child. The direct effect on Samantha was that she developed ways of being in the world that helped her survive in environments she couldn't trust, becoming isolated and inflexible in her thinking. This took an emotional toll. When a co-worker, a recovering alcoholic, shared his experience of recovery, Samantha sought help in Al-Anon. Here she learned to open up emotionally in a safe environment, to love her child whether they are drinking or not and to take care of her self.If someone else's drinking is causing you a problem, then you can phone the Al-Anon Family Groups helpline on 1300 252 666 or go online at al-anon.org.au for more information.If you would like to find out a bit more about alcoholism for yourself or a friend, then you can give Alcoholics Anonymous a call on 1300 222 222 or check out their website aa.org.au.Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Chris joined Michael in the studio to share his experience of how addiction to gambling brought him to his knees and the freedom he has experienced since finding a solution in Gamblers Anonymous.

Ann and Zakia chat about the difficulties of being authentic when you come from a dysfunctional family or from a place where the language is different. And we play some clips from the Living Free archives. The Living Free show is a place to hear authentic story-telling from people who have struggled with the effects of addiction, their own or others'.If you would like to hear the whole conversations, the clips were from these episodes:https://www.3cr.org.au/livingfree/episode/alateen-and-al-anon-dan https://www.3cr.org.au/livingfree/episode/al-anon-family-groups-mandyhttps://www.3cr.org.au/livingfree/episode/alcoholics-anonymous-jennie-08feb2024 If you would like to find out more:Al-Anon Family Groups https://al-anon.org.au/Gamblers Anonymous https://gaaustralia.org.au/get-in-touch/Narcotics Anonymous https://www.na.org.au/multi/Alcoholics Anonymous https://aa.org.au/Overeaters Anonymous https://www.oa.org.au/SMART Recovery https://smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au/(link is external)Justice Connect https://justiceconnect.org.au/our-services/homeless-law/Show your support for the Living Free show by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism #Al-Anon #RecoveryThe Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening.

Grounded in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), SMART Recovery is a self-empowering approach to addiction and other problematic behaviours.  SMART Recovery groups support people with substance dependencies or problem behaviours to lead a balanced life. Nigel is a facilitator of such a group and has lived experience of alcohol dependency. In this episode he discusses the use of CBT, mindfulness and breathwork to help stay free of addictions. If you're concerned about your own problematic behaviour or the problematic behaviour of a relative or friend and would like to find out more about SMART Recovery you can contact them at smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au(link is external) or call them on (02) 9373 5100.Show your support of Living Free by donating to 3CR https://www.3cr.org.au/donate#Alcoholism  #Recovery The Living Free show may involve discussion of topics such as suicide, mental illness, self-harm and family violence. Please practise self-care and care of others when listening. 

Zac joined Michael and Bill in the studio to share his experience of life as a practising alcoholic, reaching a rock bottom in his early 30's and now having had one year of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymmous. 

Well, it’s been another big year since our last Radiothon, and this time Zakia and Michael could also join us to amp up the volume another notch for this year’s show. Thanks to your generous support, by the end of the show, we had managed to raise $3,400, $900 over our target of $2,500. If you would also like to support 3CR then go to https://www.3cr.org.au/donate to see your options.Thanks also to our guests on the show over the last 12 months from:Al-Anon Family Groups https://al-anon.org.au/Gamblers Anonymous https://gaaustralia.org.au/get-in-touch/Narcotics Anonymous https://www.na.org.au/multi/Alcoholics Anonymous https://aa.org.au/Overeaters Anonymous https://www.oa.org.au/SMART Recovery https://smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au/Justice Connect https://justiceconnect.org.au/our-services/homeless-law/Our weekly podcasts are also available online or for shows up to 5th June 2025 : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XQoKEcNW8Pa6eFRwGOET5eJxjO6244SW/view?usp=sharingAlthough we are not able to include the music in our podcast, here are the links to the music we played on the show and available on Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (amrap.org.au):Mark Howard: The Light Behind Us [https://amrap.org.au/track/mark-howard-the-light-behind-us]Andy Fillmore   Passing notes [https://amrap.org.au/track/andy-fillmore-passing-notes]boi&eSKae: SAID IN ANGER [https://amrap.org.au/track/boieskae-sia-said-in-anger-radio-edit-sia-said-in-anger-radio-edit]