By all rights Jane and Michael* should be dead.
Alcoholics for many years, the Lower Mountains couple has now been sober for four and eight years respectively, but said there were many hairy moments where they didn't think they would make it.
"We both would be dead if we hadn't discovered Alcoholics Anonymous. We definitely wouldn't be together," Jane said.
"We escaped something that 70 or so years ago there was no solution for," Michael added.
This month marks the milestone of Alcoholics Anonymous's start in America 85 years ago - June 10, 1935 - fondly known to AA members as Founders' Day. It's 75 years since it started in Australia and there are now estimated to be two million members world-wide.
The pair said through the AA 12 steps and sponsoring and supervising others and themselves they have learned to live a "happy, useful life".
"Never once have either of us wanted to have a drink (since AA) ... helping people online, more and more people are reaching out ... it makes you feel useful - you've helped someone go from helpless alcoholic, being thrown out of their house, to something that lasts," Jane said.
The pair assists with Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Penrith, Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Lawson, Leura, Katoomba, Blackheath and Lithgow as well as online. There are more than 90 AA meetings in the region with between 10 and 50 members attending.
For years experts tried to solve the problems of alcoholics, many were sent to lunatic asylums. It was the camaraderie and faith from AA that worked. (There is a separate fellowship called Al-Anon Family Groups for friends and family of problem drinkers).
Michael said increased alcohol abuse, often in association with domestic violence, has been reported as an unfortunate side-effect of the COVID-19 restrictions. There had also been a noticeable increase in inquiries to their helpline (1300 22 22 22) and website aa.org.au.
A longitudinal study of more than 3200 people, published today, found Australians were drinking more during the pandemic than two to three years previously, with almost 20 per cent of people drinking more under lockdown than they usually did. The Australian National University study with the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare noted a 22.8 per cent increase in women drinking and 17.9 per cent of men reported a rise.
Michael said one positive outcome from the pandemic has been "the shift from face-to-face AA meetings to online meetings, meaning there actually IS always a meeting to attend ... the downside is members who rely on the social aspect of meetings for maintaining sobriety, who have found themselves isolated and vulnerable to relapsing".
Jane said what separates the alcoholic from the moderate or heavy drinker is an inability to quit drinking entirely, no matter how great the wish or need, and little or no control over the amount consumed once any alcohol is taken.
Michael said violence, risk-taking and anti-social behaviour were common issues for him and he stubbornly refused to see drinking as a serious problem. But now "most bridges I burnt whilst drinking have been repaired", he said.
There are no rules at AA meetings, no names recorded, no fees for attending and there is a hotline for questions.
"Life takes on a new meaning when an alcoholic recovers from the mental state which condemns him or her to drink against all advice and evidence and begins to help other alcoholics," Michael added.
The pair wanted to acknowledge psychiatrist Dr Sylvester Minogue and Archie McKinnon and Boys Town founder Father Thomas Dunlea who started the movement in Australia and American co-founders Dr Robert Holbrook Smith and Bill Wilson.
- Names have been changed.
