Alcoholic parents, Johnny did not drink until they sobered up and he was 20 - dad 12/1/1996 and mom 3/29/1997. He is also a member of Al-Anon.
He does not blame his alcoholism on his childhood. "It was like growing up in WWIII...I was petrified from childhood."
He needed to control everything so he could make everybody happy but he could not. His dad was a real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
He hated alcohol and his dad, though Johnny wanted his acceptance, and swore never to be like his dad.
They went through many babysitters (one traveled from Alaska to be at this event). "I suffered from chronic brattery long before I started drinking alcohol."
"I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it and if I didn't get it there were consequences to pay."
Once his parents sobered up he spread his wings and flew into alcoholism drinking for the first time at 20.
He found out he was born with only one kidney. It slowed his drinking only a little. He began to realize he needed some help.
When he went to treatment, his parents were there for him. He got out and went to his first meeting unwilling - comparing rather than idetifying. Miserably dry for two weeks, he started drinking again doing the 1,2,3, out dance until he reached a high degree of pain trying to dig a hole so he could escape.
He called out to God for help.
...but Johnny did nothing to change.
He drank again and wound up on the streets of Memphis, TN until he was ready to come home one more time.
There was nothing left for him to do but take the 12 Steps of AA.
(50 min) (17.3 MB) (id#1263)
