Sober Cast: An (unofficial) Alcoholics Anonymous Podcast AA ESH: Sandy B at 48 Years Sober
Feb 26, 2026
Sandy B, a longtime AA member and popular speaker with 48 years sober, shares stories from military service to recovery. He contrasts meeting cultures, recalls childhood polio and close calls, and describes the turn from self-centered drinking to a spiritual awakening. He highlights sponsorship, service, and finding joy and connection in sobriety.
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Polio Ward Taught Early Lessons About Group Support
- Sandy B describes contracting polio as a child and being moved to Newington, where camaraderie and play lifted spirits during quarantine.
- He contrasts that group resilience to AA, showing how shared hardship quickly united people and provided hope.
Self-Centeredness Is The Core Problem
- Sandy B explains self-centeredness as the root problem, not money or circumstances, and calls the program's aim to shift from self-centered to God-centered.
- He frames the shift as a new pair of glasses that changes perception and removes alcohol's appeal.
Marine Corps Career Lost To Drinking
- Sandy B recounts his Marine Corps career, learning discipline and camaraderie while drinking heavily and eventually losing the career to alcohol.
- He links the loss—14 years of service and failing promotion—to drinking, which later led him into AA.