Episode Details

What if you never feel okay again after leaving AA? For many of us, there’s a crash after the anger fades — the loss of community, identity, and structure can feel like a dark night of the soul. It’s not failure — it’s grief.

In this episode of the Grieving AA series, we talk about the depression stage, why it happens, and how to navigate the “after-recovery void” between who you were in AA and who you’re becoming now. You’ll also get journaling prompts to help you move through this phase.

📝 Journaling Prompts in this Episode:

• What feels heavy right now? Can you name it without fixing it?
• What parts of yourself or life feel missing?
• Have you felt this kind of fog before? What helped then?
• What did AA give you that you’re afraid you’ll never find again?
• What does your body need right now — rest, comfort, permission to not be okay?
• What would it look like to meet yourself with compassion right now?

Timestamps:

00:00 Depression after leaving AA intro

08:04 Journal prompts

09:12 Dark night of the soul

14:46 This too shall pass

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