Interview With a 54-Year-Old Sober Person: Dionne Ford

"A priest, a counselor, and a boyfriend recommended I try AA, and I’m glad I did."

My first attempt at sobriety was in an outpatient clinic in Northeast Philadelphia I went to at age 18. My alcohol and drug use was pretty standard—mostly just dumb keg parties and bong hits in basements—but I was miserable and not sure why, so maybe trying to be a straight-edge kid would work better for me. It didn’t stick very long (obviously), and I …