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PODCAST

Sobriety Bestie Podcast

Kirsten Johnson

The Sobriety Bestie Podcast helps you deprogram AA, heal from recovery dogma, and build a bold, empowered life on your own terms.

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

07:53

Ep 83 The AA "Real Alcoholic" Gaslight #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/28

What happens when someone says AA worked for them — but they never did a 4th step, and now they can socially drink?In today’s episode of Culty Comments, we unpack the wild logic of “real alcoholic” rhetoric, circular definitions, and why AA defenders erase anyone who doesn’t fit the narrative. Plus… did someone really claim AA is scientific because Dr. Bob was a rectal surgeon?!Let’s talk about:The No True Scotsman fallacy in AAStepper-splaining and circular dogmaWhy questioning AA = instant

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15:31

Ep 82 What is SMART Recovery? | AA Alternatives Ep 02

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/27

Today I share an overview of SMART Recovery—what it is, how it works, and how it compares to AA. I attended my first SMART Recovery meeting and completed the facilitator training to better understand the structure, tools, and philosophy behind the program.Timestamps:00:00 – What is SMART Recovery intro03:14 – What is SMART Recovery?05:41 – Who is SMART Recovery for?06:39 – Core features of SMART Recovery09:08 – How SMART differs from AA13:16 – What SMART meetings are like14:17 – SMART Recovery

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24:58

Ep 81 What a SMART Recovery Meeting Is Like | AA...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/26

My First SMART Recovery Meeting: What It Was Really LikeToday I’m sharing my honest experience going to a SMART Recovery meeting for the first time — even though I’ve been sober since 2009 and wasn’t looking for support getting sober. I did it to explore non-12-step recovery options and expand the conversation beyond AA.👇 Timestamps00:00 What SMART Recovery is like intro02:11 Who SMART is for02:57 Why I didn't go to SMART to get sober03:44 I went to an online SMART meeting07:25 SMART Recovery

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08:09

Ep 80 Why Is AA Adverting Now? #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/25

Is AA really attraction not promotion as it's traditions state? Let’s Talk About Those Billboards… 🚨⛓️AA claims attraction, not promotion — but national billboard campaigns, train ads, and bus stop posters tell a different story. In this episode of #CultyComments, we break down a recent 2024 paid ad campaign by Alcoholics Anonymous and explore why they might be ramping up promotion now.🎯 Is this a sign that AA is struggling to survive?💥 Is it gaslighting to call this “not advertising”?🧠 And what

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10:07

Ep 79 AA Cult Logic: You’re The Problem #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/24

Rule #1 of a cult? It’s not a cult. Rule #2? You’re the problem.In this episode of #CultyComments, we dive into a classic AA-defender mindset: “You’re just bashing AA—you offer nothing helpful!” But what happens when you do offer resources... and they still say you’re wrong?🧠 This video explores:— Why AA ideology can’t tolerate dissent— The gaslighting built into “it works if you work it”— Why deconstructing AA ≠ bashing— And why AA’s tiny market share proves it's not “the only way”Continue your

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22:40

Ep 78 How AA Is Like Scientology Ep 01 — AA vs Cult

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/23

AA vs. Cult: How Is Alcoholics Anonymous Like Scientology?In our new series AA vs. Cult series, we’re unpacking how Alcoholics Anonymous mirrors the structure, control, and indoctrination tactics of high-control groups — starting with Scientology.Join our deprogramming AA Community and get free resources in the → 🔓 AA Escape KitWant to dive deeper? Join my Deprogramming AA course:→ 🌀 Deprogram AA Course💬 Let’s Connect IG @SobrietyBestieTIkTok @SobrietyBestieDM me or comment on any Sobriety Bestie

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10:49

Ep 77 Why Do Smart People Join Cults #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/22

Realizing you were in a cult changes everything.In this episode of #CultyComments, I respond to someone who says being in AA makes you weak, codependent, and pathetic. But here’s the truth: being in a cult doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means you’re human. And waking up to it? That’s power.We get into:— Why cults prey on smart, high-functioning people— The gaslighting baked into AA’s “you’re the problem” mindset— Why realizing AA is a cult can be very liberating— And how deconstructing AA unlocks

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10:11

Ep 76 30 Years in AA and Can’t Handle Critical...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/21

Thinking critically isn't dangerous. It’s only “dangerous” to AA ideology — and that’s exactly why it matters.In this episode of #CultyComments, we break down a response from someone 30 years into AA who says my "Why I Left AA" video should be taken down. In this episode:— How AA identity creates fear of other perspectives— Why “you’ll drink if you leave” is toxic programming— What makes deconstructing AA a positive, life-giving process— And why you're allowed to think critically, trust yourself,

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12:11

Ep 75 Getting sober from AA, not alcohol #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/20

AA isn’t the only way—and this channel isn’t about getting sober. We are in our deconstructing AA era. Two different problems.In this episode of #CultyComments, we respond to someone confused about the difference. They ask: “What’s the positive solution?” But what if the solution is deconstructing the harmful beliefs AA installs?We’re talking:The myth of one-size-fits-all recoveryWhy “just be positive” = spiritual bypassingAA ideology as mental scaffolding that needs to be dismantledThinking

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15:27

Ep 74 Deconstructing AA: More Was Revealed 5 Years...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/19

More was revealed… even five years after leaving AA.I thought I was done deconstructing. I thought I had moved on. But the deeper I spoke, researched, and connected — the more AA’s ideology kept showing up in my mind.In this episode of the Sobriety Bestie Podcast, I share:🧠 How AA’s programming lingers long after we leave📉 Why “more freedom” is possible after the escape📣 What I’ve learned from speaking out publicly🛠️ The tools + playlists that helped me deconstruct even further🏛️ Why AA’s

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09:31

Ep 73 Did Bill Wilson Get Sober on LSD?

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/18

Did Bill Wilson—the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous—actually get sober on LSD? It’s a rumor that won’t die… but is there any truth to it?Let's break down where this myth came from, what really happened during Bill’s detox, and the actual hallucinogens involved in his early sobriety (hint: it wasn’t acid 👀).We’ll also explore:🍄 The truth about Bill’s later use of LSD in the 1950s🧠 The Belladonna treatment he received in the hospital⛪ The Oxford Group’s role in his spiritual conversion💊 What

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14:26

Ep 72 Exposing the "AA Bashing" Smear #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/17

Ever been accused of “AA bashing” just for telling the truth?In this #CultyComments episode, we break down why that phrase gets thrown around so fast — and what it actually reveals about cult psychology. Spoiler: it's not about your tone. It's about their programming.Inside this episode:🚩 Why “AA bashing” is a classic thought-stopping tactic🧠 How cults use language to silence dissent🔥 Why feedback feels threatening to the indoctrinated📕 What Lifton’s criteria say about this exact behaviorCalling

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06:39

Ep 71 Why the Serenity Prayer Was Never Meant for AA...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/16

The Serenity Prayer wasn’t written for Alcoholics Anonymous — It was written to resist authoritarianism. And its author likely would’ve hated that AA uses it.In Part 6 of the AA Cult Religion Origins series, we uncover how AA co-opted the Serenity Prayer from theologian Reinhold Niebuhr — a fierce critic of the Oxford Group and moral absolutism — and stripped it of its true meaning.Inside this episode:🔎 Who really wrote the Serenity Prayer⚠️ Why he opposed the Oxford Group (AA’s cult roots)🧠 How

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21:02

Ep 70 The Truth About the 12 Steps – Cult Religion...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/15

The 12 Steps weren’t created to help you recover — They were designed to make you surrender to God.In Part 5 of our Cult Religion series, we uncover the real origin of the 12 Steps. Not trial and error. Not divine inspiration. They were lifted directly from the Oxford Group — a 1930s religious cult obsessed with sin, confession, and absolute surrender to God.Inside this episode:🔎 Where each step really came from⚠️ How religious control was disguised as “recovery”🤯 How Bill Wilson didn’t invent the

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12:42

Ep 69 AA's Hidden Years – Cult Religion 4 of 6

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/14

AA was NOT founded in 1935 — the early years were hidden.In this episode, we unpack AA’s “hidden years” — when the group wasn’t AA at all, but was still operating entirely inside the authoritarian Oxford Group cult religion.Timestamp:00:00 AA cult religion origins intro01:01 OG "AA" meetings04:19 Bill's split from Oxford Group07:12 Crafting AA's 12 stepsWant guidance in your deconstructing AA process? If so, you can check out my Deprogramming AA course here:🌀 Deprogram AA Course🛒 Browse All

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04:43

Ep 68 When AA Says Dissent Is Murder #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/13

“Do you think your videos have killed anyone?”Someone really said that — and it’s not uncommon. In culty systems, dissent isn’t just frowned upon — it’s framed as deadly.In this #CultyComments episode, we unpack why Alcoholics Anonymous defenders go to extremes like this. Why does speaking out about AA’s harm get twisted into killing people? Why is truth treated like a threat?We’ll break down:The culty roots of AA’s 12 StepsThe ideology behind calling critics dangerousWhy telling the truth isn’t the

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05:31

Ep 67 Why AA Belittles Your Exit #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/12

“What’s so courageous about leaving AA?” Well... let’s talk about it.If you’ve ever tried to leave Alcoholics Anonymous after fully buying in, you already know: it’s not just leaving the rooms. It’s walking away from an identity, a belief system, a community, and a mountain of fear-based programming that told you you’d die without it.In this Culty Comment episode, I break down why leaving AA is one of the most courageous things many of us will ever do — and why people who mock that don’t understand

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15:05

Ep 66 AA's Secret Cult Religion Origins – Part 3 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/11

How Bill W was coerced into a cult.. Bill W was drugged on Belladonna in an alcohol rehab center when he was coerced into a cult religion.For a year prior to that, Bill Wilson was aggressively recruited into the Oxford Group — a fundamentalist cult religion — by his friend Ebby then he became its proselytizer.What we were taught about the “birth of AA” is a false narrative. Timestamps:00:00 AA cult religion origins intro02:00 Ebby's coerced conversion02:48 Ebby coerces Bill's conversion06:58

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13:32

Ep 65 AA's Secret Cult Religion Origins – Part 2 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/10

Today we’re going deep into the cult that birthed Alcoholics Anonymous: The Oxford Group.AA didn’t start as an independent program — it was copied almost point-for-point from a religious cult with authoritarian, even fascist-tinged, ideology. 00:00 AA cult religion DNA intro01:02 Oxford Group + Alcoholics Anonymous 04:03 AA copied Oxford Group core practices06:14 Social control + structure 08:58 Psychological control techniques10:05 Authoritarianism + fascist Once you see the DNA of where AA

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22:29

Ep 64 AA's Secret Cult Religion Origins – Part 1 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/09

Why does Alcoholics Anonymous STILL hide its origin?In this first episode of the AA Cult Religion DNA series, we’re diving deep into the mythology vs. reality of how AA really began — and why the truth has been covered up for nearly 100 years.Was it really founded in 1935?Why are the Oxford Group cult religion roots missing from AA’s official story?And what does this deceptive recruiting mean for those of us who trusted AA?Want guidance in your deconstructing AA process? If so, you can check out my

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