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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.

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All Episodes

12:16

Ep 63 Debunking the "AA Saves Millions" Myth...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/08

In today’s Culty Comments episode, we’re breaking down a classic fear-based Alcoholics Anonymous defense: “AA saves millions — your message could kill people!”Is it "badmouthing" to talk about the actual harms of a system? Or… is the system the one doing harm? 🤔We’ll unpack:✅ The myth of “millions saved” (with no data to back it)✅ How AA defenders use emotional blackmail to silence dissent✅ Why questioning the system is NOT the same as harming people✅ How coercive control works in AA ideologyWe are

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10:47

Ep 62 When AA Has To Make You The Problem #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/07

AA Makes You the Problem — Culty Comments BreakdownToday’s Culty Comment is packed with manipulation tactics straight out of the AA ideology playbook. We’re going to break it down so you can see:✅ Dissent is pathologized✅ They question your motives✅ You become the problem if you see through the ideology⚠️ Remember — this isn’t about the commenter. It’s about the ideology that speaks through them — and how this shows up in so many interactions when you leave AA or start questioning it. This is about

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32:35

Ep 61 How He Rebuilt His Life After Leaving AA –...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/06

How he rebuilt his life after leaving AA (Bob's story) is our first episode in what will be an ongoing series of sharing real stories of people who have left Alcoholics Anonymous and are building vibrant lives beyond the rooms.You know.. a little what it was like, what happened that made us leave AA and what it's like now...Some of you requested to hear other people's stories of leaving AA, so let's go!Today, I’m joined by Robert who I met in the rooms in 2009. He shares openly about his journey,

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11:16

Ep 60 Why AA Members Deny Your Experience #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/05

Why do AA members deny your experience? Why do they say, “I never saw that, so it didn’t happen”? In today’s Culty Comments episode, I break down a classic AA defense tactic — and show how it’s rooted in AA ideology, not reality.If you've ever had your experience dismissed by someone in AA… this video will help you see what’s really going on — and why it’s not about you.Want to dive deeper into your deprogramming? Check out my online course:🌀 Deprogram AA Course 💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestieDM

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12:19

Ep 59 The Truth About “I’m an Alcoholic” #CultyComments

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/04

AA’s most brainwashing line? Let’s break it down. In today’s Culty Comments episode, I respond to a comment defending the classic AA identity statement: “Hi, I’m [Name], and I’m an alcoholic.”We’ll dissect the culty ideology behind this humiliation ritual and why it keeps members trapped in obedience and free labor for Bill’s program. If you’re on your own deprogramming journey — or wondering if you are — this one’s for you.Want to dive deeper into your deprogramming? Check out my online course:🌀

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22:09

Ep 58 Yes, AA is a Cult – part 4 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/03

Yes AA is a cult. For me, leaving AA was harder than getting sober — it can take serious courage to break free.In this final video of my Yes, AA is a Cult series, we finish walking through the International Cultic Studies Association’s 15-point cult checklist .Timestamps:00:00 AA is a cult intro02:10 13 – Inordinate time demands08:30 14 – Insular social circles13:40 15 – No life outside the group + fear to leave19:26 Yes, AA is a cult conclusionIf you’ve felt trapped in AA, or struggled to fully

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22:47

Ep 57 Yes, AA is a Cult – part 3 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/02

Welcome to Part 3 of our Yes, AA is a Cult series.Today, we're breaking down Points 9–12 of the Cult Checklist from the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) — and diving deep into how guilt, shame, recruitment, and financial manipulation are baked into the culture of Alcoholics Anonymous.Timestamp:00:00 AA is a cult intro01:09 9 – Guilt & shame as control08:01 10 – Cut ties & change goals13:20 11 – Recruitment17:44 12 – MoneyWant to dive deeper into your deprogramming? Check out

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17:36

Ep 56 AA Shames Speaking Out As A ‘Defect’...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/06/01

AA made “obsession” a bad word — but for many of us (autistic, ADHD, neurodivergent), deep focus is just how our brains work. My work since 2012 has been to solve a major problem I went through then turn around and guide others through it on social media and in paid online courses. This is literally my job. So to call me "obsessed" with my current topic is like calling a barista obsessed with coffee, or a McDonald's worker obsessed with hamburgers. It's like, Bro, why you gotta pathologize work? And

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15:55

Ep 55 The AA Guilt Trip That Keeps You Stuck...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/31

In this episode of Culty Comments, we break down a classic guilt-laced message straight from the AA playbook — and unpack how emotional debt keeps so many people stuck.Is it really “help” if you’re made to feel forever obligated?Is it service… or subtle control?Let’s talk about what’s actually going on underneath the slogans.If you've ever felt like you "owe" AA your life — this one's for you.Want to deep dive deprogram in an online course?🌀 Deprogram AA Course, click here 💬 Let’s Connect

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25:40

Ep 54 Yes, AA is a Cult – part 2 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/30

YES, AA is a cult. This is art 2 of a 4-part series comparing Alcoholics Anonymous to the “Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups” by Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. (International Cultic Studies Association).In this episode, we'll cover checklist points 5–8 with how they can show up inside Alcoholics Anonymous.If you’ve ever heard “don’t trust your thinking,” or “outside help won’t work,” you’ve lived this.Timestamps:00:00 Yes, AA is a cult intro01:14 5 – The group is elitist06:28 6 –

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30:41

Ep 53 Yes, AA is a Cult – part 1 of 4

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/29

Welcome to our AA is a cult series. You came to get sober. You got indoctrinated.This series is explores Alcoholics Anonymous as a cult. We'll go point by point through the “Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups” by Michael D. Langone, Ph.D. from the International Cultic Studies Association, comparing AA to cult characteristics.This episode covers the first 4 traits on the checklist to explore AA is a cult.Timestamps:00:00 AA is a cult intro06:50 Cult within a cult08:58 1 – AA has absolute

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10:05

Ep 52 Defending AA or Exposing It? You Decide!...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/28

Welcome to our new series: Culty Comments — where we break down real AA dogma defender comments from the internet and unpack the Alcoholics Anonymous ideology hiding underneath.This isn’t about the commenters themselves. It’s about the thought reform they’re parroting — and how it keeps so many of us trapped.This series is for anyone deprogramming from AA and waking up their critical thinking again. Let's get freee!Want to dive deeper into your deprogramming? Check out my online course:🌀 Deprogram

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14:09

Ep 51 How AA Controls Your Mind – part 8 of 8:...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/27

How AA Is Controlling Your Mind part 8 of 8. Today we unpack one of the most disturbing tactics of all: Dispensing of Existence. 😳Inside Alcoholics Anonymous, you’re either a disciple or you’re in danger.If you stay, you’re “spiritually fit.” If you leave, you’re erased. Labeled a ticking time bomb. A danger to others. Spiritually dead.This episode breaks down:🔹 How AA makes you fear life outside the program🔹 Why people shun you when you leave (and what that really means)🔹 The cult-coded

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15:35

Ep 50 How AA Controls Your Mind – part 7 of 8:...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/26

Welcome back to our Deprogramming AA series — 8 Signs AA Is Controlling Your Mind. In this episode, we’re diving into Doctrine Over Person, a hallmark of mind control tactics from Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s thought reform framework.🧠 Inside AA, your personal experiences, trauma, instincts, and emotions are often dismissed if they conflict with the doctrine — the Big Book, the steps, the slogans, or a sponsor's opinion. You're told:“That's not in the book.”“You’re in denial.”“You didn’t do it

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03:49

Ep 49 AA Amends Can Harm Trauma Survivors

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/25

What happens when a trauma survivor is told inside Alcoholics Anonymous that they need to make amends… for their own abuse?Today we're looking at the disturbing truth about how the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous can retraumatize survivors, especially women. From misguided sponsorship to silence baked into AA culture, this clip from the Group Thinking Podcast exposes the emotional and psychological harm caused by the amends process.Want help deprogramming AA? 🌀 Deprogram AA Course hereDM me or

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03:28

Ep 48 What Made Me Question AA After 10 Years?

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/24

I was in AA for 10 years then something began to shift, AA started to no longer seem true.If you’re in that in-between space—questioning, unraveling, sensing that something’s off—you are not bananas. You’re waking up.Want help deprogramming, check out my Deprogram AA course:🌀 Deprogram AA 💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestieDM me or comment on any Sobriety Bestie socials. I’m here for the conversation.Let’s get f*cking free.P.S. Here's the video I mention, What made AA ideology shatter

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22:15

Ep 47 How AA Controls Your Mind – part 6 of 8: Loaded...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/23

AA’s language isn’t just weird — it’s weaponized.In Part 6 of this 8-part series on How AA Controls Your Mind, we break down Loaded Language — one of the most powerful (and dangerous) tactics used in high-control groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.From phrases like “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” to “Feelings aren’t facts” and “It works if you work it,” AA uses thought-stopping slogans to control identity, shut down thinking, and keep you locked into the system.Deprogramming AA course:🌀

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17:11

Ep 46 How AA Controls Your Mind - part 5 of 8: Sacred...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/22

🎙️ 8 Signs AA Is Controlling Your Mind – Part 5: Sacred ScienceWelcome to the Sobriety Bestie Podcast. I'm Kirsten, your hostess and friend in this deprogramming adventure—where we’re reclaiming our minds from AA ideology and taking our power back.In today’s episode, we dive into Sacred Science, the 5th sign in Dr. Robert Jay Lifton’s thought reform model. We explore how Alcoholics Anonymous frames its doctrine as absolute truth, discouraging questions, outside help, and critical thinking.🚨 When

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08:26

Ep 45 Backlash From Telling The Truth About AA

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/21

AA Comes for You — What Happened When I Told the TruthI was in AA for 10 years. I left in 2020. But when I started talking publicly about it in 2025, everything changed.This episode is about the backlash. The DMs. The control disguised as concern. The friends who got weird. And the culty energy that came pouring in when I finally spoke the truth.If you’ve felt the pressure to stay silent… If you’ve felt the shame, the phobia indoctrination, or the gaslighting from people still inside…You are not

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14:05

Ep 44 How AA Controls Your Mind - part 4 of 8: Cult...

Sobriety Bestie Podcast ·

2025/05/20

In this episode, we dive into Lifton’s fourth marker of mind control: The Cult of Confession — and how AA uses this tactic to break you down and keep you dependent.We explore how Alcoholics Anonymous normalizes emotional exposure to unqualified sponsors, reframes trauma as your fault, and builds a culture where silence is seen as dangerous, boundaries are seen as defects, and outside help is often discouraged — sometimes with tragic consequences.🧠 Is this “spiritual progress,” or psychological

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187 results

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