Kirsten Johnson Podcast

This week we're diving into AA ideology's claim that selfishness and self centeredness are the root of the "alcoholic's" problem. Timestamps: 00:00 AA Says You’re Selfish Intro 01:08 1. Self Centered In The Extreme 03:29 2. Self-Will Run Riot 05:36 3. Running The Show 07:59 4. You Make Your Problems 16:04 5. Getting Out Of Self As Solution 20:33 Recovery or Anti-Self? 🔥 Free Deprogram Course + le...

Last week we explored some of the doomsday prophecies in AA's Big Book. This week we're diving deep into death threats that come from AA members directly. I do believe most of these people have good intentions and say that leaving will kill us because they actually believe it. The problem, of course, is that the fear AA instills in us isn't a fact. Leaving AA does not mean we are going to die, eve...

Today we're going to unpack the doomsday and death threats inside AA's Big Book. This is part of how some of us can become what cult psychology calls "phobia indoctrinated" or afraid to leave the group. Timestamps: 00:00 AA's Doomsday Prophecies Intro 01:20 AA's Might Not See The Threats 03:41 What Counts As "AA"? 06:22 Death, Insanity, Doomsday Threats 16:19 Hopeless, Incurable, Powerless Threats...

The 13th Step Filmmaker Monica Richardson and I went live today on YouTube. Today's podcast is the audio version our conversation and Q+A with the livestream audience about deprogramming AA. Monica Richardson links: Monica Richardson YouTube , 13th Step Film Safe Recovery Podcast Deprogram Facebook group 🔥 Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here 🧠 Brain optimization tools → here ❤️‍🔥 If...

Justin had to leave 12 step after 17 years in order to get sober. He shares about people dying in AA, realizing it's a cult, and how Ibogaine is what ultimately got him sober. Now he runs a modern addiction detox clinic and is pioneering modern addiction recovery. Justin's Karity Clinic and TikTok Timestamps: 00:00 Intro Justin's Story 12:50 Ibogaine Treatment 18:04 Day He Left AA 21:12 DJ AM's De...

Is talking about alternative recovery paths "dangerous?" Or is promoting one as the only way what's actually dangerous? Today's episode dives deep into what I'd tell my 2009 getting sober self if I could go back. Hint I wouldn't go to AA or rehab, I'd go another route. This of course is not medical advice. It's what I wish I'd known back then so that I could have made a more informed decision abou...

Today we're diving in deep to some of the psychological dynamics of 12 step ideology with Kylee. Kylee shares about what it was like to be in AA as an undiagnosed autistic woman, what leaving was like, and how harm reduction has been a game changer for her. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 04:00 12 Step Comment Sections 10:00 Getting 12 Stepped 14:37 Late Diagnosed Autism 16:26 First Crack in AA Brainwashi...

Join us for today's episode which is a livestream with Carrie England. Y'all asked to have Carrie back on the pod, so here is. This was recorded live, today, and is a deprogramming conversation including the commenters with questions answered, thoughts shared, and all the livestream vibes. Carrie's Substack is here. 🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here 🧠 Brain optimization tools...

Today on the pod we're diving into one commenters question about how to tell his sponsees he's leaving 12 step. We'll also cover telling your sponsor, AA members and loved ones outside AA. If you want to join in the conversation come over to YouTube and share your story or advice in the comments. Timestamps: 00:00 Leaving AA Intro 02:03 Telling Your Sponsor You Left AA 04:19 Telling My Sponsor I L...

Things have been going bananas in the comment sections on my Facebook page. So I took the opportunity to ask an important question so that we could all hear what everyone thought. I asked what warning they'd give to someone considering going to AA. I was speaking to those who were indoctrinated, recognized AA ideology as harmful, left AA then began deprogramming. But of course a lot of AA's showed...

I never thought this would happen but within an hour from having received ad hominem comments I called an AA troll. It was actually a beautiful thing and I was so looking forward to sharing this with you. Timestamps: 00:00 Most Shocking AA Troll Intro 03:45 She Came for Me in the Comments 04:34 I Blocked Her and Moved On 09:18 She DM’d Me—Terrified 17:08 When Beliefs Feel Like Survival 23:54 Viole...

Today on the podcast we have 13th Step Filmmaker Monica Richardson sharing about 15 year journey of dissenting AA. Monica first spoke up within AA wanting to make the rooms safer. Then she, along with others, wrote AA HQ in New York. But people weren't wanting to hear about the crimes in AA and how to make it safer. This led her to speak up outside AA and eventually to make a documentary about the...

Today we have Carrie back on the pod with a livestream marathon conversation on what it's been like to dissent AA. Carrie first "broke her anonymity" a year ago with her leaving and deprogramming AA Substack which you can find here. 🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here 🧠 Brain optimization tools → here ❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → here Come vibe with me:...

April is dissent month around here. Today we're vibing with Victor from Quackaholics Anonymous ( YouTube Channel and Facebook Group ) about his experience dissenting AA for the past decade. Timestamps: 00:00 Quackaholics Anonymous Speaks Out 03:00 12 Step Cult Whistleblowing Intro 07:19 Deprogramming While Dissenting 11:28 Deciding To Speak Out Against AA 18:37 Dissenting AA Early Days 25:53 Not D...

Today we're sitting down with Tara Grace from Burn The Stigma YouTube , Burn The Stigma Facebook and Burn The Stigma TikTok to discuss what it's been like for her to 12 step dissent since 2020. 📚 Explore Deprogram AA, Cult Recovery and Critical Thinking books → here . Timestamps: 00:00 Cult Whistleblowing Intro 05:26 Deprogram Book List 05:58 First starting to dissent 10:25 We are more than addic...

Today marks one year of dissenting! And today is my 6 year anniversary of leaving Alcoholics Anonymous. What a wild ride this past year has been. Today we're diving into what it's been like dissenting this past year. I've timestamped it in case you want to skip around and alll the links are below. It's been great to have you hear this past year!! What a liberating year it's been. Team Freedom all...

Katie Lain of Thrive Alcohol Recovery interviews me (Kirsten!) about joining, leaving and deprogramming AA. We also talk about trauma, autism, ADHD and what can be going on beyond the misdiagnosis of "alcoholism." We dive into The Sinclair Method, which Katie's program is based upon, and discuss what dissenting has been like. 🔥 Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here 🧠 Brain optimization...

🔥 Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here 🧠 Brain optimization tools → here 🌶️ Neurodivergent Discovery Portal (with self assessments) → here ❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → here Timestamps: 00:00 How AA Harms ADHD & Autistic People Intro 04:49 Bill W.'s Blind Spot Still Harms Neurodivergents 06:39 AA, Autism + ADHD Timeline 09:33 ADHD + Alcohol Use Disorder 11:0...

I'm super excited to gather all of the deprogramming resources (including ones you haven't seen before!) in one space. It's all accessible from SobrietyBestie.com which is now like a deprogram 12 step hub. I've moved my website to a new location with my name Kirsten-Johnson.com so that Sobriety Bestie can live on as a one stop deprogramming extravaganza start to finish freedom experience for those...

My AA deprogramming journey feels complete. I unpack it all in today's podcast. I highly recommend getting the deprogramming checklist that's inside the free 👉 Escape Kit (It's in the very first lesson inside there along with an hour video unpacking it all. But you really only need the checklist at a glance to see where you may be.) This of course is not the "rule" but it's a guide that I have fo...

A week ago I switched from ChatGPT to Claude and I want to share WHY with you. This was before the headlines and has nothing to do with politics. This is about the language ChatGPT uses, even when you ask it not to, and the potential long term consequences of repeated exposure to this language. Timestamps: 00:00 Why I Switched From ChatGPT To Claude 05:59 ChatGPT Can't Stop Doing This 12:26 ChatGP...

Bobby C is back on Sobriety Bestie Podcast to discuss the Rockefeller and AA connection which runs deeper that you might think. Bobby C unpacks AMA, DSM, Car Jung, and both Rockefeller Jr and Rockefeller Sr along with Alcoholics Anonymous. Bobby C's YouTube Bobby C's Story Timestamps: 00:00 Rockefeller and Alcoholics Anonymous Intro 06:05 Benjamin Rush 09:21 Temperance Movement 11:46 Magnus Huss 1...

The Sober Truth is a great deprogramming AA, deprogramming 12 step and deprogramming the recovery narrative resource filled with modern science. I've compiled a list of all the deprogramming books I recommend here: 📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books) Timestamps: 00:00 The Sober Truth Book Intro 01:15 The Sober Truth Book 03:24 Coerced + Court Manda...

Today we're exploring Carl Sagan's Baloney Detection Kit from his book The Demon Haunted World and how it applies to deprogramming Alcoholics Anonymous. I've compiled a list of all the deprogramming books I recommend here: 📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books) Timestamps: 00:00 Baloney Detection Kit Intro 02:09 1 - Independent Confirmation 05:15 2 -...

MARA is a recovery path and stands for Medication Assisted Recovery Anonymous. It has 12 steps but is NOT affiliated with AA or even that similar to AA but the steps are inspired from AA. I find MARA to be very compassionate, empathetic and a recovery path that I'm so glad now exists. Bob shares his story with leaving NA, joining MARA and how it's made all the difference in his own recovery and li...