Kirsten Johnson Podcast

In today’s episode of the Sobriety Bestie Podcast , Tara Grace ( Burn The Stigma ) and I break down how the language inside Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs can lock people into a forever-sick identity—often without realizing it. We explore common phrases like “progressive and fatal disease,” “mental obsession,” “physical allergy,” “character defects,” “daily reprieve,” and “you’re...

Wondering how long it takes to deprogram 12 step? Today we'll explore a cult recovery checklist to help get an idea of where you're at and what might be next on your deprogramming journey. Timestamps: 00:00 How long is AA Deprogramming Intro 04:15 Phase 1 Stabilization 10:05 Phase 2 Cognitive Deconstruction 20:13 Phase 3 Emotional Reprocessing 35:02 Phase 4 Identity Reconstruction 44:19 Phase 5 So...

So many of us "crave" meetings after we decide to leave AA. Here's what I think is going on... 👉 Deprogram Lounge (Deprogram community, courses, LIVE Q+As, Zooms, book club + more) 🧰 Escape Kit (resources to Deprogram AA) 📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books) 🌀 Deprogram AA Course (free your mind at your own pace) Let’s get f*cking free.

Join us for a fun Thanksgiving inspired episode as Carrie ( Carrie's Substack ) and I reclaim gratitude after leaving AA. A lot of us are forced into masking our feelings with "gratitude" inside 12 step. But that wasn’t gratitude — that was obedience, conformity and spiritual bypassing. So of course so many of us get the ick around gratitude after leaving AA. It’s like a post-cult mandatory-gratit...

Burnie + Bestie LIVE is back. Here's yesterdays livestream episode with Tara Grace from Burn the Stigma and me, Sobriety Bestie vibing in the comment section answering questions and having fun. 👉 Deprogram Lounge (Membership with courses, LIVE Q+As, Zooms, book club + more) 🧰 Escape Kit (resources to Deprogram AA) 📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking boo...

I'm starting a new weekly live show on YouTube and wanted to share the first one here with you (from yesterday). 👉 Deprogram Lounge (Membership with courses, LIVE Q+As, Zooms, book club + more) 🧰 Escape Kit (resources to Deprogram AA) 📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books) 🌀 Deprogram AA Course (free your mind at your own pace) Let’s get f*cking fr...

Sam (" Ebby Thache r " on Instagram) opens up about what it was actually like to leave AA after years of fear-based messaging, confusion, and being told that walking away was dangerous. The story dives into the shock of realizing that the “only way” wasn’t helping, the exhaustion of searching for real mental-health support, and the moment everything clicked: the problem wasn’t a lack of willingnes...

Burnie + Bestie are back for our second Burnie + Bestie LIVE stream episode featuring Tara Grace from Burn The Stigma and Kirsten (me, Sobriety Bestie) discussing all the addiction and recovery things. We went live on Sunday November 16th and are thinking about making this an ongoing thing LIVE on Sobriety Bestie YouTube on Sundays at 9 am pacific. Burn The Stigma channel : ‪@Burnthestigma420‬ 👉...

Most addicts and alcoholics do recover — and up to three quarters recover without any treatment. Today we’re breaking down the author of Biology of Desire, Mark Lewis’s TED Talk to explore how he got sober and what neuroscience reveals about self-trust, belief, and recovery. Mark Lewis, PhD, is a neuroscientist and former addict whose research challenges the disease model of addiction. His story o...

Ever wonder why people in AA get defensive — even when you’re calm and factual? 🤔 Turns out, there’s a neurological reason behind it. In this clip from a LIVE Deprogram Q+A inside the Deprogram Lounge, we dive into the science of amygdala hijack, nervous system activation, and why cultic ideologies trigger emotional, not rational, responses. If you’ve experienced backlash for speaking your truth...

Leaving AA can feel impossible — not because it’s physically hard to walk away, but because of phobia indoctrination and the total lack of outside validation. When the whole world believes AA is the only way, it can feel like you’re crazy for questioning it. In this episode, I break down why that fear is programmed, how experts still miss it, and what it really means to reclaim your freedom. 📚 Re...

After years in Alcoholics Anonymous — and a lifetime of seeking belonging in controlling systems — Teri realized she didn’t need to dim her light or outsource her thinking anymore. This raw and powerful conversation explores what it’s really like to leave AA, find your voice again, and build a new life rooted in freedom, truth, genuine connection and self-trust. Timestamps: 00:00 Best Thinking Got...

You’re Angry. You’re Resentful. You’re a Dry Drunk. You’ll Be Drunk in Five Years. Have you ever heard things like this? 👀 Today’s episode dives into the #1 way AA defenders come for you (and why it’s actually a logical fallacy). This one’s a total game-changer in our Critical Thinking Series, because once you see this pattern — you can’t unsee it. We’re breaking down how ad hominem (Latin for “t...

Today’s episode is called “I’m Sorry (My Amends)” — but this isn’t the kind of amends you think. 🕊️ I just got off our Deprogram Zoom Call inside the free Deprogram Lounge, and someone said something that hit me hard: “I don’t agree with everything you say.” And honestly… that’s exactly what I hope for. This episode is about learning to think for ourselves again — after indoctrination, after dogma...

You're invited to our first ever LIVE stream episode featuring Tara Grace from Burn The Stigma and Kirsten (me, Sobriety Bestie) discussing all the addiction and recovery things. We went live on Sunday November 2nd and are thinking about making this an ongoing thing (let me know what you think!). Burn The Stigma channel: ‪ @Burnthestigma420‬ Tara's Stanton Peel interview 🌀 Deprogram AA Course 📚...

Escaping AA: Halloween Special with Carrie (AA Escapee 👻) Your best thinking got you here — now let’s get you free. In this Halloween jam, Carrie and I riff the AA clichés we lived, how we actually left, and what life’s like now without the daily-reprieve hamster wheel. Critical thinking, self-trust, nervous system regulation, and writing a new story — no chips required. Carrie's Substack Timesta...

There are many harmful aspects of Alcoholics Anonymous, but today we’re diving into what I believe is the most damaging paragraph in the Big Book of AA — and how it quietly stripped away my self-trust, autonomy, and personal power. If you’ve ever wondered why you still doubt yourself, feel “selfish” for wanting things, or have trouble trusting your own instincts after AA — this episode is for you....

Ever wonder how smart, self-aware people can get trapped in systems like AA for years, decades or life? 🤔 In this episode, we break down the decision traps that keep us stuck — and how to reclaim your mind, freedom, and critical thinking power. If you’ve ever felt fooled, shamed, or confused after leaving a high-control group or belief system, this one’s for you. Timestamps: 00:00 AA Fools Smart...

There’s a term that unlocked massive freedom for me when I left Alcoholics Anonymous: Ideological Possession. In this episode, I share how I first heard the concept from Jordan Peterson, how it helped me see AA for what it truly is — a belief system, not a path to truth — and how understanding it completely changed the way I see the world. If you’ve ever felt possessed by an ideology — whether it’...

Is addiction a disease, a choice — or something in between? 🤔 In this episode, I dive into The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease by Mark Lewis, PhD — the book we just finished in our Deprogram Book Club inside the free Deprogram Lounge community. 💬📚 Mark Lewis argues that addiction isn’t a disease or a moral failing — it’s a deeply learned habit rooted in neuroplasticity and des...

Leaving AA isn’t just about walking away from meetings — it’s about rewiring your brain. In this episode of The Sobriety Bestie Podcast, I share 7 ways Alcoholics Anonymous can hijack your thinking (often subtly, then aggressively)… and how to get your critical thinking and self-trust back. I spent 10 years in AA and left in 2020. What I’ve discovered since will blow your mind. This video is part...

Have you ever caught yourself spinning on a decision — looping between “what if” and “maybe not”? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing 5 powerful ways to stop second-guessing yourself, especially if you’re leaving AA, deconstructing 12-step ideology, or just learning to trust your own thinking again. By the end of this video, you’ll understand: Why second-guessing happens How to spot cog...

Six months ago I finally hit publish on my first video about leaving AA—and it changed everything. What started as fear turned into freedom, growth, and a whole new life. In this episode I reflect on six months of dissenting out loud, what I’ve learned from deconstructing Alcoholics Anonymous, and why this work matters so much. From 123 videos to playlists on AA mind control, cult comparisons, gri...

Victor from Quackaholics Anonymous shares his powerful journey of breaking free from Alcoholics Anonymous and finding the power to quit drinking on his own. In this candid conversation, Victor opens up about being branded a “chronic relapser” in AA, feeling isolated and hopeless, and how leaving the program set him free. From realizing AA was a scam, to rebuilding life on his own terms, to startin...

In this episode of the Sobriety Bestie Podcast, I’m unpacking a culty comment that accuses my podcast of being “alcoholic thinking and behaving at its finest.” 🚫 Here’s the truth: there is no such thing as “alcoholic thinking” or “alcoholic behavior” outside of literally drinking alcohol. These terms were invented and weaponized by AA to control the narrative, sell the disease model, and funnel p...