Kirsten Johnson Podcast

🎬 Welcome to our new series: AA Propaganda Brad Pitt just promoted AA to millions on Dax Shepard’s podcast which also got picked up on CNN and various news stations. What seems like an honest share is actually part of a much bigger problem… When celebrities talk about Alcoholics Anonymous like it’s the one true path to recovery — without acknowledging its 1930s cult roots, religious doctrine, or...

🍷 What Is The Sinclair Method? (Drink to Sobriety?) Is it actually possible to drink your way sober? Sounds wild — but the Sinclair Method is a real, evidence-based approach to ending alcohol addiction without cold turkey, meetings, or shame. After 10 years in AA and 5 years out, I’m diving deep into recovery alternatives that don’t require surrendering your life or identity. If you’re sober, sob...

Is Alcohol Addiction a Fatal Progressive Disease… or Just a Reversible Habit? Let’s unpack one of the most fear-based ideas in AA — the “disease doing pushups in the parking lot.” Spoiler: it’s not real. But something IS happening in the brain… and it’s actually reversible. 🎙️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Fatal progressive or habit intro 03:10 – Fatal progressive disease mythology 07:41 – Consequences of A...

What do you call it when someone is so deep in AA ideology, they literally can’t see reality anymore? In today’s Culty Comments, we unpack a wild comment that accuses me of “k*lling the real alcoholic” — all because I dared to say I’m not one. From purple-glasses metaphors to brainwashing cracks, we’re diving into ideological possession, thought control, and the bizarre ways AA defenders protect t...

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:...

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 intro 03:14 – What is SMART Recovery? 05:41 – Who is SMART Recovery for? 06:39 – Core features of SM...

My First SMART Recovery Meeting: What It Was Really Like Today 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. 👇 Timestamps 00:00 What SMART Recovery is like intro 02:11 Who SMART is for...

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 th...

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” — W...

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 Kit Want to dive deeper? Join my Deprogramming AA course: → 🌀 Deprogr...

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 th...

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 decon...

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 recovery Why “just be...

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...

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 Bellad...

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...

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 e...

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 st...

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 intro 01:01 OG "AA" meetings 04:19 Bill's split from Oxford Group 07:12 Crafting AA's 12 steps Want guidance in your deconstructing...

“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:...

“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...

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...

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 intro 01:02 Oxford Group + Alcoholics Anonymous 04:03 AA copied Oxford Group core practices 06:14 Social control + structure 08:5...

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...

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...