Kirsten Johnson Podcast

Today I join Victor from Quackaholics Anonymous for a wide-ranging conversation about Alcoholics Anonymous, indoctrination, and what happens when recovery becomes an identity.We talk about why people are drawn into AA, love bombing and belonging, shame and the “alcoholic” identity, neurodivergence and mental health being mislabeled as alcoholism, the religious and cult dynamics of the program, predatory behavior and accountability, amends, and the difficulty of questioning a system you were taught you needed to survive.We also explore what it means to deprogram, rebuild trust in your own experience, and speak openly about both the help—and the harm—people can experience in AA.🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here🧠 Brain optimization tools → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📱 My content creation setup (camera, mic, lighting, etc.) → here💻 Tools + software I use to run my business and create online → here⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, doctor, or licensed healthcare provider. Everything shared is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional care.💖 Some links may be affiliate links. I only share what I genuinely use and love.

Why are conversations about leaving AA suddenly going viral? People who have left are speaking openly about deprogramming, shunning, fear, loss—and the relief of realizing they’re not alone. Meanwhile, AA defenders are flooding the comments with personal attacks and “conspiracy theories” about dissenters. Is a cultural shift happening?Timestamps:00:00 Leaving AA Going Viral Intro00:48 Facebook comment section02:36 1 - Feeling Validated13:55 2 - Leaving is Frightening18:20 3 - Years of Deprogramming22:20 4 - AA Made Recovery Harder26:11 5 - Someone in AA Died30:49 6 - We Are All Powerful31:57 AA Members Make Deprogramming Viral35:55 AA Troll Conspiracy Theory # 138:10 AA Troll Conspiracy Theory # 241:48 AA Troll Conspiracy Theory # 343:05 Hyper Agressive AA Trolls43:55 Does The Algorithm Spark Hostility?45:48 Dissenting For The Clicks?🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here🧠 Brain optimization tools → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📱 My content creation setup (camera, mic, lighting, etc.) → here💻 Tools + software I use to run my business and create online → here⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, doctor, or licensed healthcare provider. Everything shared is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional care.💖 Some links may be affiliate links. I only share what I genuinely use and love.

What happens when a leading addiction expert acknowledges that AA is a cult, says that’s precisely why it works, and then dismisses criticism of 12-step programs as “bashing”?In this episode, I examine the dangerous blind spot around AA in the addiction field, how the language of “AA bashing” turns people raising concerns into the aggressors, and why openly discussing risks and harms is essential for harm reduction and informed consent.Timestamps:00:00 Intro experts dangerous AA blind spot01:47 Critiquing a cult is "bashing?"03:10 AA works because it's a cult07:02 Calling criticism "bashing"11:05 Anti-harm reduction centering14:31 Applying the same logic to cults19:10 Recovery narrative needs updatingSources: Why 12-step programs work for addictions | Peter Attia and Anna LembkeUnderstanding & Treating Addiction | Dr. Anna Lembke🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here🧠 Brain optimization tools → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📱 My content creation setup (camera, mic, lighting, etc.) → here💻 Tools + software I use to run my business and create online → here⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, doctor, or licensed healthcare provider. Everything shared is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional care.💖 Some links may be affiliate links. I only share what I genuinely use and love.

I read an interesting piece of AA history this week and thought I'd share it with you to see what you think. The book is Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous book by historian Ernest Kurtz.🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here🧠 Brain optimization tools → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📱 My content creation setup (camera, mic, lighting, etc.) → here💻 Tools + software I use to run my business and create online → here⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, doctor, or licensed healthcare provider. Everything shared is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional care.💖 Some links may be affiliate links. I only share what I genuinely use and love.

What if the way we’ve been taught to think about addiction and recovery is actually getting in the way of helping people? In this episode, I sit down with harm reduction pioneer DeeDee Stout to talk about autonomy, moderation, abstinence, AA, treatment, and why meeting people where they are can make the difference.Timestamps: 00:00 Change your drinking intro06:21 S*icide in AA09:09 Unraveling AA beliefs about recovery16:36 How AA became the default20:17 Relapse prevention, harm reduction + abstinence28:22 Addiction treatment w/o abstinence36:00 AA: mainstream recovery narrative + policy46:39 D*ath threats from AA members53:16 Brad Pitt drinking moderately58:14 Thinking about drinking again1:00:00 Bill W was her grand sponsor1:04:24 Getting support w alcohol addiction + moderation1:14:15 S*xual trauma, addiction + recovery1:21:39 Informed consent: addiction recovery + AA1:41:35 A shift in the recovery world1:51:14 Books to help change your drinking1:56:00 Working with Dee-Dee Stout🔥 Free Deprogram Course + leaving AA resources → here🧠 Brain optimization tools → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📱 My content creation setup (camera, mic, lighting, etc.) → here💻 Tools + software I use to run my business and create online → here⚠️ Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist, doctor, or licensed healthcare provider. Everything shared is for educational purposes only and not a substitute for professional care.💖 Some links may be affiliate links. I only share what I genuinely use and love.