Kirsten Johnson Podcast

Carrie is back! Between the two of us, we have 54 years of recovery—and a lot to say about AA old-timers. What even makes someone an old-timer, and why does time sober so often translate into authority?We talk about the hierarchy around sober time, “AA math,” sponsorship and service, the difference between longevity and expertise, predatory old-timers, and the recovery beliefs we once accepted and passed on ourselves. We also get into what happens when you stop treating sober time as a measure of wisdom, healing, or how much someone else should listen to you.Carrie's SubstackTimestamps: 00:00 What AA Old Timers Get Wrong Intro 04:24 Good People In AA 07:53 54 Years of Recovery 14:48 Sober As Long As You Drank 16:23 Counting Recovery Time 22:22 Quitting w/o Centering It 25:19 Sponsors Who Shame You 30:16 What is an AA Old Timer? 42:31 AA Gurus and AA Hierarchy 46:50 AA Sober Time vs. Addiction Expertise 56:15 Bill W Says Recovery Requires Religion 56:51 When Old Timers Hit On You 1:01:54 What Half a Century of Recovery Means 1:08:58 Getting an AA Old Timer to Leave AA 1:22:14 Saying "AA is BS" Out Loud 1:33:10 Old Timer One Liners 1:35:49 Sobriety Chips and AA Tattoos 1:46:31 Good AA Old Timers🔥 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.

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.