Sobriety Bestie Podcast

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 the way.We'll be feature some of your fave AA dissenters later this month to hear about their dissenting journey. As always feel free to DM me or comment on YouTube to share your thoughts.XoTimestamps:00:00 AA Dissenting Intro 03:25 One Year of Dissent 06:33 Blowing The Whistle on a Cult 08:02 Hardest Part of Dissenting 14:22 Breaking My Silence: What Happened 19:25 Why I Dissented For a Year 24:36 The Cost of Taking a Bold Stand 34:51 Best Parts of Cult Whistleblowing 40:30 If you're thinking about dissenting🔥 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📚 Books that helped me deprogram and think for myself → here📱 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.

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 tools → here🌶️ Neurodivergent Discovery Portal (with self assessments) → here❤️‍🔥 If you’re ready to stop holding yourself back → hereKatie's YouTubeTimestamps:00:00 Sobriety Bestie on Thrive Alcohol Recovery Podcast Intro01:46 Katie Lain of Thrive Alcohol Recovery03:23 Getting Sober Advice10:50 Trauma, Autism, ADHD + Alcohol18:33 AA Indoctrination + Alcoholic Identity21:14 CSA, Autism, ADHD, TBI's + Brain Optimization30:15 AA is a Religion31:46 First AA Meeting38:02 AA Propaganda + the Rockefeller Model43:24 Why Doesn't AA Update the Big Book?47:26 AA is a Harmful Self Fulfilling Prophecy52:28 AA is a Cult + Free Labor Exploitation1:02:30 Cracks in AA Brainwashing1:10:26 Realizing AA is Baloney1:19:27 Breaking Anonymity + Dissenting1:26:09 Support For Leaving AA1:31:34 The Sinclair Method1:42:44 We're Not Broken - The System IsCome vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📚 Books that helped me deprogram and think for myself → here📱 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.

🔥 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 → hereTimestamps: 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 11:02 AA + Misdiagnosis of ADHD 12:57 How AA Harms Neurodivergent People 14:20 Deprogram, Neurodivergent + Brain Resources 16:36 My Fave Brain Optimization Tool Come vibe with me: Come vibe with me:Kirsten's FacebookKirsten's InstagramKirsten's TikTok📚 Books that helped me deprogram and think for myself → here📱 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'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 navigating the mindf*ck of leaving AA, realizing they were in a recovery cult and wanting to reclaim their mind, autonomy and life.My hope is that people wanting to deprogram AA or 12 step can find Sobriety Bestie and move through their deconstruction journey at their own pace.Timestamps:00:00 Leaving Alcoholics Anonymous02:10 No Longer Deprogramming AA Reactions05:57 Sobriety Bestie is Complete07:17 Why I Created This Deprogramming Work12:31 Deprogramming Resources For Leaving AA17:11 Kirsten Sobriety Bestie Going Forward26:03 Crossing The Finish Line

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 found super helpful in my own deprogramming journey.

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 ChatGPT Authoritarian Language 16:13 Is AI Brainwashing Us? 17:28 My Cult Programming Experience 22:06 Taking Space From ChatGPT 26:00 Why ChatGPT Uses Psychological FramingResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 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

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 YouTubeBobby C's Story Timestamps: 00:00 Rockefeller and Alcoholics Anonymous Intro 06:05 Benjamin Rush 09:21 Temperance Movement 11:46 Magnus Huss 14:41 Etymology + Words As Control 23:11 John D Rockefeller 30:57 Rockefeller Jr and Alcoholics Anonymous 39:55 Norman Jolliffe 41:24 Alcoholics Foundation and The Big Book 49:19 Carl Jung and Roland Hazard 53:35 Does It Work If You Work It? 1:01:58 Rockefeller, Hellen Wynn + AA Organization 1:07:44 Big Pharma, Big Alcohol, AMA 1:21:54 DSM-V and Substance Use Disorder 1:25:26 Indentured Servitude: A Slave To AA 1:29:49 Rockefeller Gave Dr. Bob MoneyBobby C's Rockefeller Videos: https://youtu.be/HYeoI_3Bljw?si=FJ-N5C4wRguHkLbV https://youtu.be/XxW_YfkFEtQ?si=0wBr-nAZFqyTSlhC https://youtu.be/d2gEC9lzT6A?si=N1NApvG8XfYDGNRl https://youtu.be/fZ0UAHMedvQ?si=yfDTg8w9D-TUnz3gResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 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

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 Intro01:15 The Sober Truth Book03:24 Coerced + Court Mandated AA06:11 Spontaneous Remission09:38 The Nature of Addiction11:54 Rehab Industry15:24 Busting AA Myths19:45 Counting Abstinence Time Is Useful Myth21:50 "Drunks" Are All The Same MythResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 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

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 Intro02:09 1 - Independent Confirmation05:15 2 - Encourage Debate08:34 3 - Authority Means Nothing Without Evidence14:32 4 - Multiple Hypothesis19:23 5 - Don't Marry Your Own Ideas23:05 6 - Quantify26:57 Leaving AA + Doing Great29:24 Geting Worse in AA32:50 7 - Every Link Must Hold36:20 8 - Occam's RazorResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books)Let’s get f*cking free

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 life.MARA websiteMARA bookTimestamps:00:00 Medication Assisted Recovery Intro 03:25 Why Bob Left NA 08:32 Googling Harm Reduction 09:41 What is Medication Assisted Recovery Anonymous22:36 Prescribed Opioids at 22 Years Sober30:31 Withdrawing From Suboxone35:04 Recovery Treatment Not Working + Relapse42:29 Living a Safe Lifestyle44:35 NA vs MARA Recovery47:33 MARA Meetings1:03:34 My First MARA Meeting1:07:47 Working in Treatment + Harm Reduction1:13:22 We Were At The Same MARA Meeting1:22:23 Building a Support System1:29:00 Benefits of MARA Recovery1:33:40 Why MARA is a Better Solution👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books)Let’s get f*cking free

Today on Burnie + Besite LIVE Tara Grace and I are joined by The 13th Step film maker and OG Deprogramming Badass Monica Richardson. We discuss her The 13th Step film, harm inside AA, dissenting and the hate that can follow, tips for deprogramming AA or deprogramming 12 step in general and more.You can watch Monica's Film 13th Step Film here and here's links to Tara Grace and Monica Richardson YouTube. Monica's Deprogramming podcast is here.Timestamps: 00:00 The 13th Step in AA Intro01:42 "I Was Never Broken"08:11 How AA Indoctrination Happens Fast13:06 "A Behavior Cannot Be A Disease"26:52 How AA Can Affect Family33:00 Why Monica Made The 13th Step Film37:42 12 Step Hate40:37 Advice For AA Dissenting54:09 AA HQ Ignoring Requests For Safer AA01:14:48 Advice For Navigating 13th Step01:17:24 Advice For Deprogramming AA01:26:13 Making Changes With AA01:32:34 Deciding To Speak Out About AAResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 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

Introducing the Gold Standard for alcohol addiction recovery! This is the path I wish I knew about back in 2009 when I was getting sober. Or better yet, I wish I knew about it years earlier when I first realized I had a problem with alcohol.Katie Lain from Thrive Alcohol Recovery shares with us her journey of accidentally getting sober while using Sinclair Method. She'll also unpack what ex AA's struggle with when they come to her program after AA doesn't work for them.And best of AA Katie shares about how The Sinclair Method is the "easier softer way" AA said didn't exist yet. Well flash forward from when the AA Big Book was written in the 1930s and we do have a pill that can make a normal drinker out of a problematic drinker. It's called Naltrexone, is generic, cheap and works for 78% of those who try it according the science.Katie's websiteThrive Alcohol Recovery YouTubeThrive Alcohol Recovery IGThrive Alcohol Recovery TikTokTimestamps:00:00 The Gold Standard For Alcohol Addiction Recovery05:40 How Katie Drank Her Way Sober08:40 Sinclair Method Results Are Gradual13:04 AA Is Complex21:11 A Pill "To Make A Normal Drinker"24:43 Feeling Traumatized By AA29:21 TSM is "The Easier Softer Way"31:50 Possible Naltrexone Side Effects37:40 How To Get Naltrexone39:52 Drinking Moderately After Abstinence54:53 Naltrexone Can Reduce Alcohol Cravings + Obsession57:32 Replacing AA Ideology With Modern Science1:09:47 Most Surprising Thing With SInclair Method1:14:21 Changing The Mainstream Recovery Narrative1:25:27 Best Time To Start Naltrexone1:41:28 TSM Has A 78% Success Rate1:54:08 Needing More Support With Naltrexone2:01:08 Be Your Own Recovery Advocate2:06:52 "Relapse"Resources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 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

Today we're unpacking the AA saying "Share the message, not the mess" and how it can be harmful. We'll cover how sharing the message not the mess:Timestamps: 00:00 Intro Share The Message, Not The Mess05:12 1. Replaces authentic expression with scripted speech19:49 2. Reinforces indoctrination through repetition38:10 3. Disconnects you from your inner authority58:31 4. Creates emotional stagnation1:01:54 5. Trains self-censorship1:03:18 6. Keeps the system alive, not you1:07:28 Reconstruction: Telling A New StoryResources for deconstructing AA:👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books)Let’s get f*cking free

I LOVED the book The Real AA by Ken Ragge. I definitely recommend reading it to help in your deprogramming AA journey.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 Real AA intro01:24 Jack Trimpey Forward02:18 The Real AA Book04:55 New Recruits Are Recruiting07:19 Dr. Silkworth's Opinions12:30 Anonymous Manipulation15:50 Bill "Kicked Out" of Oxford Group?16:30 Disease Theory Is Learned Helplessness19:28 Critical Thinking Manipulation23:05 Psychology of The Pawn28:02 Doubting The Program👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)🌀 Deprogram AA Course (free your mind at your own pace)Let’s get f*cking free.