Ep 151 What No One Warns You About Leaving AA – Teri’s Story
Sobriety Bestie Podcast · Kirsten Johnson
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (episodes.captivate.fm) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
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 Her Out Of AA Intro
01:08 Leaving AA
05:33 Staying Silent, Guilt + Mormon Roots
08:24 AA Was Helpful + Also Emotionally Damaging
10:35 Deprogram Lounge
13:10 AA Cult Within A Cult
17:04 Teri's Evolution After AA
26:02 Healing Trust Issues + Group Trauma
36:21 Hardest Part of Leaving AA
39:48 Making Friends After AA
49:09 Scared to Join a Deprogramming Group
58:32 Speaking About Leaving AA
1:14:17 Drinking Around Social Issues
1:17:04 Leaving AA Was Harder Than Getting Sober
1:30:04 Deprogramming Course + Group
1:46:54 Is Deprogramming a "Cult" or Forever?
1:55:46 Freedom From Group Think
2:02:45 Still in Recovery?
2:13:14 Best Part of Leaving AA
🪩 Community, Zooms and book club to deprogram 12-step ideology 📚
👉 Inside the Deprogram Lounge
Let’s get f*cking free.