Ep 26 AA Brainwashes You To Fear Leaving
Sobriety Bestie Podcast · Kirsten Johnson
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Show Notes
What happens when a recovery group uses fear to keep you from leaving?
In this episode, I unpack one of the most manipulative (and most normalized) control tactics inside AA:
phobia indoctrination—the messaging that to leave the group is to die.
We talk about:
- How this tactic is baked into AA's structure and slogans
- Why it feels so terrifying to leave—even if your intuition is screaming to go
- A real-life story of receiving one of these subtle “death threat” messages in the middle of a manicure
- Why this isn’t about bashing AA—but reclaiming your right to think, leave, and live
I also share how I worked through the phobia programming in therapy, and what finally helped me trust myself enough to walk away—and keep going.
👣 If you’re deprogramming and feeling the fear:
You're not alone—and you're not broken.
I created Deprogram for folks like us—people untangling from AA’s control and reclaiming their autonomy. It's a self study course (no sponsors, no meetings, no BS).
🎓 Click here for the Deprogramming AA Course →
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