Show Notes
Is talking about alternative recovery paths "dangerous?" Or is promoting one as the only way what's actually dangerous? Today's episode dives deep into what I'd tell my 2009 getting sober self if I could go back. Hint I wouldn't go to AA or rehab, I'd go another route. This of course is not medical advice. It's what I wish I'd known back then so that I could have made a more informed decision about how to address my alcohol addiction.
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More from Kirsten Johnson Podcast
Did Bill W., co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, consume alcohol after getting sober in 1934? According to his wife, Lois Wilson, yes—but there's a catch. In this episode, we examine the rumors about Bill's drinking, his requests for whiskey on his deathbed, and an incident involving alcohol documented in Lois Remembers. I also share my own experience with a “freelapse” and explore what these stories reveal about one of AA's core claims.
No more groupthink and being "powerless" over critical thinking... This episode is our reminder to not turn our thinking and judgement over to "authorities" outside ourselves. Critical thinking for the win.
I saw a comment in a Facebook deprogramming group that asked if that group was a cult. So I thought we'd dive on in and discuss it on the pod today...
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.
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.