Kirsten Johnson Podcast

Does Alcoholics Anonymous protect predators? Following Russell Brand's conviction and sentencing for sexual crimes, I shared a warning that sparked some revealing reactions from AA members.In this video, we unpack those responses—including deflection and victim-blaming—and explore how defending AA's reputation may unintentionally create a culture that protects predators rather than vulnerable newcomers.My TEDx Talk: The Secret That Almost Killed MeMonica Richardson's documentary The 13th Step.🔥 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.

Russell Brand's criminal convictions raise uncomfortable questions about Alcoholics Anonymous, the 12 Steps, and safety inside recovery communities.Brand has publicly credited the 12 Steps with transforming his life, but what happens when the promises of recovery don't align with someone's behavior?We explore Brand's history with AA, his claims in his book Recovery, sexual predation in 12-step communities, and Monica Richardson's documentary The 13th Step.🔥 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 if the belief holding AA's entire ideology together isn't true?After a decade in Alcoholics Anonymous, one realization changed everything. In this episode, I share the moment that unraveled my belief in AA, why it took me so long to see what was right in front of me, and how that discovery changed my life.We also look at the surprising reactions from AA members, the beliefs that keep people tied to the program, and the question that could change everything.🔥 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.

Keller shares his experience inside Full Circle, a 12-step program for teens and young adults, and how years of indoctrination, gaslighting, and pressure to conform left him questioning his own mind.We discuss how autism can intersect with high-control groups, the psychological toll of being taught not to trust your thinking, and how receiving an autism diagnosis helped Keller make sense of his experience. We also explore the role of parents, the challenges of leaving, and what it takes to rebuild self-trust and connection afterward.More about 12 Step teen cults The Group documentarySupport for those navigating Enthusiastic Sobriety abuse.Timestamps:00:00 12 Step Teen Cult Intro04:06 Leaving 12 step07:34 Speaking Out About 12 Step09:05 Going to AA at 1913:15 Recruited into 12 Step Teen Cult21:08 Autistics Vulnerable to 12 Step Indoctrination43:21 12 Step System Over People51:12 12 Step Teen Cult Worse Than AA?59:28 Advice For Leaving 12 Step1:04:43 Autism Diagnosis After Leaving 12 Step1:15:50 Transitioning Out of 12 Step1:19:54 Finding Connection Post 12 Step1:25:31 Advice For Parents🔥 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.

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.Timestamps: 00:00 Did Bill W Drink intro00:42 Why People Think Bill W Drank?05:21 Lois Said Bill Drank Alcohol11:57 What is a "Freelapse?"13:30 The Time I Freelapsed16:15 Bill W. Wasn't Powerless?🔥 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.

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.🔥 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 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...Timestamps:00:00 Is deprogramming a cult intro02:30 What is a cult?03:56 What is coercive control?07:07 What is dogma?11:00 Cult tactics to look out for15:47 What is DARVO?21:27 1 - Can you question it?26:36 2 - Are you told what to think?28:00 3 - Are people controlled?29:01 4 - What does it cost you?30:33 5 - Can you leave?31:41 Are deprogram AA groups cults?🔥 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.

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.