#AlcoholicsAnonymous

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You're Not as Good as You Think | You're Not as Bad as You Think: An Autopsy with Leanne

I went into this conversation expecting Leanne to tear Alcoholics Anonymous apart. She's sharp, she's got a loud online presence, and I figured she'd bring the same energy to talking about the program. Nope—she surprised me. This is one of the most positive AA discussions I've had on the show.Leanne got sober in British Columbia during the pandemic lockdown, working through substance abuse and eventually transitioning at the time. She credits her sponsor, Ira, almost entirely for how well things went. She deliberately chose him because she didn't like him on the theory that she wouldn't be tempted to lie to someone she was trying to impress. His mix of native spirituality, blunt honesty, and refusal to get pulled into group politics shaped how she thinks about recovery to this day.But her story isn't without its complications. She talks openly about the strange loneliness of being thirteen-stepped, about clients from her sex work turning up sober and pretending they didn't know her, and about carrying other people's secrets in a small-town fellowship. She also talks about starting a rainbow group after being denied the opportunity to volunteer at a women's rehab, and how that fight ultimately opened the door for other members.What struck me most is how different her relationship to AA's culture of deference was. She never felt scared to set a boundary or call something out, and people mostly just left her alone about it. That's not a luxury everyone gets in these rooms, but Leanne seemed to withstand it.She's not sober by AA's strict definition, and she's honest about that. Her sound advice: whatever your recovery looks like, the only thing that actually works is telling the truth, to yourself first.Also, you can check out Ottawa's police chief telling officers to stop finding women's numbers in the database HERE. Remember to listen and follow! Have a question or story you want to share? Email me at [email protected], and I might read it on the show!

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Watch Power: Hey White Women with @TheWhiteWomanWhisperer

Chatting about the Cult of White Supremacy with @TheWhiteWomanWhisperer Check out her Patreon: https://www.whitewomanwhisperer.com/ https://www.patreon.com/whitewomanwhisperer?fan_landing=true You can find the full "Hey White Woman" backlog here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEM2mhO5Zn0kss8YeRwzmQZHxVJn67I5e&si=1z-VyZBfWrFrfwty About Me: I'm Daniella Mestyanek Young, author, scholar of cults, extreme groups, and extremely bad leadership. These days, I'm also known as Knitting Cult Lady. I grew up in the Children of God cult (also known as the Family International, or COG-TFI), and served 2 tours of duty in the cult of the US army. I noticed that those two organizations had a lot in common and have been studying them and what we can learn about other cults-- and how to protect ourselves from coercive control and abusive situations. Those books are called, "Uncultured" (my memoir) and "The Culting of America" (my bad-guy tactics book). For those of you who have been through the cult experience (any kind of cult experience including 1:1 cults, or single family cults, or internet cults, or 12 step cults) I made a "Deconstruction Workbook" as a companion guide to help you find your way out of the rabbit hole. Support my Work and Learn About Me: Buy the Culting of America: https://bit.ly/4reK0u7 Buy Uncultured: https://bit.ly/42TKNWN Patreon: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Cult book Clubs (Advanced AND Memoirs) Annual Membership: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Knitting Cult Patterns: https://bit.ly/4alDbQe Get my book, Uncultured, from Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/4g1Ufw8 Instagram: https://bit.ly/4ePAOFK / daniellamyoung_ Unamerican video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/YTVideoBook Secret Practice video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/3ZswGY8

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OCD Collides with 12 Steps: An Autopsy with Guest Darcie

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) clash because the peer-led, moral-inventory framework of AA can accidentally trigger or feed OCD cycles rather than treat the underlying anxiety. The rigid, dogmatic rules of 12-step programs often morph into new mental or behavioral compulsions for someone with untreated OCD. Ruminating excessively over program literature, counting meeting attendance rigidly, or repeating steps  mirrors classic OCD ritualistic loops. AA's focus on profound personal inventory and powerlessness can exacerbate the severe guilt, scrupulosity, and self-blame inherent in OCD.Enter Darcie, a woman with a long history of OCD, whose alcoholism entered more recently. Meeting attendance and feedback loops made her head spin. The oversaturated discussion of drinking made her think more about drinking and less about a "white light." Between that, a traumatic brain injury, and interpreting life after gastric bypass surgery, she's had to piece together her past and understand her biology faster than lightning. And she's doing it.

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The Doctor's Opinion: An Autopsy

I'm doubling up this week with a surprise Big Book reading. The Doctor's Opinion...a great PR resource, a terrible step for medical science. In 1938, on the heels of the Big Book release, Bill W. asked Dr. William D Silkworth—his drunk hospital doctor—to write a letter of recommendation for Alcoholics Anonymous. He happily did, as he was happy with Alcoholics Anonymous's impact on chronic alcoholism. He wrote that a power greater than oneself was his medically educated advice to recovery. His name was not published in the first edition, as he didn't want American medicine boards to see his writing and lose faith in his expertise. But it was published in the second edition in 1955—four years after Silkworth's death. 

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Watch Power: Cults and Religion and AA with @thescotloyd and Spryte The Emcee

Join Daniella, Dr. Scot Loyd @thescotloyd, and M.K. Spryte aka Spryte the Emcee for a honest and deep chat about AA, Religion, and the Cult Tactics they use. About Me: I'm Daniella Mestyanek Young, author, scholar of cults, extreme groups, and extremely bad leadership. These days, I'm also known as Knitting Cult Lady. I grew up in the Children of God cult (also known as the Family International, or COG-TFI), and served 2 tours of duty in the cult of the US army. I noticed that those two organizations had a lot in common and have been studying them and what we can learn about other cults-- and how to protect ourselves from coercive control and abusive situations. Those books are called, "Uncultured" (my memoir) and "The Culting of America" (my bad-guy tactics book). For those of you who have been through the cult experience (any kind of cult experience including 1:1 cults, or single family cults, or internet cults, or 12 step cults) I made a "Deconstruction Workbook" as a companion guide to help you find your way out of the rabbit hole. Support my Work and Learn About Me: Buy the Culting of America: https://bit.ly/4reK0u7 Buy Uncultured: https://bit.ly/42TKNWN Patreon: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Cult book Clubs (Advanced AND Memoirs) Annual Membership: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Knitting Cult Patterns: https://bit.ly/4alDbQe Get my book, Uncultured, from Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/4g1Ufw8 Instagram: https://bit.ly/4ePAOFK / daniellamyoung_ Unamerican video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/YTVideoBook Secret Practice video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/3ZswGY8

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Watch Power: Hey White Women with @TheWhiteWomanWhisperer

Chatting about the cult of white supremacy with @TheWhiteWomanWhisperer Website: https://www.whitewomanwhisperer.com Check out WWW on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/whitewomanwhisperer?fan_landing=true About Me: I'm Daniella Mestyanek Young, author, scholar of cults, extreme groups, and extremely bad leadership. These days, I'm also known as Knitting Cult Lady. I grew up in the Children of God cult (also known as the Family International, or COG-TFI), and served 2 tours of duty in the cult of the US army. I noticed that those two organizations had a lot in common and have been studying them and what we can learn about other cults-- and how to protect ourselves from coercive control and abusive situations. Those books are called, "Uncultured" (my memoir) and "The Culting of America" (my bad-guy tactics book). For those of you who have been through the cult experience (any kind of cult experience including 1:1 cults, or single family cults, or internet cults, or 12 step cults) I made a "Deconstruction Workbook" as a companion guide to help you find your way out of the rabbit hole. Support my Work and Learn About Me: Buy the Culting of America: https://bit.ly/4reK0u7 Buy Uncultured: https://bit.ly/42TKNWN Patreon: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Cult book Clubs (Advanced AND Memoirs) Annual Membership: https://bit.ly/YTPLanding Knitting Cult Patterns: https://bit.ly/4alDbQe Get my book, Uncultured, from Bookshop.org: https://bit.ly/4g1Ufw8 Instagram: https://bit.ly/4ePAOFK / daniellamyoung_ Unamerican video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/YTVideoBook Secret Practice video book (on Patreon): https://bit.ly/3ZswGY8

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Is AA a Cult?

Is AA a cult? AA does get a lot of backlash online and people even accuse it of being a cult. AA helped me get sober and there are parts of it I do not agree with and I share my experience with it. Download Zobi your mental health companion https://linkly.link/2bKXj Zobi Free 3 day trial to start healing! 24/7 mental health support, journaling, check in and more to help you thrive! Want help getting sober? Try Sunflower Sober for free 🌻 https://sunflowersober.com/mrimpulsive this is amazing to use if you are getting sober! Website for all links and resources www.ericbzink.com If you are struggling and looking for resources www.aa.org and www.na.org are great resources to help. Please remember to subscribe and like, for new videos daily, to help you feel less alone because you are not! Need Support and More: www.ericbzink.com All Links https://linktr.ee/ericbzink I share only from experience to help anyone struggling. Remember you are worth it, and never be afraid to reach out for help! Check out my other social media sites and be a part of this with me, and see more TikTok ID: themrimpulsive Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.mr.impulsive Website: https://www.ericbzink.com/ Business Inquiries Email: [email protected] *I am not a licensed Therapist, Doctor, or Counselor. I share experience being diagnosed with ADHD, PTSD, GAD, MDD, losing a Wife, and a Father to suicide, along with being a recovering alcohol and cocaine addict. I share from experience to help others through their journey! It’s about people helping people, and together we can do this, you can do this! #education #facts

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Soft Cults & the Empathy Buzz: An Autopsy

This week, I have a very special guest from all the way down in Phoenix, Arizona—David Riu! He talks about his childhood in a Christian cult, struggling with opiate dependency and homelessness, recovering from substance abuse disorder, getting trapped in the "soft cult" of AA, and leaving the program. He teaches me about harm reduction, Recovery Dharma, SMART recovery, and treatments to overcome drug dependency. He also reflects on witnessing and experiencing 13 steppers, religious coercion, and how the empathy buzz is something powerful. If you haven't listened to any episodes, I highly encourage you to start here.

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Marin Theatre Presents THE WHITE CHIP — Preview

A spokesperson says--- "...The White Chip follows Steven, a successful theatre director whose promising career is increasingly overshadowed by his struggle wit