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Ep 22 How AA Sponsors Block Us From Understanding Ourselves

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Manage episode 478620957 series 3572309
Content provided by Kirsten Johnson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Kirsten Johnson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

AA told me I had “alcoholic thinking," and "untreated alcoholism" amongst other terms Bill made up.

But it turns out… I’m autistic. And ADHD.

Not broken, not diseased, not spiritually bankrupt—just wired differently.

In today’s Daily Dogma Detox episode, I’m unpacking how Alcoholics Anonymous blocked me from discovering who I really am. I was misdiagnosed inside the rooms—told that my neurodivergent traits were “character defects,” my sensory overwhelm was “untreated alcoholism,” and my entire internal world was a spiritual sickness.

But it wasn’t.

Inside the AA framework, I couldn’t see clearly.

Outside of it, I could finally meet myself.

We talk about:

  • Why AA’s language and ideology delay accurate diagnoses
  • How autism and ADHD often get mislabeled as “alcoholism”
  • What it feels like to pray away your traits (and fail)
  • The difference between self-medication and addiction
  • And how modern tools can actually help us thrive

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more to your story than “alcoholism”… there probably is. And it’s safe to get curious.

🧠 Need support after leaving AA?

Check out my course: Deprogram

It’s not a group. It’s not a meeting. It’s a powerful self-guided experience to help you deprogram, reclaim your identity, and move forward—on your own terms.

Check out the Deprogramming course 👇

🌀 Deprogram AA Online Course

🩷 It's safe to trust yourself 🩷

📺 Subscribe to Watch on YouTube

🧘🏼‍♀️ FREE RESOURCES to jumpstart your evolution 👇

📍 Roadmap to Freedom Masterclass

🦁 Sober Confidence Mini Course

📕 Self Love + Emotional Sobriety Book

🧠 Neurodivergent Discovery Portal

📺 My TED talk on trauma + addiction

🧘🏼‍♀️ GO DEEPER WITH ONLINE COURSES 👇

🦁 Liberated in Sober Skin

🚀 Rocket Your Recovery

💊 Digital Anxiety Pill

💥 Big Dream Energy

💗 Live Your Truth

🚘 Driving Anxiety

💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestie

DM me or reply to any post on IG or FB. I’m here for the conversation.

Let’s get f*cking free.

  continue reading

43 episodes

Artwork
iconShare
 
Manage episode 478620957 series 3572309
Content provided by Kirsten Johnson. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Kirsten Johnson or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://ppacc.player.fm/legal.

AA told me I had “alcoholic thinking," and "untreated alcoholism" amongst other terms Bill made up.

But it turns out… I’m autistic. And ADHD.

Not broken, not diseased, not spiritually bankrupt—just wired differently.

In today’s Daily Dogma Detox episode, I’m unpacking how Alcoholics Anonymous blocked me from discovering who I really am. I was misdiagnosed inside the rooms—told that my neurodivergent traits were “character defects,” my sensory overwhelm was “untreated alcoholism,” and my entire internal world was a spiritual sickness.

But it wasn’t.

Inside the AA framework, I couldn’t see clearly.

Outside of it, I could finally meet myself.

We talk about:

  • Why AA’s language and ideology delay accurate diagnoses
  • How autism and ADHD often get mislabeled as “alcoholism”
  • What it feels like to pray away your traits (and fail)
  • The difference between self-medication and addiction
  • And how modern tools can actually help us thrive

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s more to your story than “alcoholism”… there probably is. And it’s safe to get curious.

🧠 Need support after leaving AA?

Check out my course: Deprogram

It’s not a group. It’s not a meeting. It’s a powerful self-guided experience to help you deprogram, reclaim your identity, and move forward—on your own terms.

Check out the Deprogramming course 👇

🌀 Deprogram AA Online Course

🩷 It's safe to trust yourself 🩷

📺 Subscribe to Watch on YouTube

🧘🏼‍♀️ FREE RESOURCES to jumpstart your evolution 👇

📍 Roadmap to Freedom Masterclass

🦁 Sober Confidence Mini Course

📕 Self Love + Emotional Sobriety Book

🧠 Neurodivergent Discovery Portal

📺 My TED talk on trauma + addiction

🧘🏼‍♀️ GO DEEPER WITH ONLINE COURSES 👇

🦁 Liberated in Sober Skin

🚀 Rocket Your Recovery

💊 Digital Anxiety Pill

💥 Big Dream Energy

💗 Live Your Truth

🚘 Driving Anxiety

💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestie

DM me or reply to any post on IG or FB. I’m here for the conversation.

Let’s get f*cking free.

  continue reading

43 episodes

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