We’re kicking off a brand-new series deconstructing the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous — exposing the hidden messages, the power-stripping language, and the indoctrination baked into its pages.

In this episode, we unpack the Forward to the First Edition — where AA starts shaping how you see yourself, your “disease,” and your ability to choose your own recovery path. We’ll talk about how the language trains self-abandonment, why this sets you up for lifelong dependence on the program, and how to reclaim your agency.

Whether you’ve left AA, are thinking about leaving, or just want to understand the mechanics of its influence, this series will help you see the text with new eyes — and take your power back.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro Big Book Deconstruction

01:22 Carrie's intro to the AA Big Book

04:20 AA sponsors as cult leaders

11:00 Kirsten's intro to the AA Big Book

14:50 AA Big Book Title page

20:32 Forward to First Edition

28:22 Bill decides we are "sick"

41:15 AA's care about the system not the people

47:07 Bill knows how we should live

54:50 We're allowed to feel angry

57:15 Bill's pitch to exploit us

1:00:20 MANY requirements for AA membership

1:13:09 Learning through AA mishaps

1:20:24 Can't separate AA good from AA harm

🪩 Get fee tools, community, Zooms and book club to deprogram 12-step ideology 📚

👉 Inside the Deprogram Lounge click here.

💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestie

DM me or comment on any Sobriety Bestie socials. I’m here for the conversation.

Let’s get f*cking free.