What happens when a trauma survivor is told inside Alcoholics Anonymous that they need to make amends… for their own abuse?

Today we're looking at the disturbing truth about how the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous can retraumatize survivors, especially women. From misguided sponsorship to silence baked into AA culture, this clip from the Group Thinking Podcast exposes the emotional and psychological harm caused by the amends process.

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I was in AA for 10 years then something began to shift, AA started to no longer seem true.

If you’re in that in-between space—questioning, unraveling, sensing that something’s off—you are not bananas. You’re waking up.

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P.S. Here's the video I mention, What made AA ideology shatter

AA’s language isn’t just weird — it’s weaponized.

In Part 6 of this 8-part series on How AA Controls Your Mind, we break down Loaded Language — one of the most powerful (and dangerous) tactics used in high-control groups like Alcoholics Anonymous.

From phrases like “Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic” to “Feelings aren’t facts” and “It works if you work it,” AA uses thought-stopping slogans to control identity, shut down thinking, and keep you locked into the system.

Deprogramming AA course:

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Let’s get f*cking free.