Ep 132 AA Doublespeak: Your Best Thinking Got Your Here episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 17, 2025 · 16 MIN

Ep 132 AA Doublespeak: Your Best Thinking Got Your Here

from Kirsten Johnson Podcast

AA loves to say “Your best thinking got you here.” But when I arrived at AA, I was in survival mode with my worst thinking—traumatized, anxious, medicated, and terrified. To call that my “best” is pure doublespeak. In this episode, I break down why this phrase is manipulative, how it positions members to distrust their own thoughts, and how Bill Wilson’s best thinking (propaganda, PR, Oxford Group ideology) is what actually got me to AA.We’ll unpack:Why “best thinking” is not survival mode.How AA reframes your worst mental state as your “best” to enforce obedience.The propaganda that made AA seem like the only path.What “best thinking” actually means (from a neuroscience perspective).Why leaving AA required my true best thinking.Timestamps:00:00 Your Best Thinking Got You Here Intro01:48 My Worst Thinking Got Me To AA06:49 Survival Thinking vs Best Thinking09:42 Bill Wilson’s Best Thinking + AA Propaganda13:12 What My Best Thinking Looks Like15:02 Invitation to the Deprogram Lounge🪩 Get fee tools, community, Zooms and book club to deprogram 12-step ideology 📚👉 Inside the Deprogram Lounge click here.💬 Let’s Connect @SobrietyBestieDM me or comment on any Sobriety Bestie socials. I’m here for the conversation.Let’s get f*cking free.

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This episode is 16 minutes long.

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This episode was published on September 17, 2025.

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AA loves to say “Your best thinking got you here.” But when I arrived at AA, I was in survival mode with my worst thinking—traumatized, anxious, medicated, and terrified. To call that my “best” is pure doublespeak. In this episode, I break down why...

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