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Ep 110 Midtown AA “13th Stepping” Scandal — Mandi’s Story
Episode 110
This is not just one woman’s story. It’s a window into what’s been allowed to happen behind closed doors in Alcoholics Anonymous.
At 15 years old, Mandi was sent to AA as a “troubled teen.” What followed was not recovery — it was manipulation, coercion, grooming, and systemic cover-up.
In this conversation, Mandi details how a so-called spiritual leader in the Midtown AA group in Washington, D.C. used his power to exploit underage girls — and how the group protected him.
This conversation exposes the underbelly of AA culture: the “13th stepping,” the spiritual gaslighting, the silence around sexual abuse, and the refusal to evolve.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro Midtown AA Exploitation
01:44 Why It Was Hard To Leave AA
06:34 1990's "Troubled Teen" Sent To AA
9:19 Midtown AA Cult
12:15 Misdiagnosed As Alcoholic
17:54 Breaking Free From AA
22:50 Coercive Control in AA
27:45 13th Stepping Children
32:46 What Helped Her Heal
41:23 Red flags in AA
48:00 Societies Blind Spot to AA Harms
1:02:36 Sinclair Method + "No Meds" in AA
1:06:55 Cult Experts Won't Touch AA
1:09:55 If You're in A Rouge AA Group
1:17:49 Staying Safe From Predators
1:26:47 Leaving AA, Cocaine + ADHD Diagnosis
1:35:12 Sexual Abuse: Speaking Out + Not Being Believed
1:46:34 Men Get 13th Stepped Too
1:49:42 Trafficked To Other AA Groups
2:00:41 Shifting Public Consciousness on Addiction Recovery
Mandi's IG: https://www.instagram.com/mandiptalkspredators/
Mandi's Substack: https://mandiptalkspredators.substack.com/
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Published on 4 months, 3 weeks ago