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Ep 121 The Forward That Stole Your Power – Big Book Deconstruction #1
Episode 121
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
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Published on 4 months ago