Ep 183 Recruited Into 12 Step + Barely Survived – Jon's Story

Jon barely survived 12 step. His courageous story highlights the harm inherent in 12 step ideology and the importance of trying something different if the "treatment" you are in is making you worse.

Since leving NA he's created a "life beyond his wildest dreams." Truly an inspiration and I'm thrilled he's just begun his dissenting journey to help others recover from recovery and discover a life truly worth living.

You can vibe with Jon here:

Jon's Deprogramming YouTube

Jon's other YouTube

Troubled Teen "Attack Therapy"

From Recovery to Discovery FB Group

Timestamps:

00:00 From Recovery to Discovery

02:47 Childhood Abuse Conditioned Fast Indoctrination

08:10 Therapist Recruits Him to NA

14:42 18 Months In, 5 Years Out, Still Deprogramming

20:40 Getting Shunned, Distrusting People + Making Friends

26:46 Deconstructing 12 Step Mythology

33:19 Mental Health Professionals Are Told To Recruit to 12 Step

35:00 Misdiagnosis in AA + NA

39:02 Can't + Won't Go Back to 12 Step

42:43 12 Step Takes Lives

59:27 Leaving NA + Reconnecting With Joy

1:07:29 Healing After 12 Step

1:19:12 Finding Healthy Communit6y + Connection

1:25:20 Advice For Those Leaving 12 Step

1:28:00 Stanton Peele's Life Process Program

1:32:33 Synanon Based Troubled Teen Cult

1:45:06 When the "Treatment" is Harmful

1:56:12 Calling Addiction a "Disease" is Offensive

2:01:00 Telling a Loved One 12 Step is Harmful

2:05:57 Plans For Dissenting

Resources for deconstructing AA:

👉 Deprogram Lounge (community, Zooms, book club, Escape Kit + more)

📚 Deprogram Book List (my fave deprogram, cult recovery and critical thinking books)

🌀 Deprogram AA Course (free your mind at your own pace)

Let’s get f*cking free