MARA is a recovery path and stands for Medication Assisted Recovery Anonymous. It has 12 steps but is NOT affiliated with AA or even that similar to AA but the steps are inspired from AA. I find MARA to be very compassionate, empathetic and a recovery path that I'm so glad now exists.

Bob shares his story with leaving NA, joining MARA and how it's made all the difference in his own recovery and life.

MARA website

MARA book

Timestamps:

00:00 Medicated Assisted Recovery Intro

03:25 Why I Left NA

08:32 Googling Harm Reduction

09:41 What is Medicated Assisted Recovery Anonymous

22:36 Prescribed Opioids at 22 Years Sober

30:31 Withdrawing From Suboxone

35:04 Recovery Treatment Not Working + Relapse

42:29 Living a Safe Lifestyle

44:35 NA vs MARA Recovery

47:33 MARA Meetings

1:03:34 My First MARA Meeting

1:07:47 Working in Treatment + Harm Reduction

1:13:22 We Were At The Same MARA Meeting

1:22:23 Building a Support System

1:29:00 Benefits of MARA Recovery

1:33:40 Why MARA is a Better Solution

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

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

Let’s get f*cking free

Today on Burnie + Besite LIVE Tara Grace and I are joined by The 13th Step film maker and OG Deprogramming Badass Monica Richardson. We discuss her The 13th Step film, harm inside AA, dissenting and the hate that can follow, tips for deprogramming AA or deprogramming 12 step in general and more.

You can watch Monica's Film 13th Step Film here and here's links to Tara Grace and Monica Richardson YouTube. Monica's Deprogramming podcast is here.

Timestamps:

00:00 The 13th Step in AA Intro

01:42 "I Was Never Broken"

08:11 How AA Indoctrination Happens Fast

13:06 "A Behavior Cannot Be A Disease"

26:52 How AA Can Affect Family

33:00 Why Monica Made The 13th Step Film

37:42 12 Step Hate

40:37 Advice For AA Dissenting

54:09 AA HQ Ignoring Requests For Safer AA

01:14:48 Advice For Navigating 13th Step

01:17:24 Advice For Deprogramming AA

01:26:13 Making Changes With AA

01:32:34 Deciding To Speak Out About AA

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

Introducing the Gold Standard for alcohol addiction recovery! This is the path I wish I knew about back in 2009 when I was getting sober. Or better yet, I wish I knew about it years earlier when I first realized I had a problem with alcohol.

Katie Lain from Thrive Alcohol Recovery shares with us her journey of accidentally getting sober while using Sinclair Method. She'll also unpack what ex AA's struggle with when they come to her program after AA doesn't work for them.

And best of AA Katie shares about how The Sinclair Method is the "easier softer way" AA said didn't exist yet. Well flash forward from when the AA Big Book was written in the 1930s and we do have a pill that can make a normal drinker out of a problematic drinker. It's called Naltrexone, is generic, cheap and works for 78% of those who try it according the science.

Katie's website

Thrive Alcohol Recovery YouTube

Thrive Alcohol Recovery IG

Thrive Alcohol Recovery TikTok

Timestamps:

00:00 The Gold Standard For Alcohol Addiction Recovery

05:40 How Katie Drank Her Way Sober

08:40 Sinclair Method Results Are Gradual

13:04 AA Is Complex

21:11 A Pill "To Make A Normal Drinker"

24:43 Feeling Traumatized By AA

29:21 TSM is "The Easier Softer Way"

31:50 Possible Naltrexone Side Effects

37:40 How To Get Naltrexone

39:52 Drinking Moderately After Abstinence

54:53 Naltrexone Can Reduce Alcohol Cravings + Obsession

57:32 Replacing AA Ideology With Modern Science

1:09:47 Most Surprising Thing With SInclair Method

1:14:21 Changing The Mainstream Recovery Narrative

1:25:27 Best Time To Start Naltrexone

1:41:28 TSM Has A 78% Success Rate

1:54:08 Needing More Support With Naltrexone

2:01:08 Be Your Own Recovery Advocate

2:06:52 "Relapse"

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

Today we're unpacking the AA saying "Share the message, not the mess" and how it can be harmful. We'll cover how sharing the message not the mess:

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro Share The Message, Not The Mess

05:12 1. Replaces authentic expression with scripted speech

19:49 2. Reinforces indoctrination through repetition

38:10 3. Disconnects you from your inner authority

58:31 4. Creates emotional stagnation

1:01:54 5. Trains self-censorship1:

03:18 6. Keeps the system alive, not you

1:07:28 Reconstruction: Telling A New Story

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)

Let’s get f*cking free

I LOVED the book The Real AA by Ken Ragge. I definitely recommend reading it to help in your deprogramming AA journey.

I've compiled a list of all the deprogramming books I recommend here:

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

Timestamps:

00:00 The Real AA intro

01:24 Jack Trimpey Forward

02:18 The Real AA Book

04:55 New Recruits Are Recruiting

07:19 Dr. Silkworth's Opinions

12:30 Anonymous Manipulation

15:50 Bill "Kicked Out" of Oxford Group?

16:30 Disease Theory Is Learned Helplessness

19:28 Critical Thinking Manipulation

23:05 Psychology of The Pawn

28:02 Doubting The Program

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

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

Let’s get f*cking free.

Today we're unpacking the AA slogan and line from the 12th tradition, "Principles Before Personalities."

We'll cover what this is, how it happens in the rooms, what it can sound like, the control pattern (a textbook propaganda example), why it can hurt after you leave and what moving forward can look like.

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)

Let’s get f*cking free

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

Today on Burnie + Bestie Live we are exploring the movie The Business of Recovery.

I'm joined today of course by my cohostest Burnie aka Tara Grace from Burn The Stigma.

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)

Let’s get f*cking free