Ep 157 Leaving AA + Deprogramming Saves Lives — Sam’s Story

Sam ("Ebby Thacher" on Instagram) opens up about what it was actually like to leave AA after years of fear-based messaging, confusion, and being told that walking away was dangerous.

The story dives into the shock of realizing that the “only way” wasn’t helping, the exhaustion of searching for real mental-health support, and the moment everything clicked: the problem wasn’t a lack of willingness — the problem was the system itself.

What created real change was stepping outside AA ideology, learning the science, exploring harm reduction, and finally trusting personal experience over dogma. Sam’s story is honest, raw, and deeply validating for anyone who’s questioning AA.

The takeaway is clear: choosing a different path is not only safe — it can be the beginning of actual healing and freedom.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro Leaving AA Saves Lives

02:00 Leaving AA

03:16 Phases of Leaving AA

10:45 Therapy, IOP + Pushed to AA

21:03 AA is a Cult + Rehab a Scam??

36:53 First Time at AA

39:18 The Allergy Mythology

42:19 What Helped Sam Get Sober

44:52 Cannabis Saved Sam's Life

54:37 Still "In Recovery" ?

1:00:42 Guilt Over Sponsoring + Self Gaslighting

1:08:07 Inner Child, Healing + Internal Family Systems

1:23:54 Speaking Out About Leaving AA

1:28:17 Ebby Thatcher

1:31:40 Hope For The Recovery Narrative

1:36:20 You're Not Going To Die If You Leave AA

👉 Deprogram Lounge (Membership with courses, LIVE Q+As, Zooms, book club + more)

🧰 Escape Kit (resources to Deprogram AA)

📚 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.