Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult?

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Is Alcoholics Anonymous a Cult?

Today, we're pulling back the curtain on a topic that's been quietly lingering for many who have left AA: Is Alcoholics Anonymous a cult?

After 10 years inside AA, 5 years outside, and now finally speaking about it publicly, my perspective has evolved — and continues to.

My Original Thoughts About AA Being a Cult

When I first encountered Alcoholics Anonymous, my instinct was that it felt was a religious cult.

I didn't want to join; I just didn't want to die. Fresh out of a non-12-step rehab, I was desperate for connection and survival.

The love bombing at my first meeting — phone numbers, pamphlets, free books — started to soften my defenses. It felt like kindness, but in hindsight, it mirrored classic high-control group tactics.

Early Thoughts as I Joined AA

The culture I walked into openly joked about being "brainwashed — but needing it."

There was a subtle but powerful pressure to surrender my thinking, follow the program, and adopt the worldview of AA without questioning it.

I didn't recognize it as ideological possession at the time, but that's what it was: my lens on reality slowly shifted through repetition, slogans, and emotional dependency.

Reflections as I Left AA of AA as a Cult

Leaving AA was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

It wasn't just leaving a group; it was leaving an identity, a community, and an entire worldview.

I started to feel the cognitive dissonance crack open. I realized I'd been operating under a system that claimed all my successes as "AA's" and blamed all my struggles on my supposed "defects."

That realization felt like whiplash.

Seeing AA as a High Control Group

When I first deprogrammed, I didn't label AA a full-blown cult.

Instead, I saw it as a high-control group — operating with cult-like tendencies.

Love bombing. Coercive control. Indoctrination through literature, slogans, and social pressure. Lack of informed consent. Phobia indoctrination ("leave and you'll die").

All these psychological tactics were present, even if not acknowledged.

My Mind Is Changing on AA Being a Cult

After speaking publicly about leaving, the backlash I've received from current AA members has been eye-opening.

The attempts to silence, shame, and control me — even from people I once knew personally — has been incredibly culty. Experiencing AA from the outside as a "dissenter" has shifted my perspective.

I'm starting to see that maybe — maybe — AA isn't just a high-control group. Maybe some parts of it really do operate like a cult.

Conclusion: Is AA a Cult?

At this point in my journey, my answer is: it's complicated.

AA is definitely a high-control group. It has deeply cult-like patterns. Some groups and individuals within it act full-on culty. Whether you call it a cult or not is less important than asking: Is it still serving your growth, your freedom, and your truth?

To be honest, my perspective is getting closer to "YES" ... AA is a cult. I'm not there yet. But this experiencing I'm having being on the outside and speaking about it is shifting my view.

If you're in the process of deprogramming, you're not alone. Your experience is valid. Your critical thinking is your superpower. And your freedom is yours to reclaim.