# EP: 70: Playing Follow The Leader: Red Flags of Cult Mentality in Sobriety, Friendships & Business

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rewired-sober-7110186/ep-70-playing-follow-the-leader-red-flags-of-cult-mentality-in-sobriety-friendships-business
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/rewired-sober-7110186/ep-70-playing-follow-the-leader-red-flags-of-cult-mentality-in-sobriety-friendships-business.md
Podcast: [Rewired Sober](https://stenobird.com/podcast/rewired-sober-7110186)
Published: 2026-04-21T08:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rewiredsober.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/7608743b-621b-40de-b3ec-3ab0be221294.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/rewired-sober-7110186/episodes/ep-70-playing-follow-the-leader-red-flags-of-cult-mentality-in-sobriety-friendships-business
Duration seconds: 2341

## Resource

What if the problem wasn’t just alcohol… but the way you were taught to stop thinking for yourself? In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on something bigger than recovery culture. Deprogramming from AA dogma forced me to confront a deeper pattern— cult mentality —and how it shows up everywhere: sobriety spaces, religion, spiritual healing circles, coaching communities, friendships, and even romantic relationships. We’re not talking about extreme, fringe groups. We’re talking about everyday environments that: reward obedience punish questioning use fear, shame, or belonging to keep you in line slowly disconnect you from your own voice I break down the actual psychological characteristics of cult-like systems , including: thought reform and control dynamics loaded language and black-and-white thinking why questioning gets labeled as “resistance” or “ego” how doctrine can override your lived experience and how self-trust quietly erodes over time We also go deep into something that doesn’t get talked about enough: spiritualized gaslighting. You know the vibe: “you’re not manifesting hard enough” “your energy is off” “you’re low vibe” “you’re blocked” When everything becomes your fault, even your pain. I share honestly about why I was vulnerable to this—early sobriety, early business, high school (yikes), and relationships where I needed validation because underneath it all, I didn’t trust myself. This is not about blaming groups or shaming people. It’s about understanding how smart, capable women lose themselves in systems that promise healing, certainty, and belonging. And more importantly—how we get ourselves back. If you’ve ever: felt afraid to question something you were told was “the answer” noticed your mental health decline in a space that was supposed to h…

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