If you follow any of my blogs, you know how I feel about the 12 Steps. Those groups ENRAGE me because they are NOT basing their disease theory on any facts whatsoever. Up until recently, when this disease theory has been annihilated by many renown psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals, it was all ‘they’ had and figured they’d keep it that way.  After all, the way addicted people were thought of was that they were the scum of the earth!  The problem is that this theory has DESTROYED the human spirit and hope.  It has caused people to name other gods instead of the One True God – Jesus Christ.  It has caused people to feel comfortable with ongoing ‘relapses’ because the 12 Steps participants have been absolutely brainwashed into believing that they have a disease (NOT evidence based) and that they will relapse.  They have also been brainwashed into being forced into stating that they are still addicts even after they are not using. Let’s not forget to mention that, sadly, these people have been forced to hide behind anonymity, which speaks volumes to telling them that they don’t matter.  Anonymity has also caused many egregious criminal acts to be committed against participants by group facilitators.  Even more dispicable is that, statistically, more people get free of addiction who do nothing than those who ‘step’.  It is approximated that only 1% – 3% of the steppers will remain sober for 5 years , while those who do nothing come in at 5%.  Hmmmmmm!  Even more suspect is that fact that the 12 Steppers forbid any statistics from being taken… another hmmmmmmm.  Are they afraid that their lack of success would go public?

I don’t believe that precious vulnerable broken people who use drugs and/or alcohol as a coping mechanism for despair deserve to be lied to and treated so inhumanely.  Please be diligent and research the FACTS about what I’m saying. I have several articles across my blogs about this and you can also google it for yourself. Just make sure you are reading evidence based studies and you’ll find the truth.

Now for the brainwashing.  Why am I saying that the stepper system is brainwashing participants?  Well, let’s learn a little about what brainwashing is and how it accomplishes what the brainwasher wants it to.

Those who attempt to brainwash others tend to prey upon the weak and vulnerable. Not everyone is a target for mind control, but certain people are more susceptible to forms of it at different times. A skillful manipulator knows what to look for and targets people who are going through a difficult period in their life, such as those affected by addiction who feel hopeless and helpless.  People who tend to be susceptible to brainwashing are:

• People who have lost their jobs and have fear about their future; they feel ‘wobbly’ and seek out people who can hold them steady.
• Recently divorced people, particularly when the divorce was a bitter one and they feel alone or lonely.
• Those suffering from lingering illness, especially one they don’t understand.
• People who have lost a loved one, particularly if they were very close to that person and had few other friends.
• Young people away from home for the first time. These are particular favorites of pseudo-religious CULT leaders such as the 12 Steps groups. (Whenever people gather together to follow false gods, they are a CULT.)
• People who are regarded as socially awkward by their mainstream peers. They frequently tend to be loners but seek like minded people who might be few and far between.
• One particular predatory tactic is to find out enough information about the person and his or her belief system to explain the tragedy the person has experiencing in a manner consistent with that belief system. This can later be expanded to explain history in general through that belief system, while subtly modifying it to the brainwasher’s interpretation.

As far as the Steppers are concerned, watch out for attacks on the victim’s/participant’s  self-esteem. When they coerce you into believing the lie that addiction is a disease and that you’ll always be an ‘addict’, a red flag should go up. Brainwashing only works when the brainwasher is in a superior position to the victim. This means that the victim has to be broken down, so the brainwasher can rebuild the victim in the agenda of the cult. This can be done through mental, emotional, or even physical means for long enough to physical and emotionally wear down the target.

Mental tortures may begin with lying to the victim, such as convincing them that they are diseased and are still an addict even when their addiction is over – thus causing them to keep recycling through addiction and recovery for the rest of their lives. It also involves progressing to embarrassing or intimidating the victim until he or she accepts what you’re telling them. This form of torture can be done with words or gestures ranging from an expression of disapproval to invading the victim’s personal space.
Emotional tortures are not kind, of course, but may begin with verbal insults, then progress to badgering or dehumanizing the individual. Anonymity, such as the steppers demand, rips a persons identity from the core of their soul. Being forced to announce that you are an ‘addict’ at each and every meeting is ABUSE because they are causing you to LIE… a LIE that becomes part of you.  I counseled a man who had served time in prison and told me about his 12 Steps meetings that he had to endure. He told me that as soon as the men walked into the room, the facilitator told them that they were all “pieces of S#@T”, so they needed to just sit and be quiet. I was in tears after hearing that.  We, as a ministry standing up for the truth, have received letters from the Steppers threatening us!  Don’t get me wrong, with all that said, there must be some stepper groups that are okay in that some of these torments don’t necessarily go on; however, they have to be few and far between.

Although this is only the tip of the iceberg about this topic, I will give you a piece of advice that you’d need to take away from this.  The advice is ALWAYS CHECK OUT WHATEVER RECOVERY GROUP (or anything else in life) BEFORE GETTING INVOLVED IN IT.  BE A FACT CHECKER.  YOUR LIFE IS WAY TOO IMPORTANT.  The Steppers try to seriously harm me as well while I was in detox in 2007; but, that’s a story for another day.  Suffice it to say, it’s almost 2019 and I did my recovery with Jesus Christ and was healed.  I have never been tempted or wanted drugs again. From all of the horrors with addiction that I went through, my ministry was born.