AA or Recovery Culture?AA or Recovery Culture?
Alcoholics Alive!
Shank and Wayne unpack the difference between Alcoholics Anonymous and wider recovery culture, questioning common slogans and trends against the simple AA programme. They share how step work, spiritual growth and helping others form the core of their sobriety while outside help stays in its proper place.
1:04:03•19 May 2026
AA or Recovery Culture? Keeping Sobriety Simple, Not Trendy
Episode Overview
- AA is defined by the book *Alcoholics Anonymous*, the 12 Steps, and the traditions, not by outside therapeutic or recovery trends.
- Intensive work with other alcoholics – from sponsorship to simple acts of help – is presented as the strongest protection against drinking.
- Therapy and professional support can be useful, but they are kept separate from AA meetings and never treated as replacements for the programme.
- Popular phrases like “meeting makers make it” or “take what you want and leave the rest” can confuse people if they are treated as AA’s actual directions.
- Fear, trauma, triggers and boundaries are addressed through inventory, amends, prayer and a relationship with a higher power, rather than endless analysis.
“"Aa is nothing if not simple. And I thank God every day that I have people around me that will tell me if I'm off the beam."”
What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? This Season 15 opener of *Alcoholics Alive!* tackles a big one: is your sobriety based on Alcoholics Anonymous, or on wider "recovery culture" buzzwords and trends? Hosts Shank and Wayne – who also introduce themselves as Jerry and Susie – talk straight about keeping AA simple and grounded in the Big Book, the 12 Steps and the primary purpose of helping alcoholics.
They share how intensive work with others keeps them sober, with Jerry pointing to a favourite line: "Any problem I've ever had, the solution is spiritual and it's always about getting out of myself." The chat is lively, funny, and pretty direct. You’ll hear how therapy, treatment, trauma language, “triggers”, “self-care” and “healthy boundaries” can help in life, but can also blur the line between AA and outside help if they’re dragged into meetings as if they were AA itself.
Susie explains how she told her therapist, "I'm a recovered alcoholic... I'm not going to not do that," making sure AA stayed her foundation while she used outside support. They also revisit classic "meeting shrapnel" like “Meeting makers make it”, “Take what you want and leave the rest”, and “Feelings aren’t facts”, asking whether these slogans actually match the clear-cut directions in the book *Alcoholics Anonymous* or simply keep people spinning.
This conversation speaks to anyone in AA who’s wondered what truly counts as AA, what belongs outside the meeting, and why some groups thrive while others fade. It’s relaxed, humorous, and very down-to-earth – ideal if you like AA discussed with honesty, a bit of cheek, and plenty of real-life experience. So, are your recovery buzzwords helping your sobriety, or hiding the simple actions that keep you well?
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