HE LOVES AA –
Feb. 17, 2026 – It’s hard! I squirmed in my seat the whole time I watched the HBO docuseries The Vow, about the NXIVM cult, because I kept finding similarities between it and some of the 12-step groups I attend. The groupthink. The over-the-top celebrations of promotions. The personal inventories. The acronyms.
The series reinforced something I’d known about myself: Cults have always appealed to me. I always longed to be part of a group, especially one whose goal was to build each other up or, most aspirationally, to change the world. If the right charismatic leader came along, I hate to say it, but I could easily be brainwashed into cutting off my family, emptying my savings account, and proselytizing via a message about a new prophet who’s fallen to earth or an alien overlord underneath the sea, especially if they’re promising inner peace.
Instead, I pledge my allegiance to the founders of AA, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, and save most of my money and self-esteem.
I know that AA is not this type of cult. You know it. (But don’t tell that to the people online who call it one.) Most people who can think for themselves know the difference as well. Similarities between the two are superficial and realistically could be found in most groups in which members are rallying behind a common goal.
