Other Looking For Ex Cult Members / Cult Survivors

[lostforgottensoul]

But truly, while I may see that in FLDS, I really do not see it in the LDS

I agree. I am not part of either but I do see FLDS a cult. They practice marrying and having sex with minor girls. That in of itself is illegal. If your religoious practice is illegal then there is something up there. In the US anyway. I know some countries have weird laws but I am speaking US only.

I have researched cults very well. It was part of my therapy. I see nothing wrong with LDS. FLDS is another story. Many get the two confused and there are big differences in the two.

 

[Deleted member 487]

I agree. I am not part of either but I do see FLDS a cult. They practice marrying and havin...

MMM, some difference, though the origin is the same. The biggest denominator setting them apart is the authority and who has it. Going back to J. Smith, when he died many beleived it was either famial or lineal, and when B. Young acquired it, that seem to the be focal point where the splits began.

 

[Sanguine_Stars]

I was in a family, new age cult for five years. I've been out for four years but still have difficulty establishing what are my beliefs and the cults. I also have flash-backs and go into cycles. It stinks because I can remember who I was before and in the cult and now i'm stuck in this limbo place.
I"m starting a partial program within the week so i'm hoping this will help me.
PS i'm so glad to finally speak to other people who have been in a cult, i've had the worst time finding other people who share this type of trauma.

 

[Ronin]

It stinks because I can remember who I was before

That's a good thing though. Even if shaky, a base to return to.

Crossed fingers for your treatment, may it go well and aid you.

 

[ShodokanJenn]

From the age of 3.5 to the age of 12, I was a victim of a satanic cult. The abuse was horrible, and I witnessed and was forced to do things that they don't even put in horror movies. I had three uncles around my age (it was my mom's parents who were in the cult and I was with them a LOT) who were victims as well. One is relatively okay - he's on a lot of medication and in therapy, but is relatively happy. One has been clean for 18 months from heroin and meth - the last time he used was the day before his daughter was born. And one is in prison for dealing meth and heroin. My mom and her older brother were raised in it too, and are very messed up. I am so thankful that at the age of 12, I was given the option to talk to a judge to amend my parents' custody agreement. I told him I never wanted to stay with my mom again. What I didn't tell him was that she'd pick me up, drive me the four hours to her parents' house, drop me off, and go out to drink, get high, and sell her body.

I still have so many distorted thoughts and habits, and the flashbacks, nightmares, and dissociation are almost unbearable. But compared to 8 years ago, when my ability to suppress those things finally failed, I am doing better. Not right at the moment, but in general. I've got an excellent, patient therapist. I've developed a strong Christian faith, and I go to a great church. I'm happily married. I'm in school again. I'm a good martial artist. But I still feel so broken, and so tainted, and so haunted. I don't know how or if people actually really heal from this.

 

[Changing4Best]

It takes a long time to heal and a lot of therapy, but we do heal. I was in a different kind of cult, but I feel so bad for you. I am glad you are a Christian now, I am too. It has helped so much! @ShodokanJenn

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I'm from ra abuse, but haven't seen it talked about much here?

Hi Links,
I'm ritual abuse (RA) survivor. My father was a serial killer.

I've not seen RA discussed here that often either.

I wouldn't call what my father did a cult.

Though I've been in quite a few cults because of my father's abuse, RA. It made me vulnerable for indoctrination into cults. After I became a Christian, my gift for discernment helped me stir clear of cults from that point onward. I've got heightened radar for anything out of the norm. I can even tell by reading a church's website. I don't need to attend to figure out their true intentions.

 

[Teamwork]

Ra and mind control. Still working through a lot of it.

 

[Changing4Best]

I still have to unlearn the lies every day. Over and over, I have to remind myself that what "they" taught me is not true. Some days this is hard. The lies want to take over my mind. They want to twist the truths I am learning now. They want me to mix the truth I am learning in my church now with the lies I was made to swallow for all those 25 years. It is harder to unlearn than it was to learn!

 

[Teamwork]

It seems to me that the lies don't come in a way that I recognize so it takes me some time to understand. For example the other day at the psychologist I said can I sit. I was standing by his chair but was tired and was touching his chair. So he said, why is it okay to touch the chair without asking but not sit? I had no idea. So this morning when I was barely awake the answer came about being in his presence and endurance. So endurance is like when you can't handle standing anymore you can ask to sit. The other piece was about being in his presence, a weird choice of wording. It has something to do with rank. If I sit I'm way more vulnerable than standing because standing I'm eye level. It's messed up. In this revelation today I have three things to work on, rank, presence and endurance. Where do you start?

 

[Chiqui]

@SheilaKathy, I relate with what you just said The thoughts learned under a coercitive enviroment are very hard to change, but it is possible with hard work and honesty. It works for me...
You are not alone on this!! ;) :hug:

@Links I will start keeing my eye contact at the same level than him. I am very sensible around the ranks stuff. I don't like it, neither...So I wait until he is on his chair, and then, I sit down

 

[Changing4Best]

It seems to me that the lies don't come in a way that I recognize so it takes me some time to understand....

The Bible. I start in the concordence in the back, look for a word or words that correlate to what I am dealing with and take it from there. Like "rank" might not be in there, but some other word that means rank might be in there. Then I look up the Scriptures that correlate with the word(s) I find and read them and try to see how they might apply to my life as it is today. (Or they might just show me the truth, that is real, instead of the lie that I was taught).

I never dealt with rank as an issue too much, but I know of some folks who did and I even had the term thrown at me one time, because a man felt that since he was of a higher rank than I (I had no rank), he was entitled to enter the elevator before me, even though it is supposed to be, (out in the real world) "Ladies before gentlemen." LOL... This is now all so absurd, as I see it in the present, making me laugh out loud, but back then I was pretty insulted. I am now in my mid-60s, so I'm old fashioned and have always been so, for that matter.

I don't know if this will make any sense to you, but I tried anyway.