WHAT DO FORMER CULT MEMBERS NEED TO HEAL?
Cultic abuse produces symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder inits victims, a condition common to incest, rape, war, and assaultsurvivors. Thus, treatment of cult victims requires patience,knowledge of what the abuse did, and compassion. First, of course,treatment requires that the cult member leave the cult. This is thehardest step to take because of all the conditioning and phobias builtinto the cult member through sustained programming. But once the breakis made, healing can occur by leaps and bounds when done in asupportive environment, which can include therapy, support groups, andcaring and informed friends. People have the power to snap back totheir old selves and to move forward after even years of cultic abuse.But there will also be a slower healing process involving grieving andanger at the abuse and the abusers and a reclamation of the abilityto make choices that was impaired through sustained obedience to cultcontrol. Survivors of cults have to be sure to be compassiona
