“The narcissist (cult leader) does not respect the boundaries and privacy of his reluctant adherents. He ignores their wishes and treats them as objects or instruments of gratification. He seeks to control both situations and people compulsively.” - Sam Vaknin

Do you struggle with questions or feelings like…

Why do people often take advantage of me?

Why are relationships hard for me to understand or maintain?

Do you say “yes” when you should say no, and “no” when you should say “yes”?

Do you tend to keep people at a distance physically and/or emotionally?

(The following three Recovery Principles are necessary for Moving Forward successfully.)

Recovery Principle Eight involves our interactions with others and our ability to form healthy, lasting relationships. However, survivors of destructive groups often react to others in two different unhealthy ways; either the world is seen as unsafe, and no one can be trusted, or other people would never take advantage of them. Consequently, trust may be indiscriminately given, and unhealthy circumstances ignored. Sadly, this is a battle that most spiritual abuse survivors struggle with in one form or another.