❤︎‬ peace and love to all cult survivors ❤︎‬

not entirely sure what this blog is yet; cult survivor positivity and resources!

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Hello, Tumblr! I made this blog to show love toward cult survivors. :) Hope you're all well!

[cultsurvivorsafe]

I only want cult members to feel safe and welcome enough to become cult survivors. 

[alivehouse]

"i just dont think the scientology speedrun trend is funny because if people did that with any other religious institution-" ok guys lets all go to the 'scientology controversies' page on wikipedia and scroll a bit before continuing this thought. lets do this right now

[ultimatebottom69]

They shoulf be shooting everyone in that builfing or set it on fire.

Be grateful the option here was the pacifist coward route of people who just wanna go in and explore the building for the fuck of it.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Scientologists are more often abuse victims than perpetrators. Wishing death on them is akin to wishing death on the victim of an abusive partner.

[ultimatebottom69]

Google what they did before telling me that frankly.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

I've done more than Google.

[alivehouse]

"i just dont think the scientology speedrun trend is funny because if people did that with any other religious institution-" ok guys lets all go to the 'scientology controversies' page on wikipedia and scroll a bit before continuing this thought. lets do this right now

[ultimatebottom69]

They shoulf be shooting everyone in that builfing or set it on fire.

Be grateful the option here was the pacifist coward route of people who just wanna go in and explore the building for the fuck of it.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Scientologists are more often abuse victims than perpetrators. Wishing death on them is akin to wishing death on the victim of an abusive partner.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Thanksgiving always means another meeting.. I am dreading tmrrw

I’m wishing you all the love and support I can today. You’re not alone in this; please feel free to reach out if you feel otherwise.

If anyone would like to share positivity below, I’m sure our fellow survivor would appreciate it.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Cult leaders should feel ashamed, not us.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Every piece of media has cult survivor themes for those with the eyes to see.

…

I’m not the only one who does this, right?

[cultsurvivorsafe]

People really need to stop naming their Tumblr communities "cults". It's not funny to have a chance to get triggered just by opening the fucking search menu.

I know how you feel, survivor. I really wish this wasn't the case, and hope you're not encountering it often.

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Sending in a sort of educational ask, not for the blog owner but for the people of tumblr

Cults are a serious thing. It’s not right to misuse the word for other random stuff, and I’ll tell ya why.

When I was in my cult, our leader would often refer to us as a cult. He told us to tell other people we were in a cult, that it was nothing to be ashamed of, that ‘since everything is a cult nowadays, does it even matter?’

The ONLY reason something like that can slide is because of how the word is misused. If you were in an abusive relationship, your partner would be insane to tell you to ‘be proud of it and tell everyone.’ But because of the whole idea that “every religion is a cult,” stuff like this can happen now, and it’s messed up.

Cult members are becoming desensitized to the word. It isn’t such a crazy thing to hear anymore. It’s something people brush off now, even though it’s a serious thing, and that’s not okay.

Great and important message, thank you!

Speaking of, this was the tagline of a jewelry shop advertised to me today:

"Like joining a cult. But worse." Mhm. :/

[pb36cyan]

Remember kids, cults BITE.

B- Behaviour control. What are you allowed to do? Wear? Eat? Are you banned from certain public spaces by the doctrine? How often must you pray or otherwise perform rites? Are you required to pay tithes or make tribute of your earnings in some way? Do you live on "holy ground" with other followers? Are possessions controlled?

I- Information control. What are you allowed to know? What questions can you ask? Are you allowed to poke at flaws in the doctrine? Are you allowed to consume media from outside of the group? Can you bring in outside knowledge, or is it deemed forbidden?

T- Thought control. Can you think critically of the doctrine? What are you shamed for believing? What are you encouraged in believing? Again, can you poke at flaws in the doctrine without being punished? How often do you use thought-stopping techniques like chants, songs, or group prayer?

E- Emotional Control. What do you feel about the doctrine/group? Are these feelings considered "correct"? Does going against the group in a harmless way fill you with crushing guilt and shame? Is moral weight placed on emotional responses?

[cultsurvivorsafe]

I feel like I'm making up half the shit done to me in my ex-cult. Found other survivors and the shit we all remember reads like it's stuff no one could've done that to another human being much less to a child. I feel insane and questioning memories

Unfortunately, cult leaders and abusers are known to harm people–even children–in a variety of extremely detrimental ways. They also encourage victims to question their lived reality and reactions to abuse (for example, thoughts of “was it really that bad?”, “maybe I deserved it”, or “did it even happen the way I remember it?”). Basically, what you are experiencing is common. Since other survivors share your memories, maybe you could develop supportive friendships or a community? I’ve found that when cult survivors show up for one another, it can help dispel self-doubt. Regardless, your experiences are real, and I wish you a safe and happy recovery from them. 

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Thank you for this blog. It helps a lot. It's a burst of hope for me. The past was a living hell, but I survived, and that doesn't make me a bad person or mean that I failed other victims. So thanks /gen

Thank you so very much for the support, survivor! I’m happy that you have come to this important realization. People recognize and escape abuse at their own pace, so you are in no way guilty for leaving when others have not. I like to remind myself that in professional scenarios, cult members respond more positively to seeking out help over being pressured into it. Thank you again for the kind message; I am wishing you all the very best on your healing journey!

[cultsurvivorsafe]

Is it normal to feel regret for leaving? Like, I know it was the best thing for me to get out of there but at the same time I have an overwhelming feeling of regret that I left some of the other STR survivors behind. Does the guilt of leaving everyone ever go away?

What you’re feeling is absolutely normal. Even for non-cult survivors, missing an abusive person or situation is common, and has often been designed that way by your abuser(s). Cult leaders in particular rely on unquestioning loyalty, strong group relations, and negative feelings around even the thought of leaving. Regret or survivor’s guilt is thus very understandable, especially if friends or family remain in the cult. Remember, though, people recognize and escape abuse at their own pace. You are in no way wrong for healing on your own time, and likely could not convince someone to leave before they’re ready. These feelings may very well lessen, but it is always, always okay to seek support for them, too. Wishing you all the best, survivor!

[cultsurvivorsafe]

finally ready to move on from the identity they gave me and it's like i don't know where to start

i cut my hair. it feels good, i think. dont know what to call myself, though; sure as hell not going back to that name, but i dont know how to pick a new one

Congrats on discovering the new and authentic you! My advice is to embrace patience and reject any pressure or high expectations you may be placing on yourself. You are a forever growing, changing person, so take your time, experiment as you wish, and remember: no one fits a perfect, static archetype (this is something I really struggled with). Best of luck naming yourself; it could become a really exciting and healing journey for you!

[cultsurvivorsafe]

If you wouldn’t say it to an abusive relationship survivor, don’t say it to an abusive group survivor.

[pnglove]

png from this post

[cultsurvivorsafe]

There is nothing you could have done to deserve it. No mistake. No act of compliance. No belief about yourself or your abuser(s) or the world. In no circumstance did you deserve the abuse and exploitation cults perpetrate.