#igotout

[lindsaynichols]

Lindsay's review of The Last Housewife

5/5: SO F’ING GOOD. If I could I’d give it a hundred, thousand, million stars. This NEEDED to be written. Bravo Ashley Winstead. This is a

I just finished “The Last Housewife” by Ashley Winstead and HOLY SHIT. If I could give it a million stars on Goodreads I would. I cannot recommend it enough. It comes with every trigger warning imaginable, but if you’re in a safe head space and place to read it, please do. It’s about a true crime podcast and a cult. But really it’s about coercive control, narcisstic abuse, and undue influence; the spectrum of misogyny, from everyday life to extraordinary circumstances; the role context and empathy plays in healing, forgiveness, and justice; and so, so much more. #NXIVM, a cult to which I probably have given too much mental real estate, is even given a shout out at the end, very fittingly. Those in the #igotout community, when you are far, far, FAR into your healing journey, I hope you read this and take comfort: you are not alone.

People, get thee to this book, immediamente.

[whatisonthemoonarchive]

[tinduck]

We have an old tower on campus. I also graduate. Yay me.

[anacakes]

A casual reminder that a little hard work can get you anywhere #tbt #igotout

[ex-cogtfi]

This deeply disturbing children’s publication was created by COG-TFI and was required reading for children across COG-TFI. It taught children that illnesses and accidents are punishments from God for disobedience or spiritual failings and compared these events to being spanked. It explicitly promoted the idea that children are to blame for the illnesses and accidents that befall them.

Thus, when injured or sick, children in the cult were typically ordered to “pray about it”, ask God how they had transgressed against the cult’s teachings, and repent in order to be healed. This emotional abuse inflicted anxiety and false guilt upon children in COG-TFI, as they were blamed while suffering from untreated sickness or injury. The publication also depicts a child forcibly disrobed and in a humiliating position while being spanked, a form of abuse that was universal to children in the cult, and this image added to the shame that innocent children suffered while being sick or injured and being denied medical care.

[ex-cogtfi]

Learning to rediscover yourself, pick up the pieces of your life, and rebuild yourself as a survivor from trauma is not an easy task! It takes patience, perseverance, and courage however the beautiful soul that is revealed at the end of the journey will make it all worth while...

This intricate balloon sculpture art, created by DJ Morrow balloonsinbold.com, is named "W.I.P" and depicts a person on a journey of self discovery and growth.

Please read, enjoy, share, and comment to show your appreciation for this magnificent sculpture and the talented artist that brought it to life.

[ex-cogtfi]

TW child abuse, religious abuse

February 18th. On THE DATE that the cult of COG-TFI is still celebrating as the "birthday" of the cult and its late pedophiliac founder David Berg, COG-TFI survivors are speaking out in The Sunday Mail and on Episode 2 of the explosive documentary series Prayed Upon by the Courier Mail.

We are incredibly proud of these brave survivors for speaking out, as it is an emotionally intense, vulnerable, and demanding experience to go public with such personal and painful stories. Please support COG-TFI survivors and help us raise awareness by sharing this post and signing our petition to bring COG-TFI cofounder and current leader Karen Zerby to justice (link in bio).

[ex-cogtfi]

To close 2023, we're sharing this heartfelt poem by COG-TFI survivor E.S. @poetry_catharsis that traces the impact of psychological and emotional abuse inflicted upon children, the devastating repercussions, and the reclaiming and unlearning we choose as survivors. The choices we make each day to choose self love and freedom, to rewrite the messages ingrained in us. To take back what was stolen from us before we were born.

May 2024 be a year of continued healing and awareness, as we support survivors in telling their stories and healing, and shine a light on cults and cultic abuse.