Issues in Recovery

In Ronald Enroth's Recovering from Churches that Abuse, there is an appendix entitled Issues in Recovery. In my opinion, there are many interesting points there both from psychological and spiritual sides.

WHY PEOPLE ARE DRAWN INTO ABUSIVE GROUPS
• Emotional needs
• The attraction of authority
• False expectations
• The deception of positive impressions and ready acceptance
• Vulnerability through inexperience with a healthy Christian faith and community
• Dependency needs

The lack of experience with a healthy Christian faith and community can be a reason for people to be attracted by abusive churches and other Bible-based cults because they have not learned to discern between healthy and unhealthy spiritual things.

FACTORS THAT MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO LEAVE AND RECOVER
• A system that fosters dependence
• Members not encouraged to think for themselves
• The community emphasized rather than the individual
• Emphasis on uniformity and conformity
• Social skills undeveloped
• "Set up" to fail: self-fulfilling prophecy
• Feelings of being "orphaned" and rejected
• Culture shock
• Nowhere to turn for faith, because other churches discredited
• Ill-equipped for relationships
• Isolation from society
• Estrangement from family
• Loss of focus and purpose in life
• Feelings of shame and guilt
• "Victimization" syndrome
• Lack of trust in authority and/or intimacy
• Insufficient resources (financial, emotional, relational)
• Feelings of anger and bitterness impeding forgiveness
• Network of friends within the membership

Probably, the only purely spiritual problem in this part is "Nowhere to turn for faith, because other churches discredited." Members of abusive Bible-based groups are taught that all the other churches are "dead" or "degraded." When they leave their groups, they still believe that other churches are bad. This creates a problem. On the one hand, they are disappointed in their former group. On the other hand, they continue to believe what they were taught there.

FACTORS THAT MAY RETARD OR INTERFERE WITH RECOVERY
• Feelings about oneself: self-esteem
• Economic instability
• Caution about entering another Christian community or church
• Dependency
• Need for re-socialization
• Marital and family conditions
• Need for professional counseling
• Being viewed with distrust or skepticism by other Christians
• Lack of self-discipline
• Spiritual paralysis

In a sense, "Caution about entering another Christian community or church" can be positive because ex-members do not join another abusive group very easily. However, it is also a sign of distrust God and other Christians. A good Christian church can be very helpful for spiritual recovery. "Being viewed with distrust or skepticism by other Christians" is another problem that frustrates joining another Christian church and getting spiritual help there. Unfortunately, it happens.

SOME FEELINGS TO CONTEND WITH
• Rejection
• Low self-esteem
• Shame and guilt
• Futility
• Isolation
• Inadequacy
• Grief
• Regret for lost years
• Loss of identity
• Fear and confusion