More about Psychological Recovery

In a number of my blog posts, I wrote about psychological and spiritual recovery after leaving cults and abusive churches. In this post, I would like to share about psychological recovery again.

There are two approaches to psychological recovery:
1) therapeutic;
2) educational.

Steven Hassan and some others consider psychological recovery to be a therapeutic process. This means that they consider that all the ex-members of cults have some mental disorders (Dissociative Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and need therapy in order to get recovered. They consider that without therapy (preferably, from a "cult expert") an ex-member of a cult will never be able to be recovered.

Dr. Margaret Singer and others consider psychological recovery to be an educational process. They do not think that all the ex-members of cults have disorders and need therapy. They consider that ex-members need to be educated about cults in order to recover. Learning the information about cults, mind control, and post-cult recovery, most ex-members get an adequate help for their psychological recovery.

Soon after I left the cult, I read a book where the author stated that cult members are unable to leave cults and that even if they leave, they will join another cult. I disagreed with him, and decided to prove by my experience that he is wrong. I read this book 6.5 years ago and until now I did not join any new cult.

Then, I read Hassan's books where he states that ex-members of cults will not be able to recover unless they get a special cult related therapy. I did not like this idea. So, again, I decided to not get any therapy in order to prove that he is wrong.

I have never got any therapy after I left. I spent in the cult more than 10 years and left less than 7 years ago. My cult experience included 2-year program of intensive indoctrination and many traumatic experiences that most members of that cult do not have. Now I am able to think and speak about those experiences without any negative feelings. Also, I got rid of all the symptoms suggested through reading Hassan's books. I do not have any of the symptoms from Hassan's symptom list. All that I needed for psychological recovery was to learn about cults, mind control, and post-cult recovery and to reconsider my own experience from many different sides. So, I took the way of education and it was successful.

Well, I know that all the people are different and their experiences are different. Some people may need a therapy and get a benefit from it. I do not want to discourage them from doing what they think is necessary for them. I just say that I personally did not need any therapy. However, I do not think that my case is unique. I know that a number people who get therapy, including Hassan's therapy, are still recovering after 15, 20, or more years while it took me much less time. Well, of course, every case is different.