Growing Up In A Cult (+4 Challenges to Recovery)
Learn about growing up in a cult, plus unique challenges that these former members face in adulthood and beyond.
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Learn About Cults & Cult Recovery
Ryan Hilliard
- Jul 25
- 7 min
Why Do People Leave Cults?
It might seem obvious why people leave cults - but the reasons may still surprise you.
Ryan Hilliard
- Jul 1
- 13 min
Why Do People Stay In Cults? Here Are 9 Reasons
This article discusses 9 reasons why people stay in cults - despite the warning signs, mistreatment, or cognitive dissonance.
Ryan Hilliard
- Jun 28
- 8 min
Signs And Symbols of Cultism
Humans have a long history with symbols. Ever since someone decided to draw on the wall of a cave, we've been attributing and exploring...
Ryan Hilliard
- Jun 13
- 8 min
How To Unbrainwash Yourself (Combatting Cult Mind Control)
If you suspect that your mind is not your own, what do you do? It's a jarring question - one that many never have to face. But if you do...
Ashlen Hilliard
- Jun 9
- 9 min
Anti-LGBTQ Rhetoric - The Hypocrisy of Queer Cult Panic
Prior to reading, please be aware of the following content warnings: mention of grooming, pedophilia, themes relating to religious...
Ashlen Hilliard
- May 24
- 6 min
Understanding A Cult Leader
Learn about the characteristics, tactics, and history of cult leaders.
Ryan Hilliard
- May 17
- 5 min
How To Spot A Cult
If you stop at a busy street corner and do some people watching, do you think you could pick out any cult members that walk by? Maybe...
Ryan Hilliard
- May 9
- 5 min
Are Cults Illegal?
Religious cults are legal in the United States, but this may not be true worldwide. Like many cult-related topics, it's complicated.
Ryan Hilliard
- Apr 24
- 5 min
Statistics On Cults
What do we really know about these groups? Unfortunately, not much. Before we dive into the numbers we do (kind of) know, let's get you...
Ryan Hilliard
- Apr 10
- 7 min
Why Do People Join Cults?
People join cults for a number of reasons - and many aren't what you think! This post covers 10 reasons and shares our thoughts
Ashlen Hilliard
- Feb 22
- 5 min
5 Steps to Help Your Cult-Involved Loved One
A 5-step guide to help someone leave a cult. If your loved one is cult-involved, read this before you do anything!
Ryan Hilliard
- Feb 3
- 14 min
How To Leave A Cult
A compassionate guide designed to help cult members understand their situation and know how to leave a cult.
Ashlen Hilliard
- Jan 11
- 5 min
Let’s Talk About Accessibility and Cult Recovery.
Special Thanks to Todd Heckathorne for their assistance in researching, editing, and contributing to this post. In an interview that came...
Ashlen Hilliard
- Jan 2
- 6 min
Cult Deprogramming
Cult deprogramming has a troubled history and modern twists. Learn about the history of the practice in this post.
Ashlen Hilliard
- Dec 20, 2022
- 4 min
The Importance of Psychoeducation for Survivors of a Coercive Environment
Over the past few years working in the cult recovery field, I've worked with survivors at varying stages of their recovery journey. Some...
Services from People Leave Cults
People Leave Cults offers a variety of services to help both cult survivors and the families/friends of cult-involved people.
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We invite you to explore whichever offering fits your needs at the links below.
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