by julie

Trigger Warning

1. If you are breaking free, and you have personalities that are still returning to the cult, they will be reprogrammed and tortured.  This will make you especially fearful and confused. At this point, make the break as soon as possible.  If you become overwhelmed with your fear, you won't be able to effectively protect yourself.  You might become paralyzed and give up.

2. Don't be surprised at close family or friends who are involved in trying to access you.

3. You don't always have to be aware of these "ritual" parts in order for them to help you. If you have their respect, they can slowly manipulate their abusers loosening their ties to the cult. they can plan their escape, while you learn to protect yourself from victimization.

4. Often cults are unable to effectively access survivors who are trying to get out until they are alone. If the cult attempts to access a survivor at a public restaurant, then the parts vulnerable to accessing are not physically threatened, and they can say no.  If the survivor is alone is alone with another cult member at her house, then vulnerable personalities might be physically forced to do something they don't want to do.  If survivors carefully select who they are alone with in public places, they can often avoid being accessed by the cult.

5. It is important to remember that daily-life parts are not those who know about ritual abuse. It is the ritual parts who know who in their lives may be cult members, and how the cult works.  Sometimes it is painful for daily alters to listen to parts who are knowledgeable about their cult lives. Cult people are attracted to cult people, just as all people with common experiences are attracted to one another. Survivors must listen to these silenced personalities in order to ensure the safety of the entire system. They are the ones who know when they are in danger and know how to keep everyone inside safe.

6. Part of programming is designed to teach survivors specific symbols, words, or sounds that "trigger" them to switch personalities. Triggered personalities obey cult orders because they are afraid of being hurt.  If other personalities are able to protect them from harm, they slowly are able to say no to accessing triggers.

7. Survivors of ritual abuse will always have to take more precautions to protect themselves than non-survivors, but at some point the cult usually gives up. Cults look powerless when they continue to to go after someone who simply won't come back. Cults look powerless when they continue to go after someone who simply won't come back.  If someone does not respond to programming for a significant length of time, it is more effective for the cult to forget about that person and to wipe the slate clean as if he or she never existed.

8. You don't have to punish yourself for searching for freedom.

9. Each day your mind will become clearer, and you will find that they have less control over your life.  You will truly know the meaning of the word freedom.