Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse ((1995)) (Paperback)

by Michael D. Langone (Editor) "THE WORK ON WHICH THIS BOOK IS BASED has its roots in the early 1970s, when parents of young adults who had joined cultic groups..." (more)
Key Phrases: former cultists, exit counselor, totalistic groups, New York, Cultic Studies Journal, Unification Church (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Drawing upon the clinical expertise of professionals and the personal experiences of those formerly involved in high-intensity mind-control groups, this book is a comprehensive guide to the cult experience. Michael Langone and his colleagues provide practical guidelines for helping former cult members manage the problems they encounter when leaving cults. .

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; (1995) edition (June 17, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393313212
• ISBN-13: 978-0393313215
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #279,494 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Must For All Who Are Affected By Cults, December 3, 1999

By	Phillip Tomas (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This was one of the first books I read after 9 years in a cult, too bad I read it more than a year and a half after I quit (I wish I would`ve found this earlier, right after I left the group I was in). I recommend this to all ex-members of cults, as well as anyone interested in or affected by them; and ESPECIALLY anyone in any group (religious or otherwise) who questions the nature of your group, and has thoughts of leaving. This book is informative, affirmative, and great support for ex-members and their families when you feel like no one else understands what you`ve been through.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This booked helped me to leave Alcoholics Anonymous, May 8, 2000

By A Customer

This is a wonderful book with plenty of information to help the person leaving a high-control group or cult. The stages of recovery are discussed so the exiting member knows what kind of "head trips" to expect during the mental detox of cult involvement. I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Edited Anthology on Cults and Mind Control, October 16, 2008

By	BYF "Backyard Flix" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse (Hardcover)

From front jacket:

"Most people incorrectly assume cults to be small, bizarre religious groups, which attract only the impressionable and unsophisticated. In this...book, Michael Langone and his contributors explore the psychological effects of cultish exploitation as found in a wide variety of groups, from religious fringe groups to New Age, political, and psychotherapy groups. This book is a comprehensive guide to all aspects of the cult experience. It draws on the clinical expertise of treatment professionals and the personal experiences of those formerly involved in high-intensity mind-control books.

The book examines the history of the cult phenomenon, the nature of mind control, the psychological literature on post-cult distress, why people leave cults, exit counseling and deprogramming, and how to facilitate recovery. The last four chapters discuss the special topics of adolescent involvement in Satanism, children and cults, ritualistic abuse in day-care centers, and legal problems that may confront former cult members.

Dr. Langone has gathered a diverse group of contributors from the fields of therapy, psychiatry, nursing, exit counseling, pastoral counseling, and the law. In addition, he has included personal accounts from former cult members. This book makes a strong case for the extreme damage that cults can do to members physically, as well as psychologically and spiritually.

There are specific guidelines for different types of counseling: psychotherapy, pastoral counseling, psychiatric hospitalization, and suggestions for support groups, families and ex-members themselves.

In all cases, the contributors avoid sensationalizing the subject of cults; the chapter on teen Satanism, in particular, seeks to move beyond the lurid stories to explore the developmental processes that attract teens to satanic rituals and the occult. Chapters focus on treatment, recovery, and the post-cult experience."