"I was raised in a cult that was started by my grandfather and was passed on to my father after my grandpa passed. It was wild. We went to a school run by the cult and could only interact with people within the organization. I wasn't allowed to interact with kids my age outside of the cult, so I didn't have a typical childhood. The leaders controlled every aspect of my life. The leaders had to approve our clothes, makeup, music, and everything."
"The most extreme case I can recall is that we weren't allowed to wear belts as they drew attention to our crotch area, and that would tempt the other gender into sexual thoughts. As one of the leader's children, I had to 'serve' the congregation. This meant any free time I had was spent cleaning or babysitting for others. Since I grew up in it, I didn't even think anything was off until I went to a secular college and met my now spouse."
People raised inside an insular religious organization experienced pervasive control over education, friendships, clothing, music, and leisure. Leaders enforced strict behavioral and appearance rules, sometimes citing sexual propriety to police dress and interactions. Children of leaders were expected to perform unpaid service tasks for the congregation, losing typical childhood freedoms. Leaving required covert retrieval of identity documents and often resulted in family estrangement. Recognition of the situation commonly occurred after contact with secular peers or college life. Many accounts include trauma, mental health struggles, and abuse resulting from the controlling environment.
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