The article I chose is “Anxiety and Decision Making” by Roseanne Henry, M.A from AFF Recovery Workshop, August 1995. The article, talks about the effects of the love bombing stage by the other members of a cult to make the recruit feel welcomed and secure. As long as they pleased the leader with their behavior, the recruit was at ease, and when they did something that the leader disapproved of, there were ways for them to make amends. Accepting the leaders’ worldviews is the most important part of the process which creates the dynamic of the leaders and their followers, designed to be anxiety-free when the followers have adopted the worldview it ultimately protects them from certain evils in the world.
However, once the recruit has found themselves in this new reality, the predictable and safe environment changes into a chaotic and confusing mess. The world that they could rely on is not solely designed to be anxiety-free but bets on the mixed emotions of its followers. In the text, it states, “It always had to be more, and soon the members felt overwhelmed and wondered if they could ever make it. Could they ever be pure enough? Could they ever reach enlightenment? Their leaders were the only proof that these standards were achievable.“Cult leaders will use various methods to hold their ties to the group, for example, humiliation in front of the group.
Every cult member may see their leader in immoral and illegal activities and may question the rules but if that is the case it could be the risk of losing their purpose, spiritual path, or even their God. Members cannot change the cult behaviors but they can change their thoughts about it. Ex-cult members mentioned techniques that help reduce their anxiety and improve their decision-making abilities to recover. Tolerance and patience were very important in building self-esteem. Former members agreed that they had learned skill discernment that contributes to better decision-making skills while in the cult experience even if it was a high price to pay for that benefit.
