Blog: (VIDEO) Scientology and PTSD - 2016-05-19
(VIDEO) Scientology and PTSD May 19, 2016,
I've talked at length in many of my videos of the toll that destructive groups like Scientology take on their members. They consume endless amounts of money, time and attention and can rob people of the best years of their life, toiling away for some "wonderful cause" that in reality is nothing more than a money making scam, a manipulative effort to control people's lives or worst of all, a violent terrorist group that indiscriminately kills the innocent.
One of the tragic human costs of these groups is the psychological and emotional damage they cause. Even years after leaving, former members are often wracked by fear and anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt and shame, nightmares and anger. Some descend into a spiral of excessive alcohol and drug use or neglect their health in other ways, and often take out their rage on their closest loved ones or friends, alienating themselves even further.
What I'm talking about, of course, is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. While you may think that such a term only applies to combat veterans, rape victims or survivors of natural disasters, the truth is that some people who have left destructive cults suffer from PTSD too.