Posted by:
Breeze
(
)
Date: April 30, 2015 01:12AM
My therapist is a psychiatrist, who came highly recommended by some doctor friends of mine, and he has held prominent positions in the state and at the university.
I suppose most therapists try to remain neutral, but mine has been quite outspoken, when he has needed to be. He's treating me for PTSD, caused by extreme abuse, neglect and torture in my childhood, and also for pain management.
Last session, he began talking first--something that he's never done before. He told me that he watched "Going Clear," and how similar it was to the Mormon cult. He said it helped him understand more of what I've been through, and am going through with the shunning, and the looming baptism of some of my grandchildren, etc. He felt I was justified in not wanting anything to do with Mormons. He absolved me of any guilt, there, which my Mormon relatives and Mormon former friends are always trying to impose on me.
He mentioned the woman at the end of the program, who devoted her whole life to Scientology, before finding out the truth. When she left the cult, her daughter and grandchild refused to speak to her again. This lady was very sad, and said that there was nothing she could do, and that maybe someday they would come to their senses, on their own.
I asked my therapist about how, back in the Seventies, therapists would "de-program" people who were trapped in the most extreme cults. Could people be psychologically "un-brainwashed"? He said not. He said the "interventions" happened only with children and teens who were under the legal age, and often nothing worked.
I said that--even though I'm dealing with my PTSD quite well--I'm having a hard time letting the Mormons get away with all their lies and manipulations. He asked me, "Is there anything going on RIGHT NOW, that needs to be dealt with, legally?" He knew all about my past abuse, and the children's abuse, and how the statute of limitations had run out, in one case, and in another, my child did not want to go through all the trauma of prosecuting, and in yet another, it was their word against my children's and my word. The Mormons do get away with a lot of crimes!
My psychiatrist asked me, "Is there anything going on right now, that needs legal addressing? Is there anyone that you feel should be arrested? Is there something bad going on right now that you have the power to stop?"
I said, "Not right now. The abusers are long gone, and the Mormons are out of our lives."
He said that maybe I could let it go, and I quickly asked, "Do you mean that I should turn a blind eye, like everyone seems to be doing, and just let Mormons go ahead and steal from me again, lie to me again, and harm my family?"
He said, "No. You should absolutely continue to watch out for all those things, and continue to protect your family against criminals, just as you always have. Just let the rest of it go. It's life. There are bad and good people in the world. You have no control over that."
I asked him if he ever wanted to shout out the truth to his patients, whenever he could see them making really bad decisions, and he said, "It is not my business to tell people what to believe and what not to believe." It stuck me, that I want to be like this amazing man. I could see that the same rules that set me free from the evil cult of Mormonism are the same rules that allow Mormons to be Mormons.
After the session, I sat in the car in the parking lot, and thought long and hard about what he had said. Maybe the timing was right, maybe I was pretty much recovered, but it was like a switch went on in my head! My vigilante mindset and my self-righteousness seemed to drain away, and sweet relief, love, and acceptance filled my heart.
Sorry for this long, long story--now to the point with YOU
In order for me to be cured of my phobia of Mormons and Mormon abuse, my therapist needed to:
Acknowledge that the Mormon abuse really happened.
Say out loud that the beatings, rape, theft, etc. were real, horrible, punishable crimes committed against me.
Admit straight-out that Mormonism is a cult.
Understand why leaving Mormonism made my life better in every way. (I told him this.)
Admit that my rights as a woman and as head of my household were taken away from me by the Mormons.
Support me in any action I have to take in coping with REAL cult-related problems.
YOU must get another therapist, who validates you!
You are paying the therapist, yet you use the valuable time talking about the Mormons, trying to convince your therapist that your experiences are REAL. It's not all in your head. Mormonism is a horrible trap, and it breeds dysfunctional families, and you need support in finding your way to sanity. Your therapist is not helping you!
There are plenty of qualified therapists out there. In shopping for a therapist, you can ask if they have had ex-cult-members as patients before.