The Challenge to Heal: After Leaving a High-Control Group

Book Synopsis: Please Note: This book is an expanded, revised and updated version of Bonnie Zieman's book, EXiting the JW Cult: A Healing Handbook. It contains 4 new chapters and 67 additional pages. In an age and culture that places high value on personal freedom, it is shocking to discover how many intelligent, competent people find themselves caught in the suffocating, sticky webs of oppressive, high-control groups. Coercive, manipulative organizations can include groups such as: extremist fundamentalist sects, radical political movements, polygamist communes, human trafficking rings, doomsday cults, multi-marketing schemes, criminal gangs, and so many more.When brave souls dare to leave such high-control groups, they exit needing to reclaim their life, mind, identity, autonomy, emotional equilibrium and to heal the wounds that result from being manipulated, coerced, abused and exploited. The Challenge to Heal is designed to help anyone recover from the inevitable consequences of losing control over one’s life – consequences such as issues with self-esteem, anger, learned helplessness, depression, fear, guilt, self-recrimination, psychosomatic ailments, to name but a few.Chapters in this unique recovery guide cover topics such as: understanding and managing the predictable challenges of breaking with a once valued belief system, Utopian goals, and fellow group members; learning to cope with the difficult emotions that will arise; dealing with guilt; coping with thoughts of suicide; learning how to understand and deal with ostracism or shunning; developing self-acceptance; shaking off the old group identity, and reclaiming one’s authentic, autonomous self.The Challenge to Heal is designed as a recovery guide to accompany survivors of undue influence of any kind through the healing work required to recover and rebuild a new life. With an author who spent thirty years in a repressive, high-demand cult and then, after exiting, went on to become a licensed psychotherapist, you don’t need to walk this challenging road to recovery alone! Will you take up the challenge to heal?(There is a companion volume entitled, “The Challenge to Heal Workbook & Journal” which you can use along with this book to accelerate your recovery from high-control group abuses.) Read more