How do you help someone who is in a cult?
The Cult Information Centre, a UK-based charity that gives advice to cult members, their family and friends, offers 22 "do's and don'ts" to people who want to help a loved one.
Among them:
- Always welcome the cult member back into the family home, no matter what is said
- Record all the names, addresses and phone numbers of people linked with the cult
- Read all of the recommended books relating to cults and mind control, as well as reading other information on the cult in question
- Do not say: "You are in a cult, you are brainwashed"
- Do not underestimate the control the cult has over a member
- Do not feel alone. It happens to thousands of families every year
To hear stories of how cult survivors broke free, visit Outlook's Cult behaviour collection.
