I Grew Up in a Cult

At just 14 years old, Chris entered the juvenile justice system for minor offenses, where he encountered a trusted county sheriff who would profoundly alter the course of his life. After being groomed and sexually abused, the trauma followed him into adulthood, leading to years o ...  Show more

At 20 years old, Zach Cheremski dove into a lake he'd grown up on and instantly became paralyzed from the neck down. In this episode, Zach shares the moments leading up to the accident, what it was like to survive a catastrophic spinal cord injury, and the physical and emotional ...  Show more

Today's guest, Sara, didn't just wear a cult uniform—she sewed it. Raised in a conservative faith that slowly morphed into a cult, Sara's life went from dairy cows and barefoot summers to head coverings, spiritual "consequences," and Levitical purity laws enforced with spray bott ...  Show more

“I didn’t know what normal was, so everything looked so scary….Everything I was doing I was learning for the time it was like my birth into the world.”

Producer: Whit Missildine

Episode Summary: A woman puts t ...

Brainwashed into a religious cult. Our caller escaped 10 years ago, but she's only now starting to process the trauma: from sexual manipulation and poison, to hallucinations and "mind melding". Chris talks about therapy (and discovers a mutual love for go kart rides). This episod ...  Show more

In today’s episode I’m sharing my story of growing up with emotional abuse and the coping mechanisms I developed to survive in the world.