Preventing Abuse - Defense Number One

Because the opposite of a problem is another problem

The answer is balance. You have a whole life. A new community or romantic partner is only a part of that life. You have many aspects to yourself. All of them need to be fed and watered.

The physical body needs to be taken care of. That’s why cults will often have weird eating rules. Either protein is taken out of the diet or there is massive calorie restriction. Both impact the ability of a person to think clearly.

The mind needs to be taken care of. Sleep deprivation is a way to implement coercive control because it lowers a person’s ability to both think and resist. Constant busy work is another tactic that attacks someone’s ability to reflect on what they are doing or to think critically about what they are being told. NXIVM used constant high-energy activities during its weeklong celebration for the birthday of its leader.

Connections to other people need to be taken care of. A strong part of the coercive control process is isolation from friends, family and other groups…