May 1st: Cult Recovery Day

Greetings, readers, especially fellow former followers of The Way International—in its heyday one of the largest cults in America. Today I'm celebrating Cult Recovery Day, and I honor your strength to have left Victor Paul Wierwille's cult and its offshoot groups in the rearview mirror to create a new life. It's not an easy path.

Cult Recovery Day

The following is from the team at Cult News 101. Ten years ago, Patrick Ryan, one of its editors, provided a supportive blurb for Undertow when it was published. You can read that blurb in Undertow and also at the end of this post.

Honoring Strength on Cult Recovery Day

Today, we observe **Cult Recovery Day**—a time to recognize the immense courage it takes to reclaim one's life, identity, and autonomy. Healing is not a linear path, but it is one paved with resilience.

We honor the survivors, the families who never stopped searching for answers, and the dedicated professionals working to provide a safe harbor for those finding their way back.

Why Today Matters:

Raising Awareness: Shining a light on the dynamics of coercive control to help others spot the signs early.

  • Building Community: Reminding survivors that they are not alone and that a life of freedom is possible.
  • Advocating for Change: Promoting education and resources that empower individuals to heal and thrive.
  • To everyone on this journey: Your voice matters, your story is yours again, and your strength is remarkable.

CultRecovery101.com News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

Undertow promotion by Patrick Ryan 

“This is a very personal and eye-opening exposé of the hidden world of life in a destructive group. It took great personal courage and strength for Charlene to break away and build a new life for herself and her daughter. A must read!” —Patrick Ryan, graduate of Maharishi International University, cult intervention specialist since 1984 at Intervention 101.com, and contributor to Recovery from Cults: Help for Victims of Psychological and Spiritual Abuse, edited by Michael D. Langone, PhD

---END---

Thanks for reading!

Charlene

Bio

Charlene grew up on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in a Roman Catholic family. In college, students recruited her into The Way International, a Bible-based cult; she gave it the next seventeen years of her life.

After escaping The Way International™ headquarters in New Knoxville, Ohio, in 1987, she earned a BA in English Literature in 1994 from Rollins College in Florida, graduating summa cum laude, and worked for more than a decade as a writer in the software industry.

She is a published short-short story writer, an award-winning poet, and a member of the Florida Writers Association, The Authors Guild, and the International Cultic Studies Association. Edge also serves on the FWA Speakers Bureau.

Charlene lives in Florida with her husband, Dr. Hoyt L. Edge, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Rollins College.

 

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