A high-control group is a community whose teachings, practices, and social structures enforce a culture of conformity, submission, and loyalty to the group. To maintain power, these groups often emphasize total obedience to authority, suppression of self-trust, and isolation from outside influences. They may also use control tactics of threats, intimidation, shame, and justification of abuse to keep members compliant. In these environments, an individual's personal autonomy, boundaries, and emotional wellbeing are devalued in favor of total devotion to the group's mission and leadership.
Being in a high-control group can be profoundly damaging, significantly increasing a person's likelihood of developing depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. Because these groups discourage independent thought and intuition, survivors often struggle with identity confusion, a loss of self-trust, and learned helplessness. They often endure chronic anxiety, deep-seated shame, self-neglect, and rigid black-and-white thinking patterns. Additionally, the normalization of poor boundaries within the group can lead to ongoing relationship dysfunction, even long after an individual has left the community.
The following inventory is designed to help individuals identify the common teachings of high-control groups and recognize how these dynamics may have impacted their lives.
While some of the teachings listed here may not qualify as abusive on their own, if many of a group’s teachings align with these statements, it is likely a high-control group. Even if the group's leaders have positive intentions, they are likely doing harm to their members.
Instructions: Check the statements that align with what your group teaches, demonstrates, or implies through their ideology and practices.
