The term benefit in describing mental therapies is fraught with promise and peril.

It takes a lot to scientifically establish benefit and to my knowledge with Dianetics and Scientology it has never been established or supported by good evidence.

Saying it gives benefit, without strong proof will get some people to try it or stick with it.

I don’t want to evaluate your experience specifically here, because I could give bad or wrong advice.

Daniel Shaw has very specific ideas on who recovers, or becomes an abuser in his book Traumatic Narcissism which I give the strongest possible recommendation.

I think A Theory Of Cognitive Dissonance and When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger are also excellent regarding describing factors relevant to recovery and every serious student of cults absolutely must read Cults In Our Midst by Margaret Singer and Robert Jay Lifton’ s eight criteria for thought reform and the superb Cults Inside Out by Rick Alan Ross.

Those in my opinion tell much of why those who do recover do while others fail.

I guess. Looking back at the exchange, I was too exasperated to state my point clearly. The disagreement was really more about wording than substance. Saying “Your pain relief came at too high a price, and did not cure the cause of the pain” is one thing, but phrasings that come across as “The pain relief never happened” (probable response “Yes it did, what do you know?”) or “It is a bad thing that your pain was relieved (response “You’re a hostile evil person, aren’t you?”) are something else.

Bet your grandmother couldn’t always remember how many kids she had either!
Idea for the next family reunion… Tupperware exchange. Oh, wait, nevermind. That could end badly. 😉

oh hey Fly, quick note — dunno how picky you are about pillows, but, bring your own — I do, the ones on the train are small & silly!

Great analogy!

Her will consisted of property deeds and financial instructions, she’d already told my youngest Aunt (with whom she stayed until she passed on) that it was up to her where the kitchen stuff, jewelry, photos, etc. went. I kinda felt bad for my Aunt. After my Grandmother’s death she was in no shape to sit and dole all that out, so, she told them to just take what they wanted (not her jewelry, she waited to hand those pieces out). With the size of our family (my Grandmother had 7-8 kids….it’s early I don’t remember right now lol), those pieces of kitchenware could be spread from one end of this country to the other. LOL

Can’t wait to hear it. ; )

After signing I was given the ability to pass the petition to my contacts. I did so, and also the names of many others whose email addresses popped up when I was inputting my contacts email addresses. These are people whose paths have crossed mine via email, but who I am not close too. I hope this effort does result in the email chain letter effect.

I don’t know which folks you see in which categories. I think Lifton and Singer are brilliant personally. I also think Jon Atack and Rick Alan Ross and Steve Hassan have accurate ideas regarding Scientology.

Daniel Shaw’s traumatic narcissist model is very good in my opinion regarding Hubbard. I have enjoyed Janja Lalich’s book Take Back Your Life. I found Cialdini’s book Influence to be excellent.

I liked A Theory Of Cognitive Dissonance by Leon Festinger. I have read several other books on social psychology and psychology.

I am curious on your opinion on these people and their work.