Growing up abroad in the COG cult meant that Daniella Mestyanek Young was isolated from birth to be a subservient, s*x item for the men in the group. At 15, a few months before she was about to be "on the menu" she realized she needed to get out. We talk about how difficult it can be when leaving a cult and rediscovering one's identity along with learning how the world works.

Daniella Mestyanek Young is an Author, a TEDx Speaker, a s*x-cult survivor, a US Army Combat Veteran, an extremely advanced knitter, and someone who studies & thinks a lot about toxic group behavior and leadership demagoguery.

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Website: https://www.uncultureyourself.com/
Amazon: "Uncultured: A Memoir" https://amzn.to/3BPigEK

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Chapter Markers
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:14 How COG is a cult
00:11:38 Cults often present as "shiny, happy, people"
00:16:19 Learning young, how to respond to "outsiders"
00:19:35 Daniella's "ah-hah" moments when she decided to escape
00:25:36 Marriage & forced polyamory
00:29:21 TW: Mentions of CSA
00:33:13 When Daniella starts rebelling to get kicked out
00:41:55 How Daniella escaped from Mexico to the US at 15
00:51:56 When trauma catches up & finding identity without culture
01:00:45 Finding freedom after a cult & pushing back
01:03:43 When did the REAL Daniella come out?
01:04:15 TW: Mention of suic*de ideation
01:11:22 Parenting and life for Daniella now
01:14:49 Tips from Daniella about finding community after a cult
01:20:34 Linda, Listen

Theme Song Produced and Composed by Christian Guevara

*Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.*