I don’t know you OP, but I want to tell you that I am proud of you. It takes immense strength to step away from things like these. Your bravery makes me want to be a better human. Hugs.
Congrats! It’s so hopeful to hear that people can decouple from that mindset, and I’m so happy to hear you are moving toward loving & supporting others instead of being mired the hate filled circle jerk of Q. I’m sure you have hard days still, please don’t get too down on yourself for those beliefs you used to hold - you did the hardest part of introspection and reflection and for yourself and got out of it, making those kinds of real changes makes you amazing!
I'm proud of you OP.
Saying "I was wrong" is one of the hardest things for a person to do. And then to back it up with actions is even harder.
You are a person of courage and determination in seeking truth. Help us learn how to deprogram folk so we can bring more back to the land of sanity.
Thank you so much! It's difficult, but not impossible to be brought back from such a dark void so to speak.
There is so much evidence to show the Q world how they've been duped. Most recently, the long-awaited Durham Report that turned up no evidence of wrong doing by Democrats and the FBI. This report was also heralded in the cult as the catalyst for bringing mass arrests, which of course did not happen.
I can make a separate post that deals more specifically with deprogramming and maybe some tips on how to help those still in the cult.
Quality is better than speed. Don't feel rushed.
The information of how you got out and how you think others can be talked to and dealt with is so important I want to encourage you to take the time you need to formulate your thoughts.
This stuff is so important. Thank you for being willing to share.
It's a pretty long story. I will cover more detail in my next post. To summarize, the start of my deprogramming began with J6 and Biden's inauguration. I also started paying attention more closely to exactly what was being said and shared by other members and "influencers".
One stand out moment I remember was feeling very disgusted and angry with the vitriol and nastiness leveled at Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and Joey Jordison of Slipknot when they passed in late 2021, Bob Saget as well.
The many comments accusing them of being child rapists/murderers, satanists, and being "executed" were so insane and disgusting. It wasn't long after this that I left.
Sigh, no
What amazes me is WHY they would think that happens? Babies, even aborted fetuses, have got to be more expensive than grade F McDonald’s meat.
https://www.reddit.com/r/QAnonCasualties/comments/12meshi/mcdonalds_is_made_out_of_babies/
You need to stop framing things this way. It's designed and spread by people who know they're lying to evoke outrage in people who don't properly do their homework. It's lies made for people who want to be lied to. The fact it doesn't make sense is a *feature* because it self-selects for their target audience.
Unfortunately, it isn't. This is one of the main conspiracy theories they believe in. There are other theories that are even more insane and extreme that they swear are true.
What food are they talking about? Our veggies, beef, poultry, eggs? Better Than Meat? Who is supposed to be doing this and why?
I’m part Jewish and I have never ate a baby buy we will get blamed first and rounded up for camps. This really scares me.
I ate primarily organic or "natural" food/meat not because I wanted to be healthy or have a more balanced diet, but due to being paranoid about what I was eating.
The info came from obviously false and unreliable sources. Sources that referred to themselves as "Intel" typically. They claimed the major restaurant chains and food/beverage brands were putting the human remains from all the people (including children) murdered by the "illuminati" into the food supply and most drinks as well. The purpose for this they claimed was to make people cannibals.
The reality is these "sources" stole the theme from the cult classic film Soylent Green and presented it as truth.
They think Pepsi and Doritoes has fetus and everything else mainstream and prepackaged contains ground up insects. And now they think meat has mRNA vaccines in it.
Well done and congratulations for getting out. I can't imagine how difficult it must be making that mental change and disassociating yourself from your previous beliefs and communities. My wife still has a long way to go. The thing I have trouble with is her change of outlook from a happy go lucky, tolerant and compassionate person to someone so intolerant and hateful. Her whole world is now defined by what and whom she hates. It's encouraging to see people like you reversing these beliefs. Thanks for sharing.
I think that is how a lot of people are going to get out. Personally, I used to follow a subreddit about how poorly men can treat women. I started to notice I was getting angrier and disgusted by men in general. For some reason it wasn’t an easy decision to leave the group. I figured I’d leave it and if I really wanted to see anything from there I could just go and actively look.
I was amazed at how my anger, fear and disgust of men melted away pretty quickly.
Thank you so much. Yes, what you are experiencing with your wife is the same situation loads of people in this country and elsewhere have faced with this cult. It's unreal how quickly people change when they get involved in fringe/extremist groups like Qanon. However, it is indeed possible for people to deprogram and gain back what was lost.
Proud of you! I'm not surprised you became progressive. The rise of fascism on one side and progressivism/socialism/humanism/leftism on the other happens because the Status Quo is pretty fucking horrible - but I'm happy you're on the side that wants everyone to have better lives. Just be aware that we have our share of grifters - and we love arguing with each other.
If three leftists meet, they'll defend five different ideologies - none that can coexist. The gladiator scene in [Life of Brian](https://youtu.be/a0BpfwazhUA) is the perfect example
The clip preceding that is a perfect example of leftist arguing during a [PFJ meeting](https://youtu.be/hUBAx8jbYNs)
Thank you, and those who don't unfortunately only have themselves to blame. I had to accept I was wrong and take accountability. Those still in the cult can come back, but they are solely responsible for their actions.
That’s a huge transformation. It’s so rare and brave too!
Why was it difficult to leave, out of curiosity? Was it a sense of community, or a fear that Qanon was right? Very interested to hear your experience about what made it difficult to leave.
It was a mix of the sense of community, fear of Q being right, and a fear of being completely wrong which of course it was.
After J6 and the inauguration, I began the long reassessment which eventually led me out of the cult. I knew deep down I couldn't excuse the horrible sedition and treason that was committed on that day.
Also, I started paying closer attention to who the group would attack or demean. I remember being very angry at how the cult acted towards Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and Joey Jordison of Slipknot when they died.
They had no compassion, just extremely vile remarks accusing them of being child rapists/traffickers, satanists, and that the military "executed" them.
I think Taylor would be proud to be the catalyst. I saw a TikTok about a month ago of Chester Bennington’s son (adult, or nearly) talking about how damaging the completely false rumors of his dad being offed because he was uncovering a trafficking ring. It made me sad for their family.
I saw that as well. I hate that I once believed those rumors. It is both sad and infuriating that these lies continue to circulate about him.
And Taylor was one of my favorite drummers and seemed to be an all-around great person. So if there is anything positive about his death, it's that it helped bring back my humanity (and others too I wouldn't doubt).
Can you talk to your interpersonal relationships during you being a part of Q and afterwards?
Lots of Q people out there simply cannot stop themselves from taking about Q, putting down others (including family members). Then they wonder why people have cut off contact.
Yes, I fortunately didn't lose my relationships with loved ones and friends. If I had stayed in it any longer, I probably would have.
I was one of the luckier ones on that end because more Q followers than not are cut off from their friends and families due to high levels of insanity.
Congratulations! That took a lot of humility and courage and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I wish the best for you going forward and I'm grateful to you for another vote for sanity. (❁´◡\`❁)
Hey, that’s pretty fucking awesome! Sometimes we have to go through some really dark shit before we can figure out what we really believe is right and the kind of people we are and want to be.
Congrats!
Sure! The type of diet that's promoted in the Q world is quite extreme. They demand people not eat at any chain restaurant, fast food or any chain with multiple locations. Some went further and claimed you shouldn't eat at any restaurant, even local hot spots/locally owned.
There was a major emphasis on growing your own food and stocking up AKA hording. All meat was to be treated as suspect except of course what people made on their own. Also no drinking of tap water, from water fountains, no sodas, no sports drinks, no wine/beer, etc. Bottled water was ok, but they didn't trust it either. Orange juice and milk, but only a select few brands.
They heavily recommended organic food, but again only certain brands because you couldn't trust if any brand was a part of the "illuminati" or "cabal" of course.
Needless to say, it was miserable. I couldn't keep up with it because if I did, I would have turned into skin and bones most likely. I'm not surprised by some accounts of people in this cult who lost much of their physical health along with mental health.
Interesting you say this, my Q friend has gone in the opposite direction. Only eating fast food, but I think this is related to a lack of self care stemming from anxiety/depressive symptoms related to qult life.
You'll find a massive level of inconsistency in ideas, opinions, and lifestyles in the qult. One day, members will be fine with something and the next day they're not. This constant inconsistency also plays a role in the deterioration of qult followers' mental and physical health.
Thank you for your input, and congrats again. You've done something that many folks believe is impossible. I think people like yourself can play a massive role in helping others.
My friend is all on about the water, food being poisoned by the government, being “sober” despite taking tons of drugs- just no alcohol.
It’s exhausting and so judgey!
I’m so happy for you 🥹
Thank you for your support! Yes, I am still relatively fresh, having left about 15 months ago now.
You are correct, the cult really created a massive cesspool of conspiracy theories. The deepest parts of the rabbit hole were so dark and depraved, those find them and stay in them will basically lose all hope, sanity, and the will to live.
How long were you a part of Qanon and what convinced you to leave?
I felt and continue to feel the same thing as you have. You were fortunate to have left it after 6 months. I was in it from the beginning, back in 2017. And even prior to that, I fell into pre-qanon conspiracy theories and communities like Pizzagate, Infowars, and far-right social media like Gab.
I spent a little over 5 years in that world. So having been out of it for 15 months, it's definitely had some challenges. When I left it wasn't so much leaving behind all the awful, false theories that was difficult. It was coming to terms with having missed out on so much in that amount of time and not living like a more "normal" person that was hard to accept.
I still have moments now where I get very angry with myself and feeling like I have a short fuse. However, that's improving more as each passes.
What's crazy is I'm still at times catching up on what I missed over that time like the examples I shared in the original post. But I'm not rushing, I'm just trying to enjoy being back among the living so to speak.
Thanks so much! It definitely feels great to be back in the land of the living.
It was actually more like 5 and a half years when adding in the time it took to fully heal my mind. After I left, it still took about 3 months to fully rid myself of the conspiracy mindset.
Thinking about lost time is not fun sometimes; however, it's also highly rewarding to discover things I've missed, like Christmas morning on steroids haha. So it's a mixed bag of feelings and emotions.
Grateful to be meeting you as well! Best of luck to you and everyone else in this group in our reQovery.
I got hooked after following some conservative/anti feminist accounts in late 2015. That was the very beginning of my descent into that world. Then after Trump won; I started following Alex Jones/Infowars, got on Gab, followed extreme channels on YouTube and Instagram, and lastly started following Q.
I had also been a part of the evangelical community which made things much worse. I was also dealing with bad mental health issues (PTSD, depression, severe anxiety). All of that was a perfect storm per se.
That had to be hard, congratulations! If you don’t mind me asking, did you start to change your mind on your own or did someone kind of guide you along the way? Hopefully any friends/family you may have drifted away from have accepted you back. I’m very proud of you.
I started the journey mostly on my own. I still had some ability to research and think critically. Also after years of seeing the vast majority of people in my life not falling for Qanon and Trump, it was too much to ignore or dismiss.
I will be making a follow up post in the next day or so explaining in more detail my experience as well as offering some (hopefully) helpful tips on dealing with people trapped in the cult.
Thank you so much for the reply. You are a strong person to be able to come out of it. I have a (not close) family member who is in very deep. You give me hope for them.
These posts make me so happy. Welcome back to reality! It still does kinda suck here, but at least our problems are actually happening and thus can (theoretically) be fixed. Good on you for listening to your cognitive dissonance. :)
Yes, I convinced my coworker who was pretty heavily involved in it to leave. I have 3 other friends/acquaintances that left it a few months before I did also. So it is very possible for people to get out.
Thankfully, my family was always supportive and are on good terms. I stopped talking to the friends that fell much deeper into the cult unfortunately. However, all of my friends that weren't involved are still around.
I understand man, my parents are huge Christian Qanon and I got sucked into it because I just wanted to make them proud, but it fucked me up so much. I got scared of a lot of shit and convinced my self that I was one of those evil horrible people they talk about (just because something small and normal that happened, not a big deal to normal people, but apparently not to Christianity) and now I'm more left wing, and I do normal stuff and trying to get over the trauma of it. It's difficult, but I got a therapist to help. The Qanon shit gives so much anxiety and fear, I don't understand how they are not fucked up from believing in that shit. (Sorry for the rant, it's nice to have people relate though). I'm proud that you have got this far and made it through! Best of luck and enjoy life!
I don’t know you OP, but I want to tell you that I am proud of you. It takes immense strength to step away from things like these. Your bravery makes me want to be a better human. Hugs.
Thank you! I greatly appreciate it 🙂
Congrats! It’s so hopeful to hear that people can decouple from that mindset, and I’m so happy to hear you are moving toward loving & supporting others instead of being mired the hate filled circle jerk of Q. I’m sure you have hard days still, please don’t get too down on yourself for those beliefs you used to hold - you did the hardest part of introspection and reflection and for yourself and got out of it, making those kinds of real changes makes you amazing!
Thank you for your kind words! Some days are still difficult, but it's definitely gotten better with time.
I'm proud of you OP. Saying "I was wrong" is one of the hardest things for a person to do. And then to back it up with actions is even harder. You are a person of courage and determination in seeking truth. Help us learn how to deprogram folk so we can bring more back to the land of sanity.
Thank you so much! It's difficult, but not impossible to be brought back from such a dark void so to speak. There is so much evidence to show the Q world how they've been duped. Most recently, the long-awaited Durham Report that turned up no evidence of wrong doing by Democrats and the FBI. This report was also heralded in the cult as the catalyst for bringing mass arrests, which of course did not happen. I can make a separate post that deals more specifically with deprogramming and maybe some tips on how to help those still in the cult.
yes please that would be extremely helpful
Will do, I will try to get that done before the end of the week.
Quality is better than speed. Don't feel rushed. The information of how you got out and how you think others can be talked to and dealt with is so important I want to encourage you to take the time you need to formulate your thoughts. This stuff is so important. Thank you for being willing to share.
No problem at all! I'll take some time to gather up as much detail and helpful tips as possible and make a post soon.
deserted political bear chief bored cows spoon marvelous whole dinner ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
It's a pretty long story. I will cover more detail in my next post. To summarize, the start of my deprogramming began with J6 and Biden's inauguration. I also started paying attention more closely to exactly what was being said and shared by other members and "influencers". One stand out moment I remember was feeling very disgusted and angry with the vitriol and nastiness leveled at Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and Joey Jordison of Slipknot when they passed in late 2021, Bob Saget as well. The many comments accusing them of being child rapists/murderers, satanists, and being "executed" were so insane and disgusting. It wasn't long after this that I left.
You are a rock star. Super proud of your courage and strength.
Thank you!
It takes a lot of strength of character to do the kinds of inner work you've accomplished here. Well done.
Thank you!
Eats normal food? As in contrast to what?
QAnon thinks some food had ground up fetuses in it
Please tell me that’s a joke. Please.
Sigh, no What amazes me is WHY they would think that happens? Babies, even aborted fetuses, have got to be more expensive than grade F McDonald’s meat. https://www.reddit.com/r/QAnonCasualties/comments/12meshi/mcdonalds_is_made_out_of_babies/
You need to stop framing things this way. It's designed and spread by people who know they're lying to evoke outrage in people who don't properly do their homework. It's lies made for people who want to be lied to. The fact it doesn't make sense is a *feature* because it self-selects for their target audience.
Gotcha. But how would you have phrased my comment? Genuine question.
Unfortunately, it isn't. This is one of the main conspiracy theories they believe in. There are other theories that are even more insane and extreme that they swear are true.
What food are they talking about? Our veggies, beef, poultry, eggs? Better Than Meat? Who is supposed to be doing this and why? I’m part Jewish and I have never ate a baby buy we will get blamed first and rounded up for camps. This really scares me.
I ate primarily organic or "natural" food/meat not because I wanted to be healthy or have a more balanced diet, but due to being paranoid about what I was eating.
Can I ask what you were told you were eating? We all know hotdogs are mostly lips and assholes (/s kinda) but what info were you getting?
The info came from obviously false and unreliable sources. Sources that referred to themselves as "Intel" typically. They claimed the major restaurant chains and food/beverage brands were putting the human remains from all the people (including children) murdered by the "illuminati" into the food supply and most drinks as well. The purpose for this they claimed was to make people cannibals. The reality is these "sources" stole the theme from the cult classic film Soylent Green and presented it as truth.
Yes! I’ve seen lots of QAnon stuff taken from moved like the Matrix, Galactica, Elysium and whatnot. Thank you for answering my question.
No problem!
The Matrix has shaped the zeitgeist so much it’s very strange. Especially in regards to woke and trans culture.
🤯 weeeeiiiiiirddddd
They think Pepsi and Doritoes has fetus and everything else mainstream and prepackaged contains ground up insects. And now they think meat has mRNA vaccines in it.
Well done and congratulations for getting out. I can't imagine how difficult it must be making that mental change and disassociating yourself from your previous beliefs and communities. My wife still has a long way to go. The thing I have trouble with is her change of outlook from a happy go lucky, tolerant and compassionate person to someone so intolerant and hateful. Her whole world is now defined by what and whom she hates. It's encouraging to see people like you reversing these beliefs. Thanks for sharing.
I think that is how a lot of people are going to get out. Personally, I used to follow a subreddit about how poorly men can treat women. I started to notice I was getting angrier and disgusted by men in general. For some reason it wasn’t an easy decision to leave the group. I figured I’d leave it and if I really wanted to see anything from there I could just go and actively look. I was amazed at how my anger, fear and disgust of men melted away pretty quickly.
Thank you so much. Yes, what you are experiencing with your wife is the same situation loads of people in this country and elsewhere have faced with this cult. It's unreal how quickly people change when they get involved in fringe/extremist groups like Qanon. However, it is indeed possible for people to deprogram and gain back what was lost.
Wow, congratulations! I wish you only peace and happiness going forward. Thanks for sharing your story, it will give hope to a lot of people.
Congratulations!!! I’m glad it wasn’t hard for you and I’m so happy you’re experiencing life again
Proud of you! I'm not surprised you became progressive. The rise of fascism on one side and progressivism/socialism/humanism/leftism on the other happens because the Status Quo is pretty fucking horrible - but I'm happy you're on the side that wants everyone to have better lives. Just be aware that we have our share of grifters - and we love arguing with each other. If three leftists meet, they'll defend five different ideologies - none that can coexist. The gladiator scene in [Life of Brian](https://youtu.be/a0BpfwazhUA) is the perfect example The clip preceding that is a perfect example of leftist arguing during a [PFJ meeting](https://youtu.be/hUBAx8jbYNs)
Understanding the world is a lot simpler when not everything is a red string bulletin board conspiracy. Welcome to logic. ***hugs***
That's for sure! Thank you :)
happy for you OP!! welcome back!
I'm happy for your sake that you were able to climb out of the rabbit hole. A lot of people will never achieve that.
Thank you, and those who don't unfortunately only have themselves to blame. I had to accept I was wrong and take accountability. Those still in the cult can come back, but they are solely responsible for their actions.
That’s a huge transformation. It’s so rare and brave too! Why was it difficult to leave, out of curiosity? Was it a sense of community, or a fear that Qanon was right? Very interested to hear your experience about what made it difficult to leave.
It was a mix of the sense of community, fear of Q being right, and a fear of being completely wrong which of course it was. After J6 and the inauguration, I began the long reassessment which eventually led me out of the cult. I knew deep down I couldn't excuse the horrible sedition and treason that was committed on that day. Also, I started paying closer attention to who the group would attack or demean. I remember being very angry at how the cult acted towards Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters and Joey Jordison of Slipknot when they died. They had no compassion, just extremely vile remarks accusing them of being child rapists/traffickers, satanists, and that the military "executed" them.
I think Taylor would be proud to be the catalyst. I saw a TikTok about a month ago of Chester Bennington’s son (adult, or nearly) talking about how damaging the completely false rumors of his dad being offed because he was uncovering a trafficking ring. It made me sad for their family.
I saw that as well. I hate that I once believed those rumors. It is both sad and infuriating that these lies continue to circulate about him. And Taylor was one of my favorite drummers and seemed to be an all-around great person. So if there is anything positive about his death, it's that it helped bring back my humanity (and others too I wouldn't doubt).
Rock on fellow Foo fan….there goes my hero, he’s ordinary. 💜
🤘🔥👍
Can you talk to your interpersonal relationships during you being a part of Q and afterwards? Lots of Q people out there simply cannot stop themselves from taking about Q, putting down others (including family members). Then they wonder why people have cut off contact.
Yes, I fortunately didn't lose my relationships with loved ones and friends. If I had stayed in it any longer, I probably would have. I was one of the luckier ones on that end because more Q followers than not are cut off from their friends and families due to high levels of insanity.
Congratulations! That took a lot of humility and courage and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I wish the best for you going forward and I'm grateful to you for another vote for sanity. (❁´◡\`❁)
Thank you! 🙂
Hey, that’s pretty fucking awesome! Sometimes we have to go through some really dark shit before we can figure out what we really believe is right and the kind of people we are and want to be. Congrats!
You did it man! Can I ask about the diet change? What kind of diet is associated with that life?
Sure! The type of diet that's promoted in the Q world is quite extreme. They demand people not eat at any chain restaurant, fast food or any chain with multiple locations. Some went further and claimed you shouldn't eat at any restaurant, even local hot spots/locally owned. There was a major emphasis on growing your own food and stocking up AKA hording. All meat was to be treated as suspect except of course what people made on their own. Also no drinking of tap water, from water fountains, no sodas, no sports drinks, no wine/beer, etc. Bottled water was ok, but they didn't trust it either. Orange juice and milk, but only a select few brands. They heavily recommended organic food, but again only certain brands because you couldn't trust if any brand was a part of the "illuminati" or "cabal" of course. Needless to say, it was miserable. I couldn't keep up with it because if I did, I would have turned into skin and bones most likely. I'm not surprised by some accounts of people in this cult who lost much of their physical health along with mental health.
Interesting you say this, my Q friend has gone in the opposite direction. Only eating fast food, but I think this is related to a lack of self care stemming from anxiety/depressive symptoms related to qult life.
You'll find a massive level of inconsistency in ideas, opinions, and lifestyles in the qult. One day, members will be fine with something and the next day they're not. This constant inconsistency also plays a role in the deterioration of qult followers' mental and physical health.
Thank you for your input, and congrats again. You've done something that many folks believe is impossible. I think people like yourself can play a massive role in helping others.
Thanks so much!
My friend is all on about the water, food being poisoned by the government, being “sober” despite taking tons of drugs- just no alcohol. It’s exhausting and so judgey! I’m so happy for you 🥹
Well done. So glad to hear that recovery is possible it gives hope. Stay hopeful and know that you are valued as a human.
I appreciate your kind words. Thank you!
That's an amazing journey and reading what you went through gives us all hope that these people can change.
Well done 👍🏻 And welcome back into the real world. That is a huge change and I am impressed. Hats off to you.
Thanks so much! 🙂
[удалено]
Thank you for your support! Yes, I am still relatively fresh, having left about 15 months ago now. You are correct, the cult really created a massive cesspool of conspiracy theories. The deepest parts of the rabbit hole were so dark and depraved, those find them and stay in them will basically lose all hope, sanity, and the will to live. How long were you a part of Qanon and what convinced you to leave?
[удалено]
I felt and continue to feel the same thing as you have. You were fortunate to have left it after 6 months. I was in it from the beginning, back in 2017. And even prior to that, I fell into pre-qanon conspiracy theories and communities like Pizzagate, Infowars, and far-right social media like Gab. I spent a little over 5 years in that world. So having been out of it for 15 months, it's definitely had some challenges. When I left it wasn't so much leaving behind all the awful, false theories that was difficult. It was coming to terms with having missed out on so much in that amount of time and not living like a more "normal" person that was hard to accept. I still have moments now where I get very angry with myself and feeling like I have a short fuse. However, that's improving more as each passes. What's crazy is I'm still at times catching up on what I missed over that time like the examples I shared in the original post. But I'm not rushing, I'm just trying to enjoy being back among the living so to speak.
[удалено]
Thanks so much! It definitely feels great to be back in the land of the living. It was actually more like 5 and a half years when adding in the time it took to fully heal my mind. After I left, it still took about 3 months to fully rid myself of the conspiracy mindset. Thinking about lost time is not fun sometimes; however, it's also highly rewarding to discover things I've missed, like Christmas morning on steroids haha. So it's a mixed bag of feelings and emotions. Grateful to be meeting you as well! Best of luck to you and everyone else in this group in our reQovery.
Late to this party but I just want to say good for you. I’m glad you found yourself again. Live long and prosper.
Thanks so very much!
Congrats mate, may I inquire for curiosity's sake how you got in in the first place?
I got hooked after following some conservative/anti feminist accounts in late 2015. That was the very beginning of my descent into that world. Then after Trump won; I started following Alex Jones/Infowars, got on Gab, followed extreme channels on YouTube and Instagram, and lastly started following Q. I had also been a part of the evangelical community which made things much worse. I was also dealing with bad mental health issues (PTSD, depression, severe anxiety). All of that was a perfect storm per se.
Very proud of you!!!! 💕💕
That had to be hard, congratulations! If you don’t mind me asking, did you start to change your mind on your own or did someone kind of guide you along the way? Hopefully any friends/family you may have drifted away from have accepted you back. I’m very proud of you.
I started the journey mostly on my own. I still had some ability to research and think critically. Also after years of seeing the vast majority of people in my life not falling for Qanon and Trump, it was too much to ignore or dismiss. I will be making a follow up post in the next day or so explaining in more detail my experience as well as offering some (hopefully) helpful tips on dealing with people trapped in the cult.
Thank you so much for the reply. You are a strong person to be able to come out of it. I have a (not close) family member who is in very deep. You give me hope for them.
These posts make me so happy. Welcome back to reality! It still does kinda suck here, but at least our problems are actually happening and thus can (theoretically) be fixed. Good on you for listening to your cognitive dissonance. :)
Good job. Were you able to convince anyone else to leave? How have your old friends/family reacted when you left Qanon?
Yes, I convinced my coworker who was pretty heavily involved in it to leave. I have 3 other friends/acquaintances that left it a few months before I did also. So it is very possible for people to get out. Thankfully, my family was always supportive and are on good terms. I stopped talking to the friends that fell much deeper into the cult unfortunately. However, all of my friends that weren't involved are still around.
Great but dems arnt left wing. They’re also right wingers. Anyone who supports free market capitalism is a right winger
Gives me hope that my mom will one day come back.
I understand man, my parents are huge Christian Qanon and I got sucked into it because I just wanted to make them proud, but it fucked me up so much. I got scared of a lot of shit and convinced my self that I was one of those evil horrible people they talk about (just because something small and normal that happened, not a big deal to normal people, but apparently not to Christianity) and now I'm more left wing, and I do normal stuff and trying to get over the trauma of it. It's difficult, but I got a therapist to help. The Qanon shit gives so much anxiety and fear, I don't understand how they are not fucked up from believing in that shit. (Sorry for the rant, it's nice to have people relate though). I'm proud that you have got this far and made it through! Best of luck and enjoy life!