I recently became aware of a condition known as Dependent Personality Disorder (DPD). Apparently it is quite common, and includes an inability to make everyday decisions without an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others. People with DPD are often attracted to cults (and remain in them) because of the control cults exercise over their members. It provides them what they need -- to be told what to think and do. This of course goes hand in hand with sociopathy, because cult leaders are almost uniformly sociopaths. When someone who has this disorder escapes from a cult (or … [Read more...]