When Children Cast Out Demons: Cult Childhoods and Complex PTSD | Christy Orrick | Episode 436

Christine joins John to share her journey through a Jesus movement commune called Daystar Ministries—not to be confused with the media company of the same name. She describes growing up in an intense spiritual environment rooted in discipleship schools, communal living, and deliverance ministry practices that often veered into dangerous territory. The community, while birthed with good intentions, dealt with mental health crises using spiritual warfare methods rather than professional therapy, leading to traumatic and unsafe conditions for both adults and children. Christine unpacks how children were treated as spiritual warriors, used as symbols of family ministry, and often subjected to exorcisms or dangerous counseling by untrained adults. She reflects on the psychological consequences of these experiences, including the normalization of trauma, complex PTSD, and systemic authoritarianism.

The conversation deepens as Christine and John explore the deliverance movement’s psychological fallout—highlighting how trauma was mislabeled as demonic possession, how legitimate mental health conditions were exacerbated, and how cultic systems discouraged seeking real therapy. They discuss the toxic blend of spiritual abuse, authoritarian control, and the attraction of narcissistic or mentally unstable leaders to such groups. Christine introduces the concept of post-traumatic growth, encourages grace in the healing process, and emphasizes that recovery isn’t linear. The episode ends with an agreement to continue the conversation in future sessions, particularly regarding the health effects of trauma.

00:00 Introduction
00:31 Christine’s background and Dayar Ministries explained
02:04 Commune life: faith, support raising, and survival
03:40 Discipleship schools and untrained “counselors”
05:15 Deliverance sessions and exorcism practices
07:55 Transition to YWAM and early exposure to Mike Bickle & MorningStar
09:17 Christine’s counseling studies and perspective on deliverance
12:05 Ritualized deliverance and its psychological effects
16:29 Playing “Deliverance” as children
17:22 Trauma, therapy, and recognizing PTSD
20:11 From deliverance to theophostic/transformational prayer ministries
21:33 Complex PTSD in cult survivors
23:42 The addictive cycle of release and ritual
26:36 How unsafe practices compounded trauma
30:04 Childhood in warfare mode and authoritarianism
34:01 Specialness, narcissism, and prophetic elitism
38:02 Gandalf or the Ring: coping strategies in cult childhoods
42:08 Predators, narcissists, and authoritarian groups
44:43 Mental illness, genetics, and cult environments
48:14 Schizotypal personalities, bipolar disorder, OCD in these settings
51:09 The grief of cult kids and post-traumatic growth
55:19 Healing is not linear—grace for survivors
57:14 Post-traumatic growth and defining your own path
59:45 Letting go of urgency after leaving high-control groups
1:02:26 Closing thoughts and future conversations
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