Synanon and Enthusiastic Sobriety: Cults Disguised as Drug Treatment

Cults take on many disguises to recruit and control members, including religious organizations, marketing schemes, drug treatment, and even yoga or martial arts groups. But the tactics of recruitment and control are very similar, and the malignant narcissists who profit from the cults also act in similarly destructive ways. I recently had a conversation with former cult member David Cherry. He spent 15 years under Enthusiastic Sobriety’s undue influence and mind control, which is a cult disguised as a drug treatment program. The story of Enthusiastic Sobriety and Synanon highlight the similarities of these two cults disguised as drug treatment and provide valuable information on the red flags to look for when choosing a drug treatment program.