This is the typical advice you get from a cult that does not want to change.

Leah Remini, one of my favorite actors – though I actually only know her from “King of Queens” – got the same advice when she started to speak out about her experience and tried to warn and help others:

Dropouts are pushed to move on so that the cult can also move on undisturbed, exploiting the next generation of victims.

Luckily, there are always a few who don’t just move on, but also care about revealing the truth to the public.

It’s difficult. You will lose your former “friends” in the cult, and even worse, you may lose family members still stuck in the cult. People outside the cult will not understand what you’ve gone through and why you stayed in that toxic environment for so long, they may think you’re crazy. But leaving the cult is the best thing you can do, and telling others about your experience is even better.

Thank you, Leah.

(See also: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath)