Family is supposed to be your safe place—but what happens when home is the original high-control group? In this episode, Alicia Markowitz, co-host of the Spanish-language podcast Familias Horribles, joins us to talk about growing up in an abusive family system, becoming the scapegoat, and slowly realizing that the “family rules” were really just coercion, control, gaslighting, triangulation, and a whole lot of “because I said so.”Alicia gets refreshingly real about trauma, religious guilt, emotional and physical abuse, fawning, zero contact, and the terrifying business of choosing yourself after a lifetime of being told you’re the problem. We talk about how family cults mirror other high-control groups, how to recognize the red flags, why boundaries don’t magically work on narcissists, and how therapy, trusted people, good information, and a little hard-won self-compassion can help you rebuild the person you had to hide to survive.Follow Alicia on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @estoydemilado, and Familias Horribles on YouTube and Instagram.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of childhood abuse, physical violence, psychological and emotional abuse, narcissistic and controlling parents, family estrangement and zero contact, gaslighting, scapegoating, panic attacks, depression, trauma, and suicidal fear.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody’s mad at you, just don’t be a culty fuckwad.Buy the A Little Bit Culty book on Amazon or order a signed copy.Check out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin’ fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.