In Reply to: Another abusive cult? posted by Perry on July 26, 2005 at 20:25:13:
The diagnosis would be either a psychotic or mood disorder with religious preoccupation. People with schizophrenia and bipolar disease get into these states of mind all the time without the assistance of abusive cults. Since the law suit alleges the religious group caused this state of mind, "religious indoctrination" sounds more causal. No doubt the family provided the diagnostic information.
Mind control, brainwashing, or thought reform are different than what is described here. Not sleeping and other problems with activities of daily living (eating, eliminating, hygiene) are associated with dysfunction in a different part of the brain than deficits in someone's critical reasoning skills (cultic mind control).
Speaking in tongues may be associated with dissociative mental states where an individual "goes into the zone" as a way of coping with anxiety and stress.