The Cult Was Just the Beginning: Part 1
The Dating Detectives
Dear Media
4.7 • 3.2K Ratings
🗓️ 6 April 2026
⏱️ 82 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this deeply unsettling two-part story, Abby shares how growing up in the rigid, high-control world of IBLP shaped her understanding of love, obedience, and self-worth, and ultimately set the stage for a relationship she didn’t have the tools to question. From a childhood defined by isolation, fear, and forced compliance, to a young adulthood marked by loneliness, manipulation, and a desperate search for safety, Abby’s story reveals how early indoctrination can blur the line between devotion and control. As she begins to break free from her upbringing she meets a man who seems to offer everything she’s been missing. But as their whirlwind relationship accelerates into engagement and marriage, subtle red flags begin to surface, leaving listeners to wonder: is this finally love, or just another version of the control she’s always known? This is Part 1 of Abby’s story—and trust us, it only gets more complicated from here.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The following program contains names, places, and events that have been anonymized or fictionalized for the purposes of protection and safety. |
| 0:07.6 | The following program is provided for entertainment purposes only, and any commentary from the hosts are strictly conjecture and should not be held as making any definitive statements about the truth or identity of any particular individuals or circumstances. |
| 0:20.1 | If you or a loved one are involved in an |
| 0:21.9 | abusive relationship, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7-2-33 for support. |
| 0:37.4 | Happy dating detectives Monday. Hi, Hannah. Hi, Mackenzie. Oh, do we have a story today? |
| 0:43.6 | Oh, y'all, it's crazy. It's a very, very interesting topic that we've talked a little bit about on our |
| 0:52.0 | podcast before. But before we get into it, I always like to start our episode |
| 0:57.3 | with gratitude. Thank you so much for being here for supporting the dating detectives. |
| 1:01.5 | We're coming up on our three-year anniversary, by the way. Insane. We're almost out of those |
| 1:06.3 | terrible twos, baby. And if it wasn't for you guys, we wouldn't be here. So we appreciate all of you |
| 1:11.5 | who have shared and built this community and really encouraged and inspired other people and |
| 1:17.1 | encouraged and inspired us. And again, we're grateful for the support. So just wanted to remind you |
| 1:22.0 | that we really, really appreciate you. So thank you. Thank you for joining the Patreon. |
| 1:26.1 | That really helps us too. Yeah. And also when you send your stories, today's guest, her name is Abby, is a great |
| 1:32.8 | example of someone who she'll open with saying a lot of this story I thought was normal, |
| 1:39.1 | but it's not. And I think a lot of you sometimes don't feel ready to share a story or like maybe it's not dating |
| 1:45.8 | detectives worthy. |
| 1:46.9 | But we are so open to anything, even if you don't think it's a clear dogfish story. |
| 1:51.4 | Maybe we'll read it on Patreon. |
| 1:53.4 | Maybe there is something so important about it that we want to share it. |
| 1:56.8 | So investigate at the dating detectivespodcast.com is where you share your stories. |
| 2:02.4 | And today we have a cult story. |
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