Content warning: This episode discusses sexual, spiritual, and domestic abuse. Should discussions of the church harming people be kept in-house so the world doesn’t hear about it? No, says Diane Langb...

Content warning: This episode discusses sexual, spiritual, and domestic abuse. Should discussions of the church harming people be kept in-house so the world doesn’t hear about it? No, says Diane Langb...

Bek Condello didn't choose the world she was born into. Raised inside the Geelong Revival Centre, a church she now describes as a cult, every aspect of her life was decided for her — what she believed, who she could trust, who she could marry, what she wore, and what would happen if she ever left. By the time she was an adult, she had never kissed anyone, never questioned the rules she'd grown up with, and genuinely believed the outside world was dangerous. In this conversation with Kate Langbroek, Bek explains why leaving wasn't the hardest part. The real challenge came afterwards: rebuilding an identity from scratch, grieving the parents she feels the cult stole from her, navigating a marriage that was never really her choice, and learning to trust her own instincts after a lifetime of being told not to. Bek also speaks candidly about the lasting impact of growing up in an environment where sex was framed as shameful, revealing how it contributed to a diagnosis of vaginismus after her wedding and the profound effect it had on her first marriage. This isn't simply a story about escaping a cult. It's about what happens when everything you've ever believed is stripped away, and you're left to answer one terrifying question: who are you when you've never been allowed to decide for yourself? Can You Handle a Girl Like Me? by Bek Condello is available now. If this episode raises concerns for you, support is available. You can find Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website for confidential crisis support. Support independent women’s media and get our biggest offer of the year. Subscribe here for 30% off your annual Mamamia subscription. Code applied at the checkout. Offer ends June 30. You can now watch our show in full length video on the Apple Podcast app - make sure your phone is up to date and we can't wait for you to see. CLICK HERE.  What To Listen To Next: Listen: Harrison James: What Every Parent Should Know About Grooming Listen: Jessica Rowe On The Brutal Public Humiliation That Changed Her Forever Listen: Esther Perel: When You Choose Your Partner and Lose Your Family Listen: Georgie Tunny & Rob Mills: The Marriage And Baby Conversation Everyone Keeps Asking About Listen: The Love Of My Life Was My Best Friend. Then She Died At 34 Listen: Jeni Haynes Created 2681 Personalities To Survive Her Abusive Father Listen: Kate Ceberano Has Spent 40 Years Trying To Figure Herself Out Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here. Watch No Filter on YouTube. Follow us on Instagram here. Follow us on TikTok here.  Feedback: podcast@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. CREDITS: Guest: Bek Condello Host: Kate Langbroek Executive Producer: Bree Player Audio and Video Producer: Julian Rosario Social Media Producer: Olivia Colman Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - The Desperate Plan to Escape a Doomsday Cult 01:19 - Born into an Australian Pentecostal Cult & The Fear of Hell 04:05 - Traditional Roles, Homeschooling, and Silenced Voices 08:09 - Extreme Childhood Discipline and the Wooden Paddle 11:14 - The Terrifying Encounter with the Pastor in the Forest 15:01 - Forbidden Curiosity and Awkward Sex Education 28:16 - Rushing into a Strangers' Marriage to Find Freedom 33:33 - Understanding Vaginismus and Repressed Trauma 38:17 - Realising 30 Years Were Lost: Leaving the Marriage 39:35 - When Questioning the Church Leads to Betrayal 44:44 - The Reality of Losing Hundreds of People Overnight 47:29 - Rebuilding Identity, Travelling, and Healing 01:00:55 - Experiencing True Unconditional Family Love 01:03:51 - Claiming Personal Power and Writing "Can You Handle a Girl Like Me"

SCHIJNDEL | Alle ploegen in 1D kwamen gisterenmiddag al in actie. SV TOP verloor met 0-3 van koploper Roda Boys. Ook DAW verloor, met 0-2 van Houten. Avanti’31 pakte een puntje op bezoek bij SVL Langb...