I stumbled onto this forum while I suppose looking for, not so much a way to heal from operant conditioning, but to actively counter it while it is happening.
Like for instance, supposing I was in the heart of a cult and even though I couldn't escape, that I could actively reduce the damage of being in the cult
in some way...
In general terms, suppose I could not make the operant conditioning process end. And I was biding my time, trying to keep myself sane until the opportunity arose
to get myself out of whatever fix I was in.
Some ideas I have on this include:
-having a secret, private inner world based on your hobbies or interests
-attempting to analyze and perhaps document, exactly what is happening to you, and how it is affecting you
(if doing this the temptation may be there to show this to a therapist, but be careful about doing so.. if it is not carefully worded it could be dismissed or misinterpreted.)
(ya... i think.. doing some logical analysis of the "problem", if it is legible, clear and concise, could be of great value)
I have considered the option of trying to hit myself whenever I did something I felt I was doing from conditioning. There may be some merit to this approach but the
economics of it don't balance out very well as whatever pain you are trying to escape is surely greater than that which you voluntarily inflict upon yourself.
Also I guess, something to add is that since a refusal to openly communicate is often associated with this kind of thing, is there any advice on how to deal with
always wanting to solve the problem through communication even when communication has failed. Maybe this gets clouded by the fact that they will often
communicate about other topics.. but when it approaches a topic like this everything goes silent.
It's worth noting I think that if someone is trying to condition or manipulate you, merely confronting them about it won't stop them. That's not how the rules of the game work.
Like, confronting them is not analogous to pinning someone in wrestling, or pushing them out of the ring in sumo wrestling. That analogy simply doesn't apply.
In general it is unlikely you can affect the person with empty words. And if you try to take revenge on them by smashing something replaceable they will simply counter-revenge you.
Or if you try to smash something irreplaceable they will probably revenge you again.
I think the only ways to be free of such things are: to escape, to be rescued, to break the mechanisms of control, or somehow defeat them.
Defeating them could involve a legal battle, or a campaign to ruin them, a fight, I don't know.
Also I think, analyze what freedoms you do have, and what you can do. If you need money, are there ways you can get it?
If you need money badly enough, if that money will help you be free maybe even steal it. Why not? You can always explain in court why you had to steal it.
Or look around at things you could pawn.
Are you too weak? You could do some exercises. Maybe someone would even teach you to fight for free.
Can you obtain steroids? Maybe this would give you the edge temporarily that you need to be free.
Do you need a car? Why not steal one? If you get stopped you can explain again why you needed to steal a car.
Also... only do such things if absolutely necessary. A lot of the above approaches are only appropriate because they are fast and unlikely for your
enemies to catch you until it's too late. But let's stop suger coating just how difficult it is to be freed from brainwashing etc. I am proud of the advice I have thought up.