Jinger Duggar Vuolo has recently given us an insight into her life before her "freedom" from her "cult-like" family.
Speaking to PEOPLE, the 29-year-old opened up about what it was like to grow up in a strict Christian household, sharing the rules she and the other Duggar children were forced to follow in order to "please God."
"Fear was a huge part of my childhood," Vuolo told the outlet during an exclusive, new interview. "I thought I had to wear only skirts and dresses to please God.
"Music with drums, places I went or the wrong friendships could all bring harm."
Even during simple activities like playing a game they referred to as "broomball", she would fear she was straying from the right path.
"I thought I could be killed in a car accident on the way because I didn't know if God wanted me to stay home and read my Bible instead."
Vuolo was raised by her parents - Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar - in an environment that was based on the Institute in Basic Life Principles. The main rules of the organization teach women to be subservient to their husbands and that followers should shun dancing, dating, and much of modern popular culture, as per PEOPLE.
According to their official website, the movement was established in order to "introduce people to the Lord Jesus Christ, and is dedicated to giving individuals, families, churches, schools, communities, governments, and businesses clear instruction and training on how to find success by following God’s principles found in Scripture."
However, the founder and leader of the group, Bill Gothard, was forced to step down from his role in 2014 after a string of harassment and molestation accusations were brought against him.
"[Gothard's] teachings, in a nutshell, are based on fear and superstition and leave you in a place where you feel like, 'I don't know what God expects of me,'" said Vuolo. "The fear kept me crippled with anxiety. I was terrified of the outside world."
In 2017, it all started changing for the 29-year-old when she realized that these teachings were doing her more harm than good.
"His teachings were so harmful, and I'm seeing more of the effects of that in the lives of my friends and people who grew up in that community with me," she said. "There are a lot of cult-like tendencies."
And so she left the group but took her faith with her.
Today, she spends the majority of her time trying to aid others who are in a similar position.
"That's the beauty of this journey," she says. "The teaching I grew up under was harmful, it was damaging, and there are lasting effects. But I know other people are struggling and people who are still stuck. I want to share my story, and maybe it will help even just one person to be freed."
Vuolo's memoir, Becoming Free Indeed, is now available to purchase.
