Control of Thought or Belief (Indoctrination)

A developmental context where thoughts, beliefs, or interpretations were tightly controlled by authority figures, systems, or environments, with limited room for questioning, exploration, or dissent. Acceptance, safety, or belonging may have depended on adopting prescribed views or suppressing personal perspectives. Over time, this can shape patterns of self-doubt, fear of independent thinking, difficulty trusting one’s own judgments, and anxiety or guilt when beliefs diverge from external rules.