I had a hard time getting to the point of understanding my family as a cult, because I grew up Catholic - but my family is a bit different than most catholic families. Here is a bit of my story...

My great-grand-aunt was an ascetic, including burning herself, wearing a celice, whipping herself with an iron chain, and constantly praying for increasing suffering. She eventually found an offer of nuns, which still exists.

Our family lived with many of the same attitudes that she espoused, including obedience, reverence, dedication to the church. We went to catholic schools, punishment was harsh and included beatings, humiliation, threats of abandonment, a well as spiritual threats. At the same time, we were taught we were special because of this aunt.

Priests were never wrong. Even those who were known to abuse children decision are drill thought of and remembered fondly by mY parents.

It wasn't until I compared notes though, that I came to understand that my upbringing, though different in some details, was incredibly similar to that of a friend who was raised in an end time cult.

It's been incredibly helpful to recognize the religious abuse, and doing so has been very helpful in my recovery. (I'm dealing with cptsd, DID, Depression...) But it's also been a bit jarring. I've been dealing still with the idea that I don't have a right to view my experience as a cult. But, then again, I suspect that's just more of the family guilt and brainwashing I grew up with.