Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1733: To The Moon And Back - Part 1
Host: Scott Benner
Guest: Laurel
Release Date: January 10, 2026

Overview

In this deeply compelling episode, host Scott Benner welcomes Laurel, a mother of a son with type 1 diabetes, who shares not just her diabetes journey but a truly remarkable and complex personal story. Laurel opens up about being born and raised in the Unification Church—popularly known as "the Moonies"—and walks listeners through the experiences of growing up in a cult, her gradual separation from it, and the intricate ways trauma and community have shaped her family and worldview. The episode is candid and wide-ranging, balancing heavy topics with Scott’s signature humor and approachability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Meet Laurel: New to the T1D Journey

• Laurel introduces herself as the mother of a 14-year-old son diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about 1.5 years ago; they’re still new to T1D management (02:16).
• Laurel comments on her journey to acceptance and advocacy—her son’s diagnosis changed her life, but her own past is extraordinary in its own right.

A Lighthearted Digression: Age, Self-Image & Humor

• Scott teases Laurel about her youthful appearance in her photo, leading to a playful exchange about age, beauty, and how we perceive ourselves (02:44–04:00).
• Scott recounts being hit on by an older woman at the grocery store, then feeling “sad for myself” and awkward about it (05:03).
• Laurel points out the gender reversal, noting, “Women have been out here being hit on by men 40 years older than us for... since the beginning of time” (06:33).

Laurel’s Childhood: Born Into A Cult

• Laurel’s revelation: "I was actually born into a cult...the Unification Church in the '70s. Have you ever heard of us? Known as the Moonies." (08:03)
• Explains parents’ recruitment, communal fundraising, and mass weddings arranged by church leader Reverend Sun Myung Moon.
• Marriage arranged in a mass wedding at Madison Square Garden (1982)—Laurel born in 1983 (08:59).
• Scott: "What was wrong with your parents? How did they end up in that situation?" (09:47).
• Laurel discusses her dad’s vulnerable post-divorce state, her mom’s depression before joining—a running theme for many cult recruits (09:50, 37:31).

Quote:
"People don’t join cults. They join a community. You join something you think is a good thing."
—Laurel (38:19)

The Cult Experience: From Doctrine to Daily Life

• Laurel explains the pain around the word “cult” as a child:
  “Hearing that word was accusatory and felt really bad. It took several years after I had really left and processed it to start using the word.” (10:39)
• Authoritarianism, financial exploitation, forced fundraising, and spiritual control described as central tactics (11:52).
• Fundraised money went to the top leader; Moon served prison time for tax evasion (12:09).

Growing Up Indoctrinated

• Laurel describes attending public school as “having this split personality,” pretending to be someone else at school versus at home/church (16:44).
• Details on purity culture, emphasis on suppressing sexuality, structured military-style camps, and extreme behavioral requirements—cold showers, 100 bows, and “anzu” (ritualistic beatings in Korea) as penance for “bad thoughts” (17:45–32:15).

Quote:
"There’s like, two sides of the same coin, right? There’s like a sex cult where it’s totally free and open... and then the other side is the purity culture side, where it’s all about controlling your sexuality. For us, it was that intense control."
—Laurel (26:09)

Parental Dynamics & Community Structure

• Her parents stayed committed to the theology, but not always with all organizational practices (19:06–20:36).
• The cult’s control over familial matters—discusses the mass orphaning for “missions” and her mother’s efforts to avoid it for Laurel (20:36).
• Most members lived in the broader community, not on isolated communal farms (24:31).

Why People Join and Stay

• Laurel unpacks myths about cult members being “dumb” (37:03) and explains that vulnerability—rather than naivety—makes people susceptible.
• Cult retention fueled by cognitive dissonance, social isolation risks, and “love bombing”—an onslaught of warm attention to hook new members (38:55–41:10).

Quote:
"Most people who join cults are not dumb... the most common reason is being in a vulnerable place. My mom was dealing with depression before she joined."
—Laurel (37:03)

The Gradual Exit: "Death by a Thousand Cuts"

• Laurel’s path out was slow and evolving—not a dramatic rupture, but a gradual distancing especially after having her own kids (12:56, 14:12, 34:07).
• Trigger for leaving: seeing the church "gun cult" (Sanctuary Church) in the news after Parkland was her “final straw” (23:22).
• Discusses how, for many, leaving is hugely costly—loss of community and sometimes family—making it much harder than outsiders imagine (46:14).
• Despite separation, still finds it complex to disconnect entirely, especially with extended family relationships (34:50, 35:42).

Reflections on Healing, Family, and Identity

• Laurel’s reflections on healing: therapy, struggles with identity, letting go, and the process of “leaving in your mind” (49:13).
• Scott admires her commitment to her children:

  “How great are your kids? You were able to push through all this just for them.”
  —Scott (43:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On being in a cult:
  "As a kid, I didn’t know that it was a cult. You believe your parents, you believe everybody around you that tells you this is normal." (10:39)
• On separating family and belief:
  “If we want to stay in contact with all our family members, you know... we’re never going to be able to completely sort of separate ourselves.” (34:50)
• On why people stay:
  “The cost in leaving... you lose all your friends, maybe. To leave is much harder than it seems.” (46:14)
• On why people join:
  "You join something that you think is a good thing. Wow, this thing helped me get sober, or it gave me meaning and gave me some community." (38:19)
• Scott’s humor, reframing cult dynamics:
  “When I start my cult, do I have to have a big piece of property or can I make people pay for their own house? What a scam!” (24:55)
• On healing and leaving:
  "Leaving physically and then healing from that is different. I’ve been in therapy for many years." (49:31)

Important Timestamps

• 02:16 – Laurel begins her introduction, explains her family’s T1D story.
• 08:03 – Laurel reveals she was born into a cult; Unification Church (“Moonies”).
• 12:56 – Gradual process of leaving the cult; pivotal shift after children born.
• 16:44 – Laurel describes her “split identity” of public school vs. cult home life.
• 26:09 – Discussion of the cult’s purity culture, control over sexuality.
• 32:15 – Details on numerical “conditions,” ritualistic punishments.
• 38:19 – Explains how people join cults for community, not ideology.
• 43:53 – Scott praises Laurel’s courage in protecting her children.
• 49:13 – Laurel talks about healing, therapy, and the mental process of leaving.

Episode Tone

The episode artfully balances gravity and humor: Scott provides comic relief (sometimes with irreverent jokes about cult scams and “pairing up” podcast listeners) to offset the serious, often traumatic, nature of Laurel’s story. Laurel is open, clear-eyed, and compassionate—even when speaking about her parents and community.

Conclusion

This episode is less about diabetes (reserved for Part 2), and more a searing glimpse into how vulnerable people find themselves in controlling groups, and how agency—sometimes hard-fought—can gradually lead them to a new path. With candid storytelling, humor, and deep empathy, Scott and Laurel illuminate the mechanics of coercion, the cost of leaving, and the resilience it takes to forge a new identity.

For further discussion on Laurel’s diabetes journey and strategies for managing T1D, continue to Part 2.