A woman who asserts she has ‘lost’ her mother to QAnon has shared the harmful effects the conspiracy has on the United States.
Conspiracy theories have existed for ages, often leaving detrimental marks on people’s lives.
One woman recounted the adverse effects QAnon has had on her family.
It is believed that QAnon began online in 2017 when an anonymous poster, ‘Q’, claimed to have high-level US security clearance.
Using this purported ‘Q clearance’, the individual began disseminating far-right propaganda and numerous conspiracy theories.
One prominent theory suggested that former president Donald Trump is engaged in a covert battle against a cabal of pedophiles, allegedly composed of elite figures in government, business, and media.
QAnon supporters have long predicted a day of reckoning, where high-profile individuals would be arrested and executed as a result of this ‘war’.
Jane*, who believes she has ‘lost’ her mother to QAnon, recently shared her story on Reddit.
She wrote an open letter to her mother, who embraced QAnon in 2020, hoping to mend their relationship.
Jane wrote: “I will continue to love you from afar. This isn’t an ultimatum. This is my last chance of hope. This is me being willing to lay it on the table to see if there’s a chance at us reconciling. At this point, there’s nothing else to lose.
“I don’t want my kids to be confused.”
Although Jane’s life may seem ‘pretty great’ now, she constantly thinks about her mother and her place in the family.
Jane said: “Honestly, my life is pretty great right now. I have two healthy, amazing kids. I’m married to my best friend. We’re doing well at our jobs. All of that tends to be overshadowed in my mind by this fear and guilt about my parents.”
Jane expressed how, in her youth, she ‘never wanted to be like her parents’, describing their worldview as ‘weird’.
“This is what’s difficult about allowing them a relationship with my kids. I don’t want my kids to be confused about what’s real,” she added.
Jane hasn’t dismissed the possibility of future relations with her mother, though she noted her parents “would have to change in a way that I know they’re not capable of.”
Consequently, Jane finds herself in what she calls ‘a state of perpetual grief’.
She added: “Every time I have a happy moment, I get a sense of panic and dread that something is going to go wrong. This is because this is how my childhood went.”
Jane further detailed how her turbulent childhood has shaped her adult life, stating: “I’m working with my therapist to get comfortable in ‘calm’.
“My entire nervous system is extremely high-achieving and addicted to my stress hormones. I am extraordinary at dealing with stressful situations. I’m not good at relaxing or accepting what is. I’m constantly ruminating about what I could do to convince my parents to change.
“Since I know I can’t ask them to see past their capacity, I’m in a state of trying to accept the heartbreaking truth that I don’t have parents and my kids won’t have them as grandparents.”
Out of concern for her children, Jane has chosen not to disclose her mother’s beliefs to them.
“They’re still young and I don’t want their worldview to be altered by unstable ideals. I refuse to allow them to be confused about what is real and what is right or wrong,” she added.
“That was so confusing for me as a kid. Luckily, I’m strong willed and was able to stand by my convictions even when the adults in my life were too dumb or cowardly to do the same.”
Beyond her personal situation, Jane is alarmed by the impact QAnon is having on the US.
She said the ideology is ‘tearing’ the country apart.
“The worst part is that the algorithms and bad actors are exploiting already mentally unwell people,” she said. “They’re radicalizing people who will ultimately vote against their best interests. They’re tearing this country apart.”
Conspiracy theories can become perilously dangerous, causing people to believe in baseless claims.
An expert elucidated how extreme things can become.
Daniel Jolley, from the University of Nottingham in the UK said that regardless of a conspiracy’s truth, it can lead individuals into unexpected actions.
“It can ultimately lead to violent extremism,” the professor said.
Jane admitted she is ‘not sure what the end game is’ regarding QAnon, but she is certain of one thing: “I refuse to be taken down with it.”
*Name changed for the purposes of this article