Shannon listened as the counselor talked to her mother. He explained that kids involved with cults have a very low recovery rate. Add anorexia, depression, cutting, and substance abuse—and Shannon was quickly labeled a lost cause. "Be prepared," the counselor told Shannon's mother. "You may lose your daughter…" There are no lost causes! A Purpose for the Pain is Shannon's story, told in her own words. Maybe it is your story too, or the story of a child or loved one… The details of Shannon's spiral into the depths of darkness are not for the faint-of heart—yet her story is full of hope and the power of God to break even the strongest chains that surround a young person's heart.