Religious Trauma
While many people find religion comforting, satisfying and beneficial, countless others have had negative experiences that profoundly impact their well-being and functioning. Marlene Winell, Ph.D. coined the term “Religious Trauma Syndrome” (RTS) to describe a condition experienced by people who “are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination.” Winell compares RTS to complex and developmental trauma as beliefs about the world, self, and others are formed in rigid, controlling, and often hostile environments during critical developmental periods.
The effects of a rigid religious upbringing can contribute to the following developmental difficulties:
Problems with sexual expression and gratification due to “purity culture,” lack of sexual education, and shaming of sexual feelings/behaviors
Underdeveloped critical thinking skills due to rigid following of doctrine or trying to discern “God’s will”
Inability to recognize emotions due to repression/supression (can lead to feelings of numbness/depression)
Anxiety (daily and existential) due to fears surrounding eternal damnation (can lead to perfectionsim, paranoid thinking and self-doubt)
Difficulty experiencing pleasure, being present, and enjoying life due to a focus on the afterlife
Low self-esteem and impaired sense of efficacy to due teachings that humans are sinners and all good comes from God
Recommended Reading
Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion by Marlene Winell - I highly recommend this book as it is based on sound psychological principles and Winell is the founder of the RTS movement.
For a good “personal experience” read You Are Your Own: A Reckoning with the Religious Trauma of Evangelical Christianity by Jamie Lee Finch- this book resonates with my clients.
For further education on religious trauma, https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/ is a reputable website comprised of educators, researchers, and mental health clinicians