What is Religious Trauma?
Over the past year, I have undergone specialized training in treating religious trauma. This type of trauma is a kind of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that Restoration Counseling defines as “a group of symptoms that arise in response to traumatic or stressful religious experiences.”
Of course, this is not a new thing. The initial writings about it were done in 1993, and the term Religious Trauma Syndrome was developed by Dr. Marlene Winell in 2011.
While religious trauma is not an official psychiatric diagnosis, here are some symptoms:
- Extreme guilt and/or shame
- Feeling isolated or like you don’t belong
- A loss of community
- Feeling lost or directionless
- Feeling disconnected from your body
- Shame or disgust when engaging in freely-chosen sexual activity (during or after)
This is not to say that all religious or faith experiences bring about traumatization. Religious trauma is brought about by Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs). This can be, “Any experience of a religious belief, practice, or structure that undermines an individual’s sense of safety or autonomy and/or negatively impacts their physical, social, emotional, relational, or psychological well-being.”
Some examples of AREs are:
- Being told that you are fundamentally flawed, wrong, or disgusting
- Having been discouraged or judged for asking questions or engaging in critical thought (NOTE: This is one of the signs of Coercive Control in spiritual settings.)
- Being told that only your organization/denomination has the “right” answers
- Feeling more guilt and shame than love and belonging
- The community or leaders telling you that a fundamental part of who you are (i.e., gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, age) is bad, wrong, or somehow less worthy of love
If you have experienced any of these symptoms or triggers, it’s important to find a therapist who is trauma-informed and can understand your experiences. For more information read our previous blog on unpacking religious trauma.
