Editing Religious abuse (section)

== Survivors ==
Survivors of religious abuse can develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in response to their abusive religious experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems|url=https://truthout.org/articles/religious-trauma-syndrome-how-some-organized-religion-leads-to-mental-health-problems/|last=Tarico|first=Valerie|website=Truthout|date=27 March 2013 |language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> Dr. Marlene Winell, a psychologist and former [[fundamentalist]], coined the term ''[[religious trauma syndrome]]'' (RTS) in a 2011 article she wrote for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Winell |first=Marlene |title=Religious Trauma Syndrome: It's Time to Recognize it |url=https://www.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Its-Time-to-Recognize-it.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141002001712/https://www.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Its-Time-to-Recognize-it.aspx |archive-date=2014-10-02 |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=[[British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies]]}}</ref>  Winell describes RTS as "the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian, dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination."<ref name=":2" />

In the article, Winell identifies four categories of dysfunction: cognitive, affective, functional, and social/cultural.<ref name=":2" /> 

* '''Cognitive''': Confusion, difficulty with decision-making and critical thinking, dissociation, identity confusion
* '''Affective''': Anxiety, panic attacks, depression, suicidal ideation, anger, grief, guilt, loneliness, lack of meaning
* '''Functional''': Sleep and eating disorders, nightmares, sexual dysfunction, substance abuse, [[somatization]] <ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-20 |title=5 Ways Religious Trauma Can Affect Your Sexuality (and how to heal) |url=https://nakedpastor.com/blogs/news/how-religious-trauma-can-affect-your-sexuality |access-date=2026-01-27 |website=nakedpastor |language=en}}</ref>
* '''Social/cultural''': Rupture of family and social network, employment issues, financial stress, problems acculturating into society, interpersonal dysfunction

These symptoms can occur for people who have simply participated in dogmatic expressions of religion, such as fundamentalism. Extreme cases of religious abuse such as authoritarian cult membership, clergy sexual abuse, or mind control tactics used to extremes like the mass suicide at [[Jonestown]] may attract public scrutiny. However, individuals can experience chronic religious abuse in the subtle mind-control mechanics of fundamentalism that leads to trauma.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Hartz|first1=Gary W.|last2=Everett|first2=Henry C.|date=1989|title=Fundamentalist Religion and Its Effect on Mental Health|journal=Journal of Religion and Health|volume=28|issue=3|pages=207–217|doi=10.1007/BF00987752|jstor=27506023|pmid=24276911|s2cid=1095871|issn=0022-4197}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Winell |first=Marlene |title=Religious Trauma Syndrome: Trauma from Religion |url=https://www.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Trauma-from-Religion.aspx |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=[[British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies]]}}</ref> While many extreme traumatic experiences associated with religion can cause simple [[Posttraumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], scholars are now arguing that chronic abuse through mind control tactics used in fundamentalist settings, whether intentional or not, can induce [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|C-PTSD]] or developmental trauma.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Winell |first=Marlene |title=Religious Trauma Syndrome: Trauma from Leaving Religion |url=https://www.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Trauma-from-Leaving-Religion.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225203613/http://www.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Trauma-from-Leaving-Religion.aspx |archive-date=2014-12-25 |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=[[British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Winell |first1=Marlene |last2=Talarico |first2=Valerie |date=2014-11-02 |title=Psychological Harms of Bible-Believing Christianity |url=https://ieet.org/index.php/IEET2/more/tarico20141102 |access-date=2020-05-21 |website=[[Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies]]}}</ref>

[[Exposure therapy]] or staying in religiously abusive settings may not be conducive to healing for survivors of religious abuse.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Panchuk|first=Michelle|date=July 3, 2018|title=The Shattered Spiritual Self: A Philosophical Exploration of Religious Trauma|url=https://www.pdcnet.org/resphilosophica/content/resphilosophica_2018_0095_0003_0505_0530?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=227f39005110792fc0540ff6449194cb94beba7a-1590088895-0-AYxbeZpps_uwn7XK7NJK5mB1s5rE9O_-_QkP9P8etnGo5JypeXzBgI_zp68iLjFfIBjmdE5E8hAOQl_9hgzWQFtVSEgMhfOR_lPi4RcHG56s5yVoIvfJbVU_ma-cvioEmqH3hf5azew_25AGo2QqivUCgytTO-fpZnmAD6PsLZI69ESGkJ8_1w6Z1Uc-aHHQIrgE0Cbp_WDpn3qlqwOkDsxdIPf2rdJZFz3B0WOOmE7HV5WlqHKsrRsx2pdxeq2DXH_xxXJ086KxLNxuCaxTLI6flYeIMZZFW4dldaTqSSspI2032fM6p7sfRZC8Wl5wkZOuDA3vlETN--ut7EwReyURy_WcITQ_YguKTTCmzi6H|journal=Res Philosophica|volume=95|issue=3|pages=505–530|doi=10.11612/resphil.1684|via=Philosophy Documentation Center|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Healing can come through support groups, therapy, and psychoeducation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Religious Trauma in Childhood|url=http://www.donnabevanlee.com/uncategorized/religious-trauma-in-childhood/|last=Bevan-Lee|first=Donna|date=2018-11-11|website=Donna J. Bevan-Lee, Ph.D. MSW|language=en|access-date=2020-05-21}}</ref> In some cultures, survivors have opportunities to recover and live vibrant lives after they leave religiously abusive settings.