Editing Religious trauma syndrome (section)

== Growing awareness ==

Discussion about religious trauma syndrome is becoming more widespread in the media, including major mainstream outlets<ref>{{Cite news
|last=Schiffman
|first=Richard
|date=2019-02-05
|title=When Religion Leads to Trauma (Published 2019)
|language=en-US|work=The New York Times
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/05/well/mind/religion-trauma-lgbt-gay-depression-anxiety.html|access-date=2020-10-29|issn=0362-4331}}
</ref><ref name="Guardian 2017">{{cite news 
|last= Tewa
|first= Sophia
|date= 11 March 2017
|title= Life after a sex cult: 'If I'm not a member of this religion any more, then who am I?'
|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/11/children-of-god-church-sex-cult-texas-mexico-fbi
|work= The Guardian
}}2021-06-12
</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|last=Fortenbury
|first=Jon
|date=2014-09-28
|title=The Health Effects of Leaving Religion
|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/the-health-effects-of-leaving-religion/379651/
|access-date=2020-10-29
|website=The Atlantic
|language=en-US}}
</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web
|first= Ekua 
|last= Hagan
|title=The Invisible Demographic|url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choice-and-rebirth/202006/the-invisible-demographic|access-date=2020-10-29
|website=Psychology Today
|language=en-US}}</ref> and internet sources of news.<ref>{{Cite web
|date=2016-04-18
|title=Can You Get Addicted to Religion?
|last= Tarico
|first= Valerie
|url=https://www.alternet.org/2016/04/can-you-get-addicted-religion/|access-date=2020-10-29
|website=Alternet.org|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|date=2015-04-30
|last= Tarico
|first= Valerie
|title='I Don't Believe This Anymore': What It's Like to Leave Behind Abusive, Right-Wing Religion|url=https://www.alternet.org/2015/04/i-dont-believe-anymore-what-its-leave-behind-abusive-right-wing-religion/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Alternet.org|language=en}}
</ref><ref>{{Cite web
|date=2014-11-01
|last= Winell
|first= Marlene
|title=The sad, twisted truth about conservative Christianity's effect on the mind|url=https://www.salon.com/2014/11/01/the_sad_twisted_truth_about_conservative_christianitys_effect_on_the_mind_partner/
|access-date=2020-10-29
|website=Salon
|language=en}}</ref> Awareness is becoming global, in terms of people seeking help and in the news.<ref>{{Cite web
|last=Pijamasurf
|title=Dejar la religión se parece a dejar las drogas
|url=https://pijamasurf.com/2015/10/dejar-la-religion-se-parece-a-dejar-las-drogas/|access-date=2020-10-29
|language=es}}</ref> Education and training on mental health within religious environments, creating inclusive environments, and safe spaces, legal protection and advocacy, advancements through research and promotion of healthier theological interpretations are key in building awareness.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Navigating the Shadows of Religious Trauma and Spiritual Abuse {{!}} Seattle Neurocounseling |url=https://seattleneurocounseling.com/blog-1/navigating-the-shadows-of-religious-trauma-and-spiritual-abuse |access-date=2024-05-13 |website=seattleneurocounseling.com |language=en}}</ref>

While much of the work on religious trauma has centered on [[fundamentalist Christianity]], RTS analysis has been applied to other groups such as [[Mormons|Mormonism]],<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gallacher|first=Claudine|date=2018-05-01|title=Religious Trauma: What No One Tells You at Church|url=https://www.postmormonmentalhealth.com/blog/religious-trauma-at-church/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Post-Mormon Mental Health|language=en-US}}</ref> [[Jehovah's Witnesses]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Interesting Developments in the ex-Jehovah's Witness Community – VirusHead|url=https://www.virushead.net/vhrandom/2011/06/ex-jehovahs-witness-help/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=www.virushead.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Losing my religion: facing the trauma of leaving a faith|url=https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/losing-my-religion-facing-the-trauma-of-leaving-a-faith-20210817-p58jht.html|last=Fallon|first=Amy|date=2021-09-12|access-date=2022-01-08|work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]}}</ref> [[The Family International|Children of God]],<ref name="Guardian 2017" /> [[Orthodox Judaism]],<ref name=":12" /> the [[Unification Church]],<ref name=":9" /> and some [[Islamic fundamentalism|fundamentalist groups]] in [[Islam]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Free Hearts Free Minds|url=https://www.freeheartsfreeminds.com/life-coach|access-date=2020-10-29|website=FreeHeartsFreeMinds|language=en|archive-date=2020-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129223550/https://www.freeheartsfreeminds.com/life-coach|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Faith to Faithless|url=https://www.faithtofaithless.com/|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Faith to Faithless|language=en-US}}</ref> Personal journeys out of fundamentalist religion have been the subject of numerous films<ref>{{Citation|last=Wright|first=John|title=Leaving My Father's Faith|date=2018-02-07|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6469558/|type=Documentary|others=Bart Campolo, Tony Campolo|publisher=Hemet Productions, Jux Films, Matt Dean Films|access-date=2020-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Unorthodox|author=Anna Winger|date=2020-03-26|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9815454/|type=Drama|others=Shira Haas, Amit Rahav, Jeff Wilbusch, Alex Reid|publisher=Studio Airlift, Real Film Berlin|access-date=2020-10-29}}</ref> in addition to previously mentioned books and memoirs.

=== 24 May – Religious Trauma Day ===

Religious Trauma Day was initiated in Sweden in 2023 to draw attention to the trauma caused by growing up in or leaving a religious community. The date 24 May is symbolically chosen: it is the same day that the [[Neo-charismatic movement|neo-charismatic]] Christian [[Word of Life (Sweden)|Word of Life]] congregation celebrated its 40th anniversary. Word of Life is a controversial congregation that, especially during the 1980s and 1990s, stood for a charismatic theology that attracted attention in the media and other Christian communities; many members left with trauma.{{Citation needed|date=January 2026}} Behind the initiative for the religious trauma day was a working group of 150 people with a background in all different types of Christian communities—from the [[Church of Sweden]], [[The Salvation Army]] and the [[Swedish Pentecostal Movement|Pentecostal Church]] to [[Jehovah's Witnesses in Sweden|Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweden|The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], as well as a network on social media comprising over 1000 people [[Deconstructing faith|deconstructing]] their faith. A petition signed by 89 people<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-05-24 |title=Tusentals har trauman av sin religiösa uppväxt |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/a/EQ5J32 |access-date=2026-01-11 |website=[[Aftonbladet]] |language=sv}}</ref> was published in ''[[Aftonbladet]]'', Sweden's largest evening newspaper. Karin Fahlström, initiator of the theme day, who grew up in the Word of Life, was interviewed by [[TV4 News]]<ref>[https://www.tv4play.se/klipp/7eb901f41edf9c6d2e7e/karin-lamnade-livets-ord-varlden-utanfor-var-farlig tv4play.se]</ref> together with a psychologist specializing in religious trauma and the general secretary of [[Christian Council of Sweden|Sweden's Christian Council]]. In 2024, a Swedish online conference on religious trauma was organized in collaboration with the study association Bilda.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-23 |title=Dagen som lyfter att religion kan göra ont |url=https://www.kyrkanstidning.se/nyhet/dagen-som-lyfter-att-religion-kan-gora-ont/224118 |access-date=2026-01-11 |website=Kyrkans tidning |language=sv-SE}}</ref> Religious Trauma Day is a recurring [[awareness day]] that has spread to the other Nordic countries.{{Citation needed|date=January 2026}}