Editing Religious trauma syndrome

{{Short description|Lingering symptoms of controlling belief systems}}
'''Religious trauma syndrome''' ('''RTS''') is classified as a set of [[Signs and symptoms|symptoms]], ranging in severity, experienced by those who have participated in or left behind [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]], [[dogma]]tic, and [[Abusive power and control|controlling]] [[Religious denomination|religious groups]] and [[Belief|belief systems]].<ref name="Stone" /> It is not present in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual ([[DSM-5]]) or the ICD-10 as a diagnosable condition, but is included in Other Conditions that May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention.<ref name="ICD10">{{cite web |title=Religious Institution as the External Cause |url=https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/V00-Y99/Y90-Y99/Y92-/Y92.22 |website=ICD10data |publisher=World Health Organization}}</ref><ref name="DSMV">{{cite book |title=Other Conditions That May Be a Focus of Clinical Attention |url=https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.Other_Conditions_Z_codes |website=DSMV |date=2022 |publisher=American Psychiatric Association |doi=10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787.Other_Conditions_Z_codes |isbn=978-0-89042-575-6 |access-date=22 June 2024}}</ref> Symptoms include [[Cognitive dissonance|cognitive]], [[Affective sensation|affective]], [[Functionalism (philosophy of mind)|functional]], and [[Social psychology|social/cultural]] issues as well as [[Developmental psychology|developmental]] delays.<ref name="Winell BABCP 3">{{Cite web
|title=Understanding Religious Trauma Syndrome (part 3): Trauma from Leaving Religion
|last=Winell
|first=Marlene
|publisher=British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
|url=https://legacy.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Trauma-from-Leaving-Religion.aspx
|access-date=2020-10-26
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

RTS occurs in response to two-fold [[Psychological trauma|trauma]]: first the prolonged abuse of [[indoctrination]] by a controlling religious community, and second the act of [[Apostasy|leaving]] the controlling religious community.<ref name="Winell BABCP 3" /> RTS has developed its own [[Heuristics in judgment and decision-making|heuristic]] collection of symptoms informed by psychological theories of [[Psychological trauma|trauma]] originating in [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|C-PTSD]] and [[betrayal trauma]] theory (which highlight shattered trust and [[worldview]] loss) taking relational and social context into account when approaching further research and treatment.

The term "religious trauma syndrome" was coined in 2011 by psychologist Marlene Winell in an article for the [[British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies]], though the phenomenon was recognized long before that. The term has circulated among [[psychotherapist]]s, former [[fundamentalist]]s, and others recovering from religious indoctrination.<ref name="Stone">{{Cite journal
|last=Stone
|first=Alyson M.
|date=2013
|title=Thou Shalt Not: Treating Religious Trauma and Spiritual Harm With Combined Therapy
|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13186/group.37.4.0323
|journal=Group
|volume=37
|issue=4
|pages=323–337
|doi=10.13186/group.37.4.0323
|jstor=10.13186/group.37.4.0323|s2cid=9599796
|issn=0362-4021|url-access=subscription
}}</ref><ref name="Winell BABCP 1">
{{Cite web |last=Winell |first=Marlene |title=Understanding Religious Trauma Syndrome (part 1): It's Time to Recognize It |url=https://journeyfree.org/wp-content/uploads/RTS-article-in-CBT-Today.pdf |access-date=2020-10-26 |publisher=British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies}}</ref> Winell explains the need for a label and the benefits of naming the symptoms encompassed by RTS as similar to naming [[anorexia]] as a disorder: the label can lessen shame and isolation for survivors while promoting [[diagnosis]], [[Medical treatment|treatment]], and training for professionals who work with those suffering from the condition.<ref>Herman, Judith.  Trauma and Recovery, Basic Books, 1997, p. 157.</ref>

RTS arises in contexts where individuals are taught they are inherently flawed and unsafe, frequently through doctrines like [[original sin]] and [[Hell|eternal punishment]], and controlled by fear-based teachings and threats of [[damnation]]. Symptoms span cognitive confusion, [[anxiety]], [[Depression (mood)|depression]], [[sexual dysfunction]], [[substance abuse]], [[social isolation]], and [[Global developmental delay|developmental delays]] caused by restricted [[critical thinking]] and information control. Leaving such communities can itself be traumatic, as it often involves losing [[social support]], identity, and meaning while facing [[institutional betrayal]] and hostility from former members. RTS disproportionately affects marginalized groups, such as [[LGBTQ people|LGBTQ]] individuals pressured to suppress their [[Sexual identity|identities]]. Treatment is [[Trauma-informed care|trauma-informed]] and holistic, addressing cognitive, emotional, functional, and social recovery through critical thinking development, somatic healing, rebuilding identity, forming supportive communities, and processing [[grief]]. Growing awareness, research initiatives, and advocacy — including Religious Trauma Day in [[Sweden]] — aim to destigmatize RTS, deepen understanding of its mechanisms, and promote recovery. 

== Symptoms ==
As symptoms of religious trauma syndrome, psychologists have recognized dysfunctions that vary in number and severity from person to person.

*'''Cognitive:''' [[Confusion]], difficulty with [[decision-making]] and [[critical thinking]], [[dissociation (psychology)|dissociation]], [[identity confusion]]
*'''Affective:''' [[Anxiety]], [[panic attack]]s, [[Depression (mood)|depression]], [[suicidal ideation]], [[anger]], [[grief]], [[guilt (emotion)|guilt]], [[loneliness]], [[Meaning of life|lack of meaning]]
*'''Functional:''' [[sleep disorder|Sleep]] and [[eating disorder]]s, [[nightmare]]s, [[sexual dysfunction]], [[substance abuse]], [[somatization]]
*'''Social/cultural''': [[Dysfunctional family|Rupture of family]] and [[social network]], employment issues, financial stress, problems acculturating into society, interpersonal dysfunction
*'''Developmental delay:'''  emotional, intellectual, social, and sexual immaturity resulting from the control of information and discouragement of critical thinking within the religious environment.<ref name="Winell BABCP 1" />

Religious trauma has also been linked to severe results such as [[suicide]] and [[homicide]].<ref>{{Cite news|last=Blumenthal|first=Max|date=2009-09-09|title=The Nightmare of Christianity|magazine=The Nation|language=en-US|url=https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/nightmare-christianity/|access-date=2020-10-26|issn=0027-8378}}</ref>

== How RTS develops ==

=== Membership ===
RTS begins in toxic religious environments centered around two basic narratives: "You are not okay" and "You are not safe."<ref name="Winell BABCP 2">{{Cite web
|title=Understanding Religious Trauma Syndrome (part 2): Trauma from Religion
|last=Winell
|first=Marlene
|publisher=British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies
|url=https://legacy.babcp.com/Review/RTS-Trauma-from-Religion.aspx
|access-date=2020-10-26
|url-status=dead
}}</ref> These ideas are often enforced by [[theology]] such as the doctrines of [[original sin]] and [[hell]].<ref name="Winell BABCP 2" />

The development of RTS can be compared to the development of [[Complex post-traumatic stress disorder|complex PTSD]] (C-PTSD), defined as a psychological disorder that can develop in response to prolonged, repeated experience of interpersonal trauma in a context in which the individual has little or no chance of escape. Symptoms of RTS are a natural response to the perceived existence of a [[violence|violent]], [[Omnipotence|all-powerful]] [[God]] who finds humans inherently defective, along with regular exposure to religious leaders who use the threat of [[damnation|eternal death]], [[Redemption (theology)|unredeemable life]], [[demon possession]] and many other frightening ideas to control religious devotion and the [[deference|submission]] of group members.<ref name="Stone" />

Members of the [[LGBTQIA+]] community are at particular risk of RTS and C-PTSD as they attempt, over an extended period of time, to alter their [[sexual orientation]] and [[gender identity]] to fit the expectations of [[Authoritarian personality|authoritarian]] religious communities. The process of attempting to alter one's orientation can create [[emotionally abusive]] thought patterns that are prone to exacerbate the C-PTSD-like symptoms of RTS. Chronically living in fear of eternal damnation and lifelong separation from loved ones and religious communities if they fail to comply with sexual identity restrictions can induce long-term symptoms of RTS.<ref name=":3">{{Citation|last1=Yates|first1=Jennifer|title=The Religious Locations of LGBTQ+ Survivors: Survivors of Christian Nonsexual Spiritual Abuse|date=2019|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvwrm4c3.18|work=Navigating Religious Difference in Spiritual Care and Counseling|volume=2|pages=251–280|editor-last=Snodgrass|editor-first=Jill L.|series=Essays in Honor of Kathleen J. Greider|publisher=Claremont Press|isbn=978-1-946230-32-4|access-date=2020-10-26|last2=Snodgrass|first2=Jill L.|jstor=j.ctvwrm4c3.18}}</ref><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=2020-10-26|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

=== Leaving ===
Leaving a controlling religious community, while often experienced as liberating and exciting, can be experienced as a major traumatic event. Religious communities often serve as the foundation for individuals' lives, providing social support, a coherent worldview, a sense of meaning and purpose, and social and emotional satisfaction. Leaving behind all those resources goes beyond a significant loss; it calls on the individual to completely reconstruct their reality, often while newly isolated from the help and support of family and friends who stay in the religion.<ref name="Winell BABCP 1" /><ref name="Moyers">{{Cite web
|title=Psychological Issues of Former Fundamentalists
|last=Moyers
|first=Jim
|url=https://www.jimmoyers.com/spirituality/issuesexfund.html
|access-date=2020-10-26
|website=www.jimmoyers.com
|archive-date=2021-11-30
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130182602/https://www.jimmoyers.com/spirituality/issuesexfund.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book
|last=Newberg, Andrew.
|title=Neurotheology: how science can enlighten us about spirituality.
|date=2020
|publisher=Columbia University Press
|isbn=978-0-231-17905-8
|location=New York
|oclc=1145902629}}</ref>

In addition, when violent or threatening theology, such as a belief in hell, [[divine punishment]], demons, and an [[Us vs. them|evil "outside world"]], have been incorporated into the basic structure of an individual's [[worldview]], the threats of engaging the outside world instead of remaining in the safe bubble of the controlling religious community can induce further anxiety.<ref name="Stone" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name="Moyers" />

As individuals identify the harm they are experiencing in authoritarian religious settings, their concerns may be minimized by the religious group itself, but they can also be compounded by society's investment in positive views of religion.<ref name="Winell BABCP 1" /> Institutional betrayal, first at the hands of beloved religious communities, second at the hands of a world that upholds the utility of religion rather than the experiences of religious abuse survivors, can make symptoms of RTS worse.<ref name="Winell BABCP 1" /> People leaving religion can experience extreme hostility from their former co-religionists.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The Health Effects of Leaving Religion: How a loss of faith can manifest itself in the mind and body|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/the-health-effects-of-leaving-religion/379651/|last=Fortenbury|first=Jon|date=2014-09-28|access-date=2022-01-08|work=[[The Atlantic]]}}</ref>

== Antecedents to RTS ==
The development of RTS as a diagnosable and treatable set of symptoms relies on several psychological theories that provide an academic framework with which to understand it.

=== PTSD ===
Like all iterations of trauma, the development of RTS is informed by [[Post-traumatic stress disorder|PTSD]], defined in [[DSM-5|DSM V]] as a [[mental disorder]] that can develop after a person is exposed to a traumatic event, such as [[sexual assault]], [[war]]fare, [[traffic collision]]s, [[child abuse]], or other threats on a person's life. These events can be personally experienced, observed, or imagined. The important element is the perception of life-threatening danger. In the case of RTS, a person can be traumatized by images of burning [[lake of fire|hellfire]]; [[Fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] groups are noted for using terrifying stories to [[indoctrinate]] children.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gerencser|first=Bruce|date=2017-05-12|title=Scaring Children and Teenagers Into Getting Saved|url=https://brucegerencser.net/2017/05/scaring-children-and-teenagers-into-getting-saved/|access-date=2020-10-26|website=The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser|language=en-US}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=July 2023}}

The experience of leaving one's faith can be an event that takes place quickly or over a period of time. Because of the overall intensity and major impact of the event, it can be compared with other events that cause PTSD. Key symptoms of PTSD are re-experiencing ([[Flashback (psychology)|flashbacks]], nightmares), avoidance (staying away from places, things, and thoughts that are reminders), arousal and reactivity, and cognition and [[mood disorder|mood disturbances]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=NIMH » Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder|url=https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd|access-date=2020-10-26|website=www.nimh.nih.gov}}</ref> These symptoms are also true for many experiencing religious trauma.

=== Complex PTSD ===
Complex PTSD is a closely related disorder that refers to repeated trauma over months or years, rather than a one-time event. Any type of long-term trauma can lead to C-PTSD. The term ''C-PTSD'' was originated by [[Judith Herman]],<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|author=Herman, Judith Lewis|title=Trauma and recovery|date=1997|publisher=BasicBooks|isbn=0-465-08730-2|edition=Rev.|location=New York|oclc=36543539}}</ref> who outlines the history of trauma as a concept in the psychological world along with a three-stage approach for recovery (safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection). Herman outlines the importance of naming and diagnosing trauma to aid recovery, further legitimizing the need for defining RTS as resulting from specifically religious experiences.<ref name=":6" /> Herman also describes C-PTSD with the traumatic complications of surviving captivity. This is a diagnosis comparable to RTS, in which RTS occurs in response to perceived captivity (see [[#How RTS develops]]) rather than physical reality.

The symptoms of C-PTSD include those of PTSD plus lack of [[emotional regulation]], disassociation, negative [[Self-perception theory|self-perception]], relationship issues, and loss of meaning comparable to RTS. Traumatologist [[Pete Walker (traumatologist)|Pete Walker]] sees [[attachment disorder]] as one of the key symptoms of Complex PTSD.  He describes it as the result of growing up with primary caretakers who were regularly experienced as dangerous. He explains that recurring [[Child abuse|abuse]] and [[Child neglect|neglect]] habituates children to living in fear and sympathetic nervous system arousal.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book|author=Walker, Pete|title=Complex PTSD : from surviving to thriving : a guide and map for recovering from childhood trauma|date=13 December 2013|isbn=978-1-4928-7184-2|edition=First|publisher=Azure Coyote |location=[Lafayette, CA]|oclc=871177210}}</ref>

=== Betrayal trauma and shattered assumptions theory ===
While the traditional paradigm defining PTSD focuses on fear response to trauma and emphasizes corrective emotional processing as treatment, RTS may be better understood as a set of symptoms comparable to [[betrayal trauma]] informed by [[shattered assumptions theory]].<ref name="Winell BABCP 3" /> Betrayal trauma adds a fourth assumption ("people are trustworthy and worth relating to") to Janoff-Bulman's original three: (the overall benevolence of the world, the meaningfulness of the world, and self worth).<ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Freyd|first=Jennifer and Anne DePrince|title=Loss of the Assumptive World: a theory of traumatic loss|publisher=Psychology Press|year=2002|isbn=1583913130|editor-last=Kauffman|editor-first=Jeffrey|pages=73|chapter=The Harm of Trauma: Pathological Fear, Shattered Assumptions, or Betrayal?}}</ref> Betrayal trauma theory acknowledges that victims unconsciously keep themselves from becoming aware of betrayal in order to keep from shattering that fourth basic assumption, the loss of which would be traumatic.<ref name=":8" />

Religious trauma can be compared to betrayal trauma because of the trust placed in authoritarian communities and religious leaders which causes harm to individuals. Betrayal trauma theory also acknowledges the power of shattered assumptions to cause trauma. With RTS, individuals are not only experiencing betrayal from family, religious community, and trusted faith leaders, they are also experiencing a shattered faith.<ref name="Winell BABCP 3" /> The potential extremity of feelings in relation to losing one's worldview while also losing emotional and social support to get through any given crisis can cause further trauma.

While fear paradigms tend to focus on treating symptoms of trauma through exposure therapy and attention to emotional regulation, betrayal trauma theory looks at the social context in which the betrayal occurred, placing the [[pathology]] in the traumatic event rather than the individual.<ref name=":8" /> This affects treatment approaches and also informs the treatment for RTS.

=== Religious harm and trauma ===
The psychological harm that can be caused by authoritarian religion has been addressed by authors prior to the naming of the religious trauma syndrome. These writings have included work by psychologists and therapists (Tarico,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Tarico, Valerie|title= The dark side : how evangelical teachings corrupt love and truth| year = 2006|publisher= Dea Press|isbn= 1-4116-9125-3|location= Seattle, WA|oclc= 71783763}}</ref> Ray,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Ray, Darrel|title= The God virus : how religion infects our lives and culture|date= 2009|publisher= IPC Press|isbn= 978-0-9709505-1-2|location= Bonner Springs, Kan.|oclc= 282753096}}</ref> Winell, Kramer & Alstad,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Kramer, Joel|title= The guru papers : masks of authoritarian power| year = 1993|publisher= North Atlantic Books/Frog|others= Alstad, Diana, 1944-|isbn= 1-883319-00-5|location= Berkeley, Calif.|oclc= 27684736}}</ref> Hassan,<ref name=":9">{{Cite book|author= Hassan, Steven|title= Freedom of mind : helping loved ones leave controlling people, cults and beliefs| year = 2012|publisher= Freedom of Mind Press|isbn= 978-0-9670688-1-7|edition= 1st|location= Newton, MA|oclc= 809069037}}</ref> Cohen,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Cohen, Edmund D.|title= The mind of the Bible-believer| year = 1988|publisher= Prometheus Books |isbn= 0-87975-495-8|edition= New updated|location= Buffalo, NY|oclc= 19045001}}</ref> Watters,<ref>{{Cite book |author= Watters, Wendell W.|title= Deadly doctrine : health, illness, and Christian god-talk| year = 1992|publisher= Prometheus Books|isbn= 0-87975-782-5|location= Buffalo, N.Y.|oclc= 26541707}}</ref> Greven,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Greven, Philip J.|title= Spare the child : the religious roots of punishment and the psychological impact of physical abuse| year = 1992|publisher= Vintage Books|isbn= 0-679-73338-8|edition= 1st Vintage books|location= New York|oclc= 24373779}}</ref> Moyers), and many memoirs from former believers, including former pastors (Babinski,<ref>{{Cite book|title= Leaving the fold : testimonies of former fundamentalists| year = 1995|publisher= Prometheus Books|last=Babinski|first=Edward T.|isbn= 0-87975-907-0|location= Amherst, N.Y.|oclc= 30894317}}</ref> Loftus,<ref>{{Cite book|author= Loftus, John W.|title= Why I became an atheist : a former preacher rejects Christianity| year = 2012|publisher= Prometheus Books|isbn= 978-1-61614-577-4|edition= Rev. and expanded|location= Amherst, N.Y.|oclc=761482061}}</ref> [[Dan Barker|Barker]], DeWitt).<ref>{{Cite book|author=DeWitt, Jerry|title=Hope after faith : an ex-pastor's journey from belief to atheism| year = 2013|publisher= Da Capo Press|others= Brown, Ethan|isbn= 978-0-306-82224-7|location= Boston, MA|oclc= 849498288}}</ref> The work of cult specialist Steven Hassan applies to any authoritarian group that applies "undue influence".<ref name=":9" /> Journalist [[Janet Heimlich]],<ref>{{Cite book
|author= Heimlich, Janet
|title=Breaking their will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment
|year=2011
|publisher=Prometheus Books
|isbn=978-1-61614-405-0
|location=Amherst, N.Y.|oclc=679931793}}
</ref> in her research on child maltreatment in religious communities, identified the most damaging groups as having a Bible-belief system that creates an authoritarian, isolative, threat-based model of reality.

The specific semi-medical metaphors of religion as a [[memetic]] virus or of "God as a virus" have gained some attention.<ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = McGrath
 |first1               = Alister
 |author-link1         = Alister McGrath
 |date                 = 15 February 2011
 |title                = Why God Won't Go Away: Engaging With The New Atheism
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=tGypAwAAQBAJ
 |publication-place    = London
 |publisher            = Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
 |isbn                 = 9780281065769
 |access-date          = 20 April 2024
 |quote                = Religion is a 'brilliantly successful virus' that contaminates even the best of minds.[...] Though Dawkins' language about God as a 'virus of the mind' was, I think, clearly intended to be metaphorical, some of his less sophisticated followers seem to take it literally.
}} 
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
 |last1                = Bowker
 |first1               = John
 |author-link1         = John Bowker (theologian)
 |year                 = 1995
 |title                = Is God a Virus?: Genes, Culture, and Religion
 |url                  = https://books.google.com/books?id=3iDXAAAAMAAJ
 |series               = Gresham lectures
 |publisher            = The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
 |page                 = 72
 |isbn                 = 9780281048120
 |access-date          = 20 April 2024
 |quote                = God as a virus [...] consider the basis on which Dawkins argues that God is a virus. His contention is that a God-meme can be identified [...].
}} 
</ref>

== Related empirical research ==

A study of male Vietnam [[Veteran|combat veterans]] with penetrating [[Traumatic brain injury|traumatic brain injuries]] found that [[Lesion|lesions]] in the [[prefrontal cortex]] (PFC), particularly the [[Ventromedial prefrontal cortex|ventromedial]] (vmPFC) and [[Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex|dorsolateral]] (dlPFC) regions, influence adherence to religious fundamentalism. Individuals with vmPFC damage showed higher fundamentalism scores, while dlPFC lesions indirectly increased fundamentalist beliefs by reducing [[cognitive flexibility]] and [[Openness to experience|trait openness]]. The findings suggest that rigid adherence to religious doctrine is partly supported by PFC-mediated cognitive processes, with fundamentalist thinking reflecting diminished flexibility and lower openness, highlighting the role of the brain in maintaining socially reinforced beliefs.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-08|title=A link between brain damage and religious fundamentalism has now been established by scientists|url=https://www.salon.com/2019/01/08/a-link-between-brain-damage-and-religious-fundamentalism-has-now-been-established-by-scientists_partner/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Salon|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Zhong|first1=Wanting|last2=Cristofori|first2=Irene|last3=Bulbulia|first3=Joseph|last4=Krueger|first4=Frank|last5=Grafman|first5=Jordan|date=June 2017|title=Biological and cognitive underpinnings of religious fundamentalism|journal=Neuropsychologia|volume=100|pages=18–25|doi=10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.04.009|issn=1873-3514|pmc=5500821|pmid=28392301}}</ref>

=== Research on religious trauma ===
To date, most research on religious trauma has been qualitative research with an individualistic, experiential focus. These have been interview-based or case studies from clinical practice.<ref name=":10">{{Cite book|last=Winell, Marlene.|title=Leaving the fold|date=2007|orig-year=©1993|publisher=Apocryphile|isbn=978-1-933993-23-2|location=Berkeley, CA|oclc=133132622}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Zuckerman, Phil|title=Faith no more : why people reject religion|date=June 2015|isbn=978-0-19-024884-0|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=New York|oclc=898157509}}</ref> 

Jill Aebi-Mytton surveyed former [[Exclusive Brethren]]; they experienced higher psychological distress than the general population, primarily due to the trauma of leaving the group, with distress influenced by lost family relationships, group identity internalization, and [[Child sexual abuse|childhood sexual abuse]].

== Treatment and tasks of recovery ==
Mental health professionals, life coaches, and individuals practicing pastoral care have been developing approaches to treating RTS. While exposure therapy is not recommended, trauma-focused [[cognitive behavioral therapy]], group therapy combined with one-on-one sessions,<ref name="Stone" /> trauma-informed [[psychoeducation]], [[trauma processing]], and grief work can all be beneficial.<ref name=":7" /> In Winell's approach, treatment is most effective when holistic and multi-modal. That is, treatment needs to address the cognitive, affective, physiological, and relational dimensions of the person, all in a societal context.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-03-22|title=Professional Development Services|url=https://journeyfree.org/professional-development/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Journey Free|language=en-US}}</ref>

Treatment of RTS has been influenced by modern thinking about treating trauma of all kinds.<ref>{{Cite book|author=Van der Kolk, Bessel A.|title=The body keeps the score : brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma|year=2015|isbn=978-0-14-312774-1|publisher=Penguin Books |location=New York, New York|oclc=900623268}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite book|author=Gentry, J. Eric|title=Forward facing trauma therapy : healing the moral wound|others=Block, Ilsa Keith.|date=20 September 2016|isbn=978-0-9975292-0-3|publisher=Compassion Unlimited|location=Sarasota, Florida|oclc=962922635}}</ref> From this trauma-informed perspective, it is important to recognize individual differences and locate the actual trauma in the nervous system of the individual. According to Walker,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Complex PTSD Pete Walker Article|url=https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/complex-ptsd-walker-book|access-date=2020-10-28|website=www.psychotherapy.net}}</ref> importance elements of trauma recovery involve shrinking the [[inner critic]], the role of grieving, and the need to be able to stay self-compassionately present to [[dysphoria|dysphoric affect]].

In medicine, [[trauma-informed care]] is defined as practices that promote a culture of [[safety]], [[empowerment]], and [[healing]].<ref>{{Cite web|author=Monique Tello|date=2018-10-16|title=Trauma-informed care: What it is, and why it's important|url=https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Harvard Health Blog|language=en-US}}</ref>

Group support appears to be an effective treatment for recovery from religious trauma and numerous services have developed to offer this, including professional recovery groups,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-03-03|title=Release and Reclaim Online Support Group|url=https://journeyfree.org/group-forum/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Journey Free|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>
{{Cite web
|title=Support Groups
|url=https://www.reclamationcollective.com/support-groups
|access-date=2020-10-28
|website=Reclamation Collective
|language=en-US}}</ref> peer support groups,<ref>{{Cite web
|title=Support Groups
|url=https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/support-groups
|access-date=2020-10-28|website=Recovering from Religion
|language=en-US}}</ref> and online forums.<ref>{{Cite web
|title=ExChristian.Net
|url=https://new.exchristian.net/|access-date=2020-10-28|website=ExChristian.Net}}</ref><ref>For example
{{Cite web|title=Facebook Group 'Mental Health for Exvangelicals'
|url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/233115774025873/
|access-date=2020-10-28|website=www.facebook.com
|language=en}}
</ref> These may be effective because 1) those in recovery have lost primary support systems of family and church, 2) social support is a primary human need and relevant in understanding the physiology of trauma,<ref name=":11" /> and the social context of treatment helps people feel less alone or at fault.

While some liberal churches offer therapy, professional therapists take the view that treatment should be in a neutral environment, and not in a religious context.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Religious Trauma Syndrome: Wenn Religion krank macht|url=https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/religious-trauma-syndrome-wenn-religion-krank-macht.886.de.html?dram:article_id=455372|last=Ridderbusch|first=Katja|date=6 August 2019|access-date=22 July 2021|work=[[Deutschlandfunk]]|language=German}}</ref>

=== Tasks of recovery ===
Healing from religious trauma involves assessing each symptom area for growth and exploration:

*Cognitive tasks:
** developing [[critical thinking]] skills 
** providing psychoeducation about RTS 
** offering [[decision-making]] frameworks 
** fostering good mental hygiene (e.g. avoiding [[black and white thinking]] or judgmentalism)
** re-establishing a sense of [[personal identity]]<ref name="Winell BABCP 3" />
*Affective tasks:
** exploring coping skills for [[emotional dysregulation]]
** habitual steps for dealing with emotional [[Flashback (psychology)|flashbacks]].<ref name=":7" />
*Functional tasks:
** establishing healthy sleeping and eating patterns
** providing [[sex education]] in an effort to promote healthy sexuality 
** reconnecting with the body through [[Somatics|somatic]] techniques.<ref name=":11" />
*Social/cultural tasks:
** discovering and/or establishing a community or social network outside of the controlling faith community.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=A |title=Healing Together: The Role of Community Support in Overcoming Religious Trauma |publisher=Harmony Press |year=2021}}</ref>
** cultivating financial stability 
** learning how to acculturate into society
** developing interpersonal skills such as [[perspective-taking]].<ref name=":10" />

Many developmental tasks overlap with cognitive, affective, functional, and social/cultural tasks. Developmental tasks of recovery focus on recognizing developmental delay and providing necessary education in critical thinking, sexual health, mental hygiene, and socialization to allow natural human development to continue.<ref name="Winell BABCP 3" />

== 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}}

== Further research ==
To recognize RTS, it is not necessary to say that all religion and spirituality is harmful. It appears that certain kinds of religion, typically fundamentalist and patriarchal, have both toxic teachings and toxic practices. The damage done is through these mechanisms.<ref name=":10" />

In 2019, the [[Religious Trauma Institute]] was founded by therapists Laura Anderson and Brian Peck.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Can Religion Give You PTSD? Meet the "exvangelicals" seeking therapy for religious trauma.|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/161772/can-religion-give-ptsd|last=Russell-Kraft|first=Stephanie|date=2021-03-23|access-date=2022-01-08|magazine=[[The New Republic]]}}</ref> Currently, the institute is conducting a survey on what they are calling adverse religious experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Adverse Religious Experiences Survey|url=https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/adverse-religious-experiences-survey|access-date=2020-10-29|website=Religious Trauma Institute|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210615205239/https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/adverse-religious-experiences-survey|url-status=dead}}</ref> While this will provide a point of comparison to the research on [[adverse childhood experiences]], there is a need for longitudinal studies to examine actual patterns of causation.{{Editorializing|date=January 2026}}

==See also==
* {{Annotated link|Apostasy}}
* {{Annotated link|Rapture anxiety}} characterized by overwhelming fear or general anxiety concerning the [[Rapture]]
* {{Annotated link|Religious abuse}}.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.religioustraumainstitute.com/ The Religious Trauma Institute]
* [https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/hotline-project-support/hotline-project-training/religious-trauma-syndrome Recovering from Religion]

[[Category:Barriers to critical thinking]]
[[Category:Post-traumatic stress disorder]]
[[Category:Adverse childhood experiences]]
[[Category:Types of trauma]]
[[Category:Religion and mental health]]
[[Category:Psychology and religious fundamentalism]]