Religious Trauma Syndrome: How some organized religion leads to mental health problems

https://www.rawstory.com/2018/10/re...cmz18GWAEUdPaJrCTj16bam4lI4nNpHlQ3_yArUY_NpVg

The exerts above focus on THREE important aspects of RTS.

#1 RTS is a serious mental illness that needs to be recognized and treated appropriately.

#2 RTS is LIMITED to ONLY religions that exercise abusive CONTROL over members that is really not all that different to all other forms of abusive control that causes mental illness.

#3 RTS does NOT occur amongst religions that promote the POSITIVE ASPECTS of religion.

There is a very clear DISTINCTION between mainstream religions that are generally positive and benign and the extremist fundamentalist and evangelical sects that use religion as a nefarious means of exercising CONTROL over their members.

This distinction is recognized by Dr Winell and this OP is NOT intended to disparage anyone's religious beliefs even if they belong to one of the fundamentalist and/or evangelical sects.

What this OP is all about is the RECOGNITION that ABUSIVE CONTROL over others is the direct cause of this mental trauma that is now being studied by mental health professionals.

Worth noting that PTSD was denied by the military because it was misperceived as cowardice in the face of the enemy as opposed to being an actual mental illness caused by the stresses of combat. RTS will be denied because it will be misperceived as a "lack of faith" by those who attribute all control and power to their deity. These misperceptions cause more harm than good, unfortunately.

The reality is that abusive control is harmful and as a result some individuals will end up suffering from RTS. It would be preferable that ALL religions recognize RTS and provide access to trained and accredited mental health professionals for any member who suffers from RTS.

The RTS condition exists and the cause of the condition has been diagnosed as abusive mental control.

No one is suggesting that any religion changes WHAT they believe!

All that is being proposed by this OP is that anyone who belongs to a religion and suffers from RTS be provided with the mental health care that they need because that is what caring for others is all about.

As noted in the rules for this forum all aspects of religion can be discussed subject to engaging in RESPECTFUL civil discourse. Please abide by these conditions when responding.

TYIA.

 

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Religious Trauma Syndrome: How some organized religion leads to mental health problems

As the underlying cause IS religion the only dependable cure would be Atheism.

I recommend 1500cc doses twice daily until symptoms subside. Extreme cases may require isolation and quarantine but by then the condition is probably beyond reach of modern medicine.

 

TO FUNNY!

Atheism and health

The prestigious Mayo Clinic found that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life and other health outcomes.[1]

Concerning atheism and health, there is considerable amount of scientific evidence that suggest that theism is more conducive to mental and physical health than atheism [2]

The prestigious Mayo Clinic reported on December 11, 2001:

“ In an article also published in this issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Mayo Clinic researchers reviewed published studies, meta-analyses, systematic reviews and subject reviews that examined the association between religious involvement and spirituality and physical health, mental health, health-related quality of life and other health outcomes.

The authors report a majority of the nearly 350 studies of physical health and 850 studies of mental health that have used religious and spiritual variables have found that religious involvement and spirituality are associated with better health outcomes.[1]

”
The Iona Institute reported:

“ A meta-analysis of all studies, both published and unpublished, relating to religious involvement and longevity was carried out in 2000. Forty-two studies were included, involving some 126,000 subjects. Active religious involvement increased the chance of living longer by some 29%, and participation in public religious practices, such as church attendance, increased the chance of living longer by 43%.[3] ”

In December 2003, the University of Warwick reported:

“ Dr. Stephen Joseph, from the University of Warwick, said: "Religious people seem to have a greater purpose in life, which is why they are happier. Looking at the research evidence, it seems that those who celebrate the Christian meaning of Christmas are on the whole likely to be happier.[4]

 

People who have POSITIVE religious experiences most probably DO have better health.

However those exposed to the more toxic negative abusive control found in the fundamentalist/evangelical sects are the ones who are suffering from RTS.

There is an undeniable connection between mental abuse and subsequent mental trauma.

 

Skip the sermon and read it for yourself. Study its context and seek diverse interpretations. Use the mind God gave you to figure out what it really means.

 

Is there a point that you are trying to make in there somewhere because if it is there is zero context as to what, if anything, you are referring to.

 

You asked 'How should Religious Trauma Syndrome sufferers be treated?'

I chose 'Other - explained in post response.' and explained in a response as requested.

 

In which case where did you come up with your "sermon" reference? The OP provided a link to an in depth interview with Dr Winell who is making a scientific study of RTS.

What did you mean by "seek diverse interpretations"? RTS is a mental illness caused by abusive mental control used by certain fundamentalist/evangelical sects. Do you have some other "diverse interpretation" of this mental illness?

How exactly does the use of the "mind god gave you to figure out what it really means" factor in as a treatment for RTS?

 

They should leave the fundamentalist/evangelical sects that are damaging them with propagandous and dogmatic sermon and explore their spirituality on their own terms instead. They should seek diverse interpretations of scripture instead of those authoritated by these sects, and use their own wisdom and sense to determine their connection with the spiritual or divine.

Its a recomendation for self treatment

 

Thank you for your clarification.

Did you read the entire OP link because it contained these relevant points about the difficulties associated with leaving mentally abusive controlling sects?

In essence your advice is sound in principle but exceptionally difficult in practice because of the very nature of abusive mental CONTROL. That control is an obstruction when it comes to leaving and, as mentioned in the link, the actual leaving itself can be what triggers the RTS.

 

So you're asking less how to treat them, and more how to get them to leave and seek treatment?

I don't think theres much that can be done but wait. The trend is slow but steady- established religion is dwindling. Folks are leaving.

I figure its a lot like smoking- you cant quit before you want to.

 

Winell: Religious trauma syndrome (RTS) is a set of symptoms and characteristics that tend to go together and which are related to harmful experiences with religion. They are the result of two things: immersion in a controlling religion and the secondary impact of leaving a religious group. The RTS label provides a name and description that affected people often recognize immediately. Many other people are surprised by the idea of RTS, because in our culture it is generally assumed that religion is benign or good for you. Just like telling kids about Santa Claus and letting them work out their beliefs later, people see no harm in teaching religion to children.

But in reality, religious teachings and practices sometimes cause serious mental health damage. The public is somewhat familiar with sexual and physical abuse in a religious context. As Journalist Janet Heimlich has documented in, Breaking Their Will, Bible-based religious groups that emphasize patriarchal authority in family structure and use harsh parenting methods can be destructive.


But the problem isn’t just physical and sexual abuse. Emotional and mental treatment in authoritarian religious groups also can be damaging because of 1) toxic teachings like eternal damnation or original sin 2) religious practices or mindset, such as punishment, black and white thinking, or sexual guilt, and 3) neglect that prevents a person from having the information or opportunities to develop normally.


In your mind, how is RTS different from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?


Winell: RTS is a specific set of symptoms and characteristics that are connected with harmful religious experience, not just any trauma. This is crucial to understanding the condition and any kind of self-help or treatment. (More details about this can be found on my Journey Free website and discussed in my talk at the Texas Freethought Convention.)


Another difference is the social context, which is extremely different from other traumas or forms of abuse.When someone is recovering from domestic abuse, for example, other people understand and support the need to leave and recover. They don’t question it as a matter of interpretation, and they don’t send the person back for more. But this is exactly what happens to many former believers who seek counseling. If a provider doesn’t understand the source of the symptoms, he or she may send a client for pastoral counseling, or to AA, or even to another church

Labeling RTS encourages professionals to study it more carefully, develop treatments, and offer training. Hopefully, we can even work on prevention.


What do you see as the difference between religion that causes trauma and religion that doesn’t?


Winell: Religion causes trauma when it is highly controlling and prevents people from thinking for themselves and trusting their own feelings. Groups that demand obedience and conformity produce fear, not love and growth. With constant judgment of self and others, people become alienated from themselves, each other, and the world. Religion in its worst forms causes separation.


Sounds as if she is talking about a 'cult' rather than a religion.






This is not religion. It is 'thought'. Most often being propagated by 'word of mouth' rather than true investigating. Not only are these persons being victimized by listening to such false rumors but they are wasting times and monies propagating the lies themselves.

Do you think these persons were better off before or after they began their own 'crusade' to the Truth? Listening to these sorts of false things will lead a person downward rather than upward.

#1: Turn or burn is not even the true idea of repentance. Repentance is to take an objective 'view' of your own situation. First take out the beam in your own eye so you can see clearly to take out the speck which is in your brother's eye. If you cannot take an objective look to your own 'sin or wrong doing' how would you be able to see and take an objective look to any 'sin or wrong doing' of your brother?

#2: God does not hate cigarettes. The first use of the word '***' was in England to denote a cigarette often times lighted by the match or '***-got'.


*** (v.1)

"to droop, decline in strength, become weary" (intransitive), 1520s, of uncertain origin; OED is content with the "common view" that it is an alteration of flag (v.) in its sense of "droop, go limp." Transitive sense of "to make (someone or something) fatigued, tire by labor" is first attested 1826. Related: Fagged; fagging.
*** (n.1)

British slang for "cigarette" (originally, especially, the butt of a smoked cigarette), 1888, probably from *** "loose piece, last remnant of cloth" (late 14c., as in ***-end "extreme end, loose piece," 1610s), which perhaps is related to *** (v.), which could make it a variant of flag (v.).
*** (v.2)

"put to work at certain duties, compel to work for one's benefit," 1806, from British public school slang *** (n.) "junior student who does certain duties for a senior" (1785), from *** (v.1). Related: Fagdom (1902); faggery "fatiguing labor" (1853). Brain-*** (1851) was an old term for "mental fatigue."
****** (n.1)
late 13c., "bundle of twigs bound up," also fagald, faggald, from Old French fagot "bundle of sticks" (13c.), of uncertain origin, probably from Italian fagotto "bundle of sticks," diminutive of Vulgar Latin *facus, from Latin fascis "bundle of wood" (see fasces). But another theory traces the Vulgar Latin word to Greek phakelos "bundle," which is probably Pre-Greek.

Especially used for burning heretics (emblematic of this from 1550s), so that phrase fire and ****** was used to indicate "punishment of a heretic." Heretics who recanted were required to wear an embroidered figure of a ****** on the sleeve as an emblem and reminder of what they deserved.

******s, the traditional British dish made from the innards of pigs (liver, lungs, heart, spleen) mixed with bread crumbs, rolled in balls, and braised in stock (1851) apparently is the same word, presumably from the notion of "little bits and pieces bound up together."

 

Religion is supposed to help/assist people to think clearer and better from which they can 'trust' their feelings.

Cults, on the other hand, are more of the controlling, preventive measures. That is why they often times need to be 'cleansed' of their brainwashing if and when they leave the cult.


What she is talking about and the way she is talking sounds more as if she herself was indoctrinated into some kind of 'cult' that she would benefit from if she was 'cleansed' of that brainwashed talk/thought.

And she is supposedly, Dr. Marlene Winell, a human development consultant in the San Francisco Area.

She is also the daughter of Pentecostal missionaries.

Missionaries to where or from where?

She holds a doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies from Pennsylvania State University.


She might be referring to persons like this.




Do you see how this pastor is saying that in The Holy Bible it says that homosexuals are supposed to 'die', be killed? Leviticus 20:13


So what could some reasonable arguments be?

#1: (J)esus Christ took those 'death' penalties upon Himself. The need for such penalties and burnt offerings were placed upon (J)esus Christ so such penalties are no longer needed.

So if homosexuals, or more succinctly, males who lay with mankind as with womankind, are supposed to 'die', and if they are 'killed', it would be okay and there would be no need to 'mourn' over them as if some 'wrong thing' occurred? What about 'murder' in general regardless of sexual orientation. What would those be within? Or does The Holy Bible distinguish homosexual murder as acceptable but any other murder as not acceptable? Is this the point he is trying to make? So in essence, if it is the point he is trying to make, then a person can look at God and see how He might find the 'deaths' of homosexuals as okay and acceptable and even commanded. So why would He have anything against homosexuals, right?

I don't know. Why would YOU think He has something against 'homosexuals' and 'homosexuals' alone but noone else?

Do you think He is a homophobe? Can you relate? Although this pastor is probably married, he does seem able to relate to homophobia enough to be able to speak about it.


Now let's turn the tables and ask why 'he' might be homophobic? What causes one male to be homophobic towards other males?

What is xenophobia?

Fear of the Unknown Phobia – Xenophobia


Xenophobia is derived from the Greek word ‘Xenos’ meaning “foreigner or stranger” and Phobos which means ‘morbid fear’.


Could homosexuality be a 'new' thing within certain Countries where 'homosexuality' might seem to be taking over?

Could males with homophobia be thinking, 'What if I'm forced to become as they if they 'take' over'?

Could the shooter to the Pulse night club have had these feelings/thoughts? If not, then it was a 'hate crime' based on random picks of 'hatreds' he had within himself.


Why did the Golden State killer kill if he did not have any 'hatred' towards his victims?

He Bound, Threatened, Raped, And Murdered His Victims

https://www.ranker.com/list/golden-state-killer-facts/natalie-hazen


Fetish...

A fetish (derived from the French fétiche; which comes from the Portuguese feitiço; and this in turn from Latin facticius, "artificial" and facere, "to make") is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a human-made object that has power over others. Essentially, fetishism is the emic attribution of inherent value or powers to an object..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetishism


Control and power over others.


Luke 9:49-50 "And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. 50And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us."


Even (J)esus said to leave these 'devil casters' alone although they were not of 'them'. Why? Because they were driving out/away the wrong doers.

"he that is not against us is for us."

(J)esus Christ was of Righteousness and Peace and Goodness.


John 4:23 "But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

John 17:25-26 "O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. 26And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them."


And as we know now, there is no nor was there a letter 'J' in their alphabet to which to pronounce the name of Jehovah.

And if the name of Joshua, or Yehoshua, also has a waw/vav, then His Name should also be pronounced Yeho(v)shu(v)a if the waw/vav is of the 'V' sound as in Jehovah.

But because Yeho(v)shu(v)a is not the right way to pronounce the name, then Jehovah, if the waw/vav was turned to 'w', Jehowah, would not be correct either.

 

No, I am pointing out that RTS is a sufficiently complex condition that simply "quitting" isn't going to make it go away because even that process incurs trauma.

I disagree that nothing should be done about it. This definitely needs more study and potential treatments and programs to help those afflicted with RTS must be developed.

Most importantly of all is to make RTS better known and understood. Ignoring it is the WRONG approach IMO because that means needless suffering without any potential solution.

 

So I will have to wait until I receive Hebrew language skills before I can attempt to say I know how to properly distinguish which consonant-noun pairs might be acceptable.


If (J)esus Christ declared His Father's Name to His disciples, why did His Father's Name become 'taboo' to speak or mention?

 

Obviously those with RTS need access to trained mental health care specialists. In the UK we need to to stop the state funding of religious schools and separate religion from state as a first step to ensure that at least at school, children can be away from coercion. I realise that is not a cure but prevention is better than cure.

 

Agreed!

While there are issues as far as denying parents the right to send their children to religious schools my own personal belief is that no child should be exposed to any religion prior to age 18.

 

An attempted artificial stimulation of the process could likely have an inverse effect.

 

Authoritarian religious groups are subcultures where conformity is required in order to belong. Thus if you dare to leave the religion, you risk losing your entire support system as well.


I lost all my friends. I lost my close ties to family. Now I’m losing my country. I’ve lost so much because of this malignant religion and I am angry and sad to my very core. . . I have tried hard to make new friends, but I have failed miserably. . . I am very lonely.


Leaving a religion, after total immersion, can cause a complete upheaval of a person’s construction of reality, including the self, other people, life, and the future. People unfamiliar with this situation, including therapists, have trouble appreciating the sheer terror it can create.


My form of religion was very strongly entrenched and anchored deeply in my heart. It is hard to describe how fully my religion informed, infused, and influenced my entire worldview. My first steps out of fundamentalism were profoundly frightening and I had frequent thoughts of suicide. Now I’m way past that but I still haven’t quite found “my place in the universe.


Even for a person who was not so entrenched, leaving one’s religion can be a stressful and significant transition.


Many people seem to walk away from their religion easily, without really looking back. What is different about the clientele you work with?


Winell: Religious groups that are highly controlling, teach fear about the world, and keep members sheltered and ill-equipped to function in society are harder to leave easily.

Authoritarian religion is already pathological, and leaving a high-control group can be traumatic. People are already suffering. They need to be recognized and helped.

---

What exactly is 'leaving a religion' anyway?

In the U.S there are so many different denominations. Would leaving a denomination or a local Church be considered 'leaving a religion'? Or is 'leaving certain sets of 'doctrines'', the difficult part?

I say tomaytoe you say tomahto, but in actuality it's neither tomaytoe nor tamahto but tomato?

You pronounce The Name of (J)esus as Geezoos, I pronounce The Name of (J)esus as Heysues, he pronounces The Name of (J)esus as Geesus. But why is it never Jehsus? Who taught me that the e is a long e as in eeeee and not as in eh? After all, since there are not too many other 'Jesuses' around, who would know how to pronounce it?

And if you add a cross after the first 's', you get (J)estus. As in jest us. It's just jest us. But I really should avoid jesting, right?

Ephesians 5:4 "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks."


filthiness:
151. aischrotés
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
filthiness.
From aischros; shamefulness, i.e. Obscenity -- filthiness.

150. aischros
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
filthy.
From the same as aischunomai; shameful, i.e. Base (specially, venal) -- filthy.

153. aischunó
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
be ashamed.
From aischos (disfigurement, i.e. Disgrace); to feel shame (for oneself) -- be ashamed.



foolish talking:
3473. mórologia
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
foolish talking.
From a compound of moros and lego; silly talk, i.e. Buffoonery -- foolish talking.

see GREEK moros

see GREEK lego


crude joking:
2160. eutrapelia
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
jesting.
From a compound of eu and a derivative of the base of trope (meaning well-turned, i.e. Ready at repartee, jocose); witticism, i.e. (in a vulgar sense) ribaldry -- jesting.


But I once had a 'teacher' in school who told the class. There is no such thing as a 'stupid question'.

Today I realize that the only stupid questions there are are the questions that remain 'dumb', unspoken/unasked.

Had I applied her valuable wisdom, I might have been a C.E.O of B.of.A by now. But unfortunately, they are not excepting entry level C.E.O applications.

Clear to see why? Expecting or Accepting? hmm...

Wait.. Expecting or excepting?

Regardless.. expecting an acceptance is excepting the validity of qualifications for entry level C.E.O applications.

But asking to be accepted might be a 'stupid question', wouldn't you think? I would feel 'stupid' if I did.

But it wouldn't be 'stupid' to ask to be properly trained and taught to be a [qualified] candidate for the C.E.O position.

Nor would it be 'stupid' to ask for a mailroom position..

 

Once again I am going to have to ask you to explain your cryptic comment.

 

IOW- if you try to push the issue, you're gonna cause resistance, and slow or even reverse the process.

 

That there will be resistance is inevitable because abusive controlling sects are unwilling to accept anything that they (mis)perceive as "threatening". We have more sufficient evidence of that when it comes to gay marriage and abortion.

However to deny and/or delay treatment of those afflicted by RTS now and to try and prevent it from inflicting others in the future would be wrong on all levels.

As a society we deal with new things all the time. Those that fail to adapt to the new will be sidelined and eventually lose support. There have been a great many religions in the past that no longer exist today. No current religion is exempt from facing a similar fate.

RTS is a mental trauma cased by abusive controlling fundamentalist/evangelical sects. They are now facing a very real DIAGNOSIS than is going to need both TREATMENT and PREVENTION. How those sects deal with this diagnosis and the treatment and prevention is entirely up to them. Those that adapt will survive.

 

The resistance will be from the people you are trying to help. Folks don't like being pushed to do things. The problem is already fixing itself without your help. You could very likely make it worse instead of better. I'm recommending patience instead of meddling.

 

How is the "problem fixing itself"?

Exactly how much "patience" are you "prescribing" and how many more must suffer because of your unwillingness to provide the necessary treatment for the afflicted?

 

Church attendence is dropping. Has been for decades. Fixing itself.