In 2015 I left my abuser of seven years, and since have been disabled with #PTSD and other chronic conditions, fighting #suicide. I was unable to work at all for five years. My personal narrative now is about recovery out of that #DarkSojourn. I'm usually in some kind of pain, and try not to whine too much about it. I'm #Genderfluid#nonbinary (they/them) of recent transition, #polyamorous, and #bisexual.
Plagued by unrelenting shame for “normal” activities like masturbation, sex, or enjoying time doing nothing? SHAME IS OFTEN FUNDAMENTALIST RESIDUE. Wipe that sh!t off your shoe and give FREEDOM a try. Start small & work your way up to Big Ticket items. Life is a grand buffet - don’t starve to death because of religion. #ReligiousTrauma#shame#fundamentalism#suffering#freedom#humanism#joy#exchristian#explore
Why do I only post negative things about religion? Because I work with a demographic that bears the scars of religious #indoctrination. #ReligiousTrauma Syndrome refers to losses one suffers as part of a rigid, #authoritarian religious group - and the ADDITIONAL losses suffered upon #losingfaith & having ties severed from the group. Losses: #Identity, community, support, friendships, family, worldview, purpose, etc. Significant multiple #losses largely not recognized by outsiders. #exchristian
As Spencer Macnaughton reports, 1 in 3 American adults report that they have suffered from religious trauma. "Religious trauma occurs when an individual’s religious upbringing has lasting adverse effects on their physical, mental or emotional well-being, according to the Religious Trauma Institute."
"Experts say LGBTQ people — who represent more than 7% of the U.S. population, according to a 2023 Gallup poll — experience religious trauma at disproportionate rates and in unique ways. Very little research has been done in this field, but a 2022 study found that LGBTQ people who experience certain forms of religious trauma are at increased risk for suicidality, substance abuse, homelessness, anxiety and depression."
New research finds that religious trauma is experienced by up to 30% of US adults, with LGBTQ+ individuals bearing the brunt of the damage. Mental health experts are advocating for religious trauma to be an official diagnosis.