Religious Trauma Syndrome: How Some Organized Religion Leads to Mental Health Problems

reply to post by Aussiebloke2


Thanks! Welcome to ATS. I gave you your first 'star' ( like it matters....)....(but, yeah, it kinda does)...(especially when you're new)....(anyway, 'star'.)

As far as I am concerned CHILDREN HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CHILDREN there is enough hocus-pocus in life to contend with for a child without the added thumping over the head with the "good book."

Yeah. Exactly.

It's not something that should be swept under the table.

Originally posted by Itisnowagain
[If your mission is 'to get through to people' - it is you who wants to control people - believing you are right and they are wrong. You have no control over people anymore - you are not a practicing counsellor.
And just see what you wrote above - 'what bothers me..........'
It is you who is 'bothered'.

Don't try to save others until you are stable in yourself.

edit on 30-3-2013 by Itisnowagain because: (no reason given)

Yes, I agree. This thread has the same tone as people knocking on your door trying to convert you to their religion. (Just read my teachings!) They too believe that people who don't follow their religion suffer trauma and lead unhappy lives.

The OP just wants to make non-believers of her religion (or who SHE believes is leading a wrong life) as having a mental illness.

Originally posted by Daughter2

Originally posted by Itisnowagain
[If your mission is 'to get through to people' - it is you who wants to control people - believing you are right and they are wrong. You have no control over people anymore - you are not a practicing counsellor.
And just see what you wrote above - 'what bothers me..........'
It is you who is 'bothered'.

Don't try to save others until you are stable in yourself.

edit on 30-3-2013 by Itisnowagain because: (no reason given)

Yes, I agree. This thread has the same tone as people knocking on your door trying to convert you to their religion. (Just read my teachings!) They too believe that people who don't follow their religion suffer trauma and lead unhappy lives.

The OP just wants to make non-believers of her religion (or who SHE believes is leading a wrong life) as having a mental illness.

I suppose you think that these children are going to grow up stable and able to function in the secular world without difficulty?





Having grown up in churches exactly like the videos above, I can attest to the mental illness that permeate these children and how difficult it is to get past these kinds of religious treatments, and live a normal life, where everyone "ELSE" isn't the boogie man, and they're not praying for Armageddon.

reply to post by windword


And people who follow these religions would attest that they had trouble functioning until they found THEIR religion.

They would put up videos of teens doing drugs and drinking as proof that people who don't follow their teachings are corrupt.

It's your BELIEF SYSTEM.

It's fine to have your opinions and beliefs - just don't try to force them on others by trying to turn other opinions you don't like into a mental illness.

reply to post by wildtimes


I spent several years in a pentecostal church so I have a bit of ummm.. practical background here.

Actually, that "practical background" is important. I've learned a few things since leaving. First, pentecostal churches can vary quite a bit even within denomination. One church may be almost cult like while another down the road will may be fairly main-stream. Second, unless you've lived it then it can be really hard for people, even other Christians, to get their heads around what occurs in some of the these churches and the damage it can do to people.

But to be brief - yes - I agree 100%. What happens in some pentacostal churches can cause serious issues for those who attend them.

reply to post by Daughter2


I grew up in the same environment as those children in those videos. I was the one being forced into a religion and a belief system. I'm not forcing my beliefs on you or anyone else. I'm showing you, and others, what I went through and I'm posting to tell you that kind of treatment, day in and day out, only results in mental illness. No buts about it!

I'm still working through the destruction that religion caused me. The constant fear of damnation and of missing the second coming and being "left behind" had me panicked and immobilized as a child. My persona of being the only one of my classmates with the truth and the knowledge that the rest of my classmates were all going to hell turned me into a 4th grade martyr.

I never thought I'd need a career because, 1) I was a woman and supposed to be subject to my husband's earnings and dedicated to having and raising children, and 2) Jesus was coming, so who cared about debts and the future!

I could go on................

I'm not preaching to you, telling you how to worship. I'm pointing out that, from my personal experience, fanaticism is dangerous and harmful to children. It leads to mental illness. And yes, so does having a crack head mom, but there are safeguards in place for that, not so much for religious abuse.

reply to post by windword

2) Jesus was coming, so who cared about debts and the future! I could go on................

was this taught to you or its you who figured it that way? It appears very selfish and irresponsible.
I'l just like to know is it really taught that way, i have never been to a church except as a tourist.

reply to post by Daughter2

The OP just wants to make non-believers of her religion (or who SHE believes is leading a wrong life) as having a mental illness.

I don't have a "religion". I believe that what Jesus (and others before him, and since him) said was that people should care about one another, not beat them, or scare the Shyte out of them with threats of "Hellfire." But, if you don't get it, well, then...you just don't get it.

reply to post by logical7


Yes, it was taught to me, every day, day in and day out.

In that world, Jesus was coming any minute now! When I got home from school, if no one was home, I'd panic and start phoning people I was pretty sure Jesus would take. If they didn't answer, I kept dialing until someone did. Being away from Christians I knew would be taken was very scary, as I couldn't know if Jesus had come or not.

"Heaven is near,
So goodby my dear,
This world is not my home,
It's heaven I roam.
Goodby world,
Goodby" (Jazz hands)

Unless one went to Bible School, to learn the gospel and meet a husband, secular college was the devil's territory for girls. A woman who wanted a career would have been considered a "backslider" and in danger of being "left behind." Heck, we couldn't even wear pants!

And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

When my unmarried sister, and then I, few years later became pregnant, we were both "ordered" to abort, the church elders citing the above passage. My sister did, I didn't. She went on to Bible school, where she met her husband. I was ex-communicated. (Best thing that ever happened to me.)

reply to post by windword

When my unmarried sister, and then I, few years later became pregnant, we were both "ordered" to abort, the church elders citing the above passage. My sister did, I didn't. She went on to Bible school, where she met her husband. I was ex- communicated. (Best thing that ever happened to me.)

yes, best for you
i believe what you said, its still unbelievable!! How can anyone be so extremely narrow minded?!
Don't they look in the mirror and feel ashamed?
God approving abortion!! Now thats the real blasphemy.

I have to agree with Wildtimes. I don't like to blame any religion for what people do but if this is what they are doing then they need to be 'corrected' by all means possible.

Jesus pbuh will come when he comes, the idea is to live like he taught and not waste life in waiting for him!!

reply to post by wildtimes


G' Day folks
Thanks wildtimes for the star, err I think, I don't really know what the star thingy is about yet.

Those video's are disgusting, the sad thing is there are adult/parents on this site and in the videos who see nothing wrong with their behaviour, children in charge of children.

logical7

I use to think I was outside looking in like you as you said a tourist, just letting them get on with it, watching the weird behaviour the rituals folk performed all in the name of a belief, thinking it didn't effect me

But these folk are in Governments/Councils etc., they run/own primary, secondary, colleges/universities they run/own gated communities so from cradle to grave you are under their control.

I have noticed in my life time the extremists/fanatics creeping into the above and this effects everyone.

Yes believers do feel "what's the point" when their god keeps predicting Armageddon/second coming and so on they are in a state of "waiting" and we know why their church does this.

You see more than ever today religions/cults lying for their god going to the extremes to get bums on seats, err, pews.

It's just all bizarre to me there's too many things to mention that I have observed over the years.

On my Wife's side a cult has claimed her sister/family no more contact we have asked why what have we done wrong, nothing.

Speaking of contact wildtimes and windword and any others do you still have contact with your families, if not is it your choice and why either way?
Better go. Cheers Aussiebloke2

reply to post by Aussiebloke2

Speaking of contact wildtimes and windword and any others do you still have contact with your families, if not is it your choice and why either way?

I'm very close to my family. I was not abused by Christian fundamentalist dogma......and I did not inflict it on my children.

My mother was active in the Episcopal church while I was growing up, but now (I am 54, and she's 74) we both see the ludicrous foundation of the belief system. It was only recently that she informed me that she'd never believed in the resurrection story....and all those decades I thought it was her heartfelt conviction!!
We enjoy discussing the subject now, and see it for what it is. Religiosity is a human condition that is quite complex and very subjective.

See the link in my signature to read some more about it, and feel free to contribute there!

(The 'star' system is: when you read someone's post and you agree with it....you point your mouse pointer at an empty star symbol at the top of the post and click it....means you agree with what the post says, or support the member's point of view.)

reply to post by windword

In that world, Jesus was coming any minute now! When I got home from school, if no one was home, I'd panic and start phoning people I was pretty sure Jesus would take. If they didn't answer, I kept dialing until someone did. Being away from Christians I knew would be taken was very scary, as I couldn't know if Jesus had come or not.

Wow, hun. That's some heavy stuff to dig through.....
Thanks so much for contributing to the thread.

reply to post by logical7

I have to agree with Wildtimes. I don't like to blame any religion for what people do but if this is what they are doing then they need to be 'corrected' by all means possible.

It's only a 'few' that are doing this, log7. Like the "Islamists" are wreaking havoc. It's the same kind of thing. MOST Christians don't behave that way (although the ones that do behave that way are getting louder and pushier - which is the problem) and I don't have any problem with them (the peaceful, typical, 'most Christians'). Most of them, I believe, are trying to live well and love their children, their neighbors, and their god.

What bothers me is the authoritarian stuff that windword described (and others in the thread). It's horrible, and - in my opinion - evil. Those types of 'Christians' have it backwards and wrong, and yes, they do need to be 'corrected.'

Thanks for your participation here.

reply to post by wildtimes


G' Day Folks

(The 'star' system is: when you read someone's post and you agree with it....you point your mouse pointer at an empty star symbol at the top of the post and click it....means you agree with what the post says, or support the member's point of view.)

Thanks for the heads up wildtime on the star thingy.

> yes, they do need to be 'corrected.'<

Who does the correcting?

You can't leave it to the churches to correct the mental/physical abuse on children or on adults for that matter they will just play musical chairs with the offenders.

On a slightly different note.

What about the radical groups out there of the orthodox saying on TV that infidels need to be converted or wiped off the face of the Earth and another group who wants non believers of Jesus to be converted if they don't, to be killed because their belief is "they' are blocking the return of Jesus.

When do you step in and correct the damage? Because I think the above is pretty bad.

The media picks up on the abuse of some of these religions at times but nothing really gets done they just continue on doing what they were doing.

It's mess I tells ya.

Cheers Aussiebloke2

reply to post by Aussiebloke2

What about the radical groups out there of the orthodox saying on TV that infidels need to be converted or wiped off the face of the Earth and another group who wants non believers of Jesus to be converted if they don't, to be killed because their belief is "they' are blocking the return of Jesus.

When do you step in and correct the damage? Because I think the above is pretty bad.

Very good question, and thanks for validating the point. Yes, the damage is bad, as witnessed by the members here who shared their stories......
"When do you step in?"
All I can do is step in right here and say, to the people that are still teaching their children this stuff, "What?!! What ARE you doing?!"

edition.cnn.com...

Rick Warren's son lost in 'wave of despair'

Here's part of an email from the megachurch leader - whose youngest son suicided over the weekend.

You who watched Matthew grow up knew he was an incredibly kind, gentle, and compassionate man. He had a brilliant intellect and a gift for sensing who was most in pain or most uncomfortable in a room. He'd then make a bee-line to that person to engage and encourage them.

But only those closest knew that he struggled from birth with mental illness, dark holes of depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In spite of America's best doctors, meds, counselors, and prayers for healing, the torture of mental illness never subsided. Today, after a fun evening together with Kay and me, in a momentary wave of despair at his home, he took his life.

Kay and I often marveled at his courage to keep moving in spite of relentless pain. I'll never forget how, many years ago, after another approach had failed to give relief, Matthew said " Dad, I know I'm going to heaven. Why can't I just die and end this pain?" but he kept going for another decade.

Just thought this might be of interest to the OP's premise.

reply to post by wildtimes

Matthew said " Dad, I know I'm going to heaven. Why can't I just die and end this pain?" but he kept going for another decade.

now this is what i do not like even a bit!!!
Any belief that pushes the believer to end his/her life, be it certainty of Heaven, reincarnation or atheism.

reply to post by logical7


Yes, it's tragic. Thanks for responding to it. One has to wonder what the real causes were of his despair.

I wonder if he left a note anywhere. And if he did, I wonder if the followers of the news item will ever hear about it.
I wouldn't be surprised if his family kept that part a secret, too. After all, they knew he was sick and suffering all along, and kept it very quiet.

reply to post by wildtimes

One has to wonder what the real causes were of his despair.

if he was very sensitive as shown in your post then the cause for despair can be as simple as inability to make peace with an unfair and unjust world. Maybe he was so empathetic that it became unbearable.
also people lie a lot in obituaries.