What is Religious Trauma Syndrome ?
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2020
- A quick video on what Religious Trauma Syndrome is, and how it affected me. Remember, there's always a reason you feel or think the way you do, there is a way to find peace, and clarity in your life, you are not alone.
My Religious Trauma course : resiliencetraining.teachable....
Edit: they removed the link to the article but I have linked a valuable resource page.
Link to article: www.recoveringfromreligion.or...
thinking you might spend eternity in torturous hell is the scariest thing and makes it so hard to leave. This describes my story and deep mental, emotional and spiritual pain with a religious trauma.... I relate to a lot of this. The black and white thinking is so hard to overcome. I also experienced sooo much pain not only thinking i might go to hell but especially mourning the souls of our entire planet as an empath. So painful and gut wrenching. I couldn't believe a loving God would do such a thing and i couldn't worship that God anymore... But it was still hard to leave because what if I was wrong and went to hell? So either go to heaven and worship an evil God or go to hell became my terrible predicament. I relate to all of these symptoms. I feel seen and not alone. Thank you for this video
Thank you Briana! I am so glad you feel seen! You're definitely not alone and I'm thankful to hear you are healing from these mindsets. Appreciate you being here 🙏🏻
Briana , just for the record
What if it was true briana , although I don't believe it too
@@zaminrradiendo4846 honestly the way I see it, the burden of proof shouldn't be on us, it should be on the people who tell us we deserve eternal torture. Can they prove there is a hell?
What could we possibly do in this life that deserves eternal torture? Most of us are just people lost and making mistakes, we don't deserve eternal torture.
For God though, he tortures people in hell for eternity, he murders, and he deceives. But we have to love him anyway.
Internalizing that is one of the many things that made me accept that my religion is a religion of guilt, shame, and authoritarian dogma that can't be questioned. It all ends up coming down to trusting and loving God or having faith when we have legitimate gripes with the religion. And at the end of the day, someone who tells you not to think is no friend of yours.
Good luck with your journey friend. Always think for yourself❤
@@friedman1675 its a tricky one Fred. We are meant to believe that there is some accountability in a next life .
What is common to us all is all examples of different tragedies. misfortunates. Fates. disasters etc.
Which occur in this world.
We tend to do our utmost level best to live safely. God bless and protect us all
I’m not from a cult I just grew up religious and gay and this is still relatable in many ways cept the very extreme stuff.
I'm glad you find it relatable, but I'm also sorry that you do. I hope you are thriving now and loving who you are!
I'm starting to think we all live in a cult. Sure, there are different degrees of intensity to my experience, yours and Angel's, but I also relate to a lot to what she spoke about
@@Zenithilos11 it dosent matter anyway. Because it never really mattered to the lady . Most people talk about things that never matters anymore to them . Thats a good thing too.
What are most religions except giant popular cults. Alot of ppl who aren't raised in Christianity think that Christians believe that the creation myth, the rapture, hell is viewed as, as some kind of metaphor but no, literally the vast majority of Christians are fundamentalist meaning that they take the Bible extremely literally. Which a side effect of that is being homophobic, being sexist, and threatening anybody with an independent thought with hellfire
All religions are cults, we just don’t call the ones with a big number of adherents cults for unknown reasons.
One of the biggest things that was repeated to me was “Your emotions/feelings are lies. That’s the devil talking”.
Thank you for sharing this video. A lot of what you said resonated with me. It’s taken me years to get to a mental space that’s ready to fully question, discover, and search for the truth. My life has lost a lot of that meaning and purpose I used to have with religion, but I’ve noticed that I no longer hate myself, that I’m not as miserable and closed-minded as I used to be. I’m not sure what’s in store for me moving forward, but I’m ready to learn and grow.
So glad that you are moving forward and growing, and thank you for sharing that you no longer hate yourself ! There is an end to the madness and I'm so glad you know that you are wonderful just as you are!
glad I'm not the only one that went though this...
Definitely not! A lot of us have been through it, you're not alone.
Im a guy in his late teens who is LG(B)T. I also have aspergers.
Never cared much until Quarantine got me watching a lot of religious christian videos.
I can no longer listen to a Christian Song, Bible verse, Religious Sermon or Christian tiktok without getting that cold shaky feeling in my gut, and twitching my head and shoulders.
Even when im just walking, all i think is rationalizing science with faith, and Hell.
Oh Hell , the thought sent shivers up my body even now...
I feel like my only choice it to accept christ to save myself to eternal Suffering...
The good news is you are young and have the rest of your life to find out about what life has to offer. There is never just one option and you are not destined to eternally suffer. That is simply the foundation of what they teach in order to control you through fear. You don't have to rationalize/ worry about things, just walk towards things that are true and useful and let the rest sort itself out. You are important and valuable, start with that!
I'm the G and the T in LGBT, and my family is Christian. I used to go to church and I used to enjoy it, but when I realised I was trans, everything kind of changed. Hearing my parents say stuff like "God created men and women to be together" and both my parents and the children's pastor (who I looked up to) saying "God doesn't make mistakes. God made you a girl for a reason" (I'm a boy-). People at church ended up hurting me without even realising it by calling me young lady, miss, or just referring to me as a girl in any way. After awhile, I stopped going, and hearing Christian music just makes me upset, hearing someone preaching makes me upset, sometimes just seeing people from the church makes me upset. One time someone from the church came over and I had a panic attack.
Not even going to bring up the people who say LGBT people are going to hell.
Long story short, I can relate to not being able to hear or see anything Christian without feeling bad or weird.
@@aminishnamedvaati I-I can not explain how much I relate to this. Like, this seriously hits home.
I am a genderfluid who grew up in a VERY strict Christian household. When I was smaller I didn’t know any better and I just thought that being homophobic / transphobic was a normal lifestyle but as I got older I ‘betrayed’ my parents and grandparents and I learned more about LGBTQ+. I got older, of course, and I searched it up and I believed that I was genderfluid, which I am, still to this day. It always hurt me, because my grandparents would say such bitchy stuff about being gay or trans. Just because of that I would practically cry myself to sleep almost every night just thinking about it. Just like you, I used to like going to church- but I have to hold in the tears whenever I go to church or Bible study. I can’t stand it. There’s nothing wrong with it- but I seriously can’t stand being around the people in our church and whenever my grandparents or parents bring up anything bad about LGBT I just nod my head. Of course I don’t agree with them, but if I didn’t they would quite literally kick me out of the house. They don’t know how much they’ve damaged me. My mental health, and physical health. I’m going a little off topic but my step “dad” is verbally abusive and my moms boyfriend before that was physically abuse, not only to me but to my mom too. Also, my grandma comments on my weight quite often.. I’m not really that skinny and she quite literally makes fun of my weight even after I tell her I can’t do anything about it.
@@bulletthebeagle I am crying reading your post. I am so sorry for you living with those abusers. When you say that you cry yourself to sleep every night, I relate so much. I was raised by fanatically religious parents, and my mother used to brainwash me all of my life. Policing me till I was 30 y.o. whenever she assumed that I may not follow her rules. It made me sexually repressed, I had not developed any healthy view on sexuality and physical intimacy whatsoever. I was so indoctrinated that I would follow my mothers beliefs anyway even if I felt them ruining me inside out, because I felt no security with my own feelings. I had countless panic attacks on being possessed by demon. I developed OCD in my childhood. Only now I understand that all of that anxiety and ocd is a symptom itself and has a function.
Can you please search for help to save yourself?
@@bulletthebeagle Choose yourself over and over again. You are a worthy investment and your mental and emotional health is worth betting on, every time. Keep yourself safe and remind yourself that no matter what the people around you say, you will always be worth loving and caring for.
OMG! Thank you for this video! I am a PK and former missionary with a Christian communal group that I now know is a cult. Being a PK of fundamentalist pastor made me vulnerable to this cult. I left in my early 30's....I've been through all the stages you describe. You have deepened and broadened my understanding and let me know I am not alone. I used to pray the PTSD would go away...I have found peace in accepting it may not last as long or be as severe but it will always be there. Thank you for telling your story and how you survived and what you learned. You confirm what I have come to believe and expanded my knowledge and understanding. Thank you with all my heart. It's a lifelong journey...I know I am now 75.
Thank you Shari! I am thankful that you were able to find a peace in the way you view what happened to you. I'm sorry that you suffered, but I am glad you made it through to peace. I know the journey isn't easy and I thank you for being here and sharing your story with me.
I always thought I just hated judgmental religious people. You taught me that it's just a program that my soul doesn't align with and it's all spot on. Feeling the end is coming, not trusting people, not feeling like I'm going to make it, only make it through the day, etc. It's horrible and it has affected my physical world. I needed to hear this!
I'm hope it was useful to you. And yes it's simply programming you were taught to keep you afraid and in need of their help. I am so glad that you are learning that you don't need to believe it any longer.
The way I always worded it was that we were "stunted." Dwarfed. Brought up in a box that was too small to stand up straight in.
That feels accurate.
oh my god...im sobbing and shaking watching this right now because this literally explains EVERYTHING and I'm so fucking devastated yet relieved that there's a reason for why I'm like this
Yes!! There is a reason why for sure! You are not alone and you are not out of your mind. A lot of us resonate with this because it's real and has consequences, I hope you know that this is the beginning of a beautiful journey for you and I hope you feel less alone in it. Thank you for saying something, I know this stuff is really hard, but if I can make it through, anyone can!
Me too. Certain things she said made me cry. The information gap thing... I felt so stupid the first time I learned about evolution. I still haven't tested alcohol. 😥 It's just something we have to accept and not feel bad about. Because it's normal for people like us.
You are not alone. Hugs
Wow this resonated so deeply for me. I was raised in a very sheltered, conservative Christian family that looked perfect on the outside. On top of that, my father is in a high ranking position in the healthcare field, so it was even harder to realize that my family was toxic. I would question everything as a kid because I picked up on a lot of contradictions in the church and it didn’t make sense but I could never question it or else I would be considered difficult or rebellious.
I started to develop crippling OCD and panic attacks as well as depression as young as 8, but instead of taking me to a doctor, they brought in their church friends to do Deliverence (basically a Christian version of an exorcism).
Which was terrifying for me as a you g child. Also this shocks me today as my father is a doctor himself.
Long story short, I developed anorexia after seeing my friend die in a car accident at 15 and finally my parents got me help, but eventually said I was only trying to hurt THEM with my ED. I was in so much pain and they continued to label me as “rebellious “. So eventually after trying for 17 years to live up to the Christian standard, I walked away. I have since been disowned twice (the first time we didn’t speak for 5 years and they cut contact very abruptly. We reconnected again briefly but then they did it again because of a relationship).
My brother is also extremely messed up. We can’t function as normal adults and I’m only now trying to crawl out of this mess.
Thank you so much for posting this video!
I'm sorry you went through that, that's really intense and I am glad that you are able to crawl out, as you said. You deserve to have full access to your own life and I'm glad you are able to begin sorting through the mess and finding the good parts to take with you. Thank you so much for sharing, I know your story helps.
I so much relate with you. My orthodox catholic family seemed perfect from the outside. I can’t function as an adult, not to mention sexual repression, intellectual suicide and I developed OCD in my childhood as well. Main topic of my obsession was scrupulousity and innumerable panic attacks on being possessed by a demon. I hit a hint of reality only when I was 30, and it was not thanks to inner critical thinking which I lacked, but thanks to ocd therapist that would continue to tell me about abuse I was subjected to. And yes, my mother tried to talk me out, and make me anxious about my decision to start counseling. I have no words how much sorry I feel for us
@@arbuznafiji I'm sorry to hear about the abuse, but I am so thankful that you found a therapist to help you through some critical realizations! Keep picking yourself and focusing on your own mental strength and joy. You've got this.
Your parents don’t deserve you. Get away from your past and family. Stay focused on yourself and building a life you want. Inc etiquette realize you are enough and everything your seek for the outside is within you, your life will change.
When you said people told you “God is going to have to take him from you because you’re picking him over God” that hit me. So often I hear people tell me (cause I’m still in it): “God will continue to break you until you let this go” and things very similar to it that just fill me with dread. I thought God was full of grace and mercy and love, I didn’t realize He stood by with a 2x4 ready to come after me (that’s something else I’ve heard people say). Im in the process of figuring things out atm, thank you for sharing.
I’ve also noticed where I am that there is a lack of emotional responsibility. Certain things if they’re bothering you depending on when they happened you can’t bring them up because “you should’ve let that go already and if you haven’t you aren’t forgiving”. This has been difficult because it has causes a lot of guilt and shame, a lot of wondering what was wrong with me, etc etc. Anyway, I’m just shocked to hear something similar when you were talking about developmental thinking (somewhere around 16:20-17:00 I think).
I'm glad it's making you think!! It's important to remember that you are right about your own lived experience. If you feel you haven't "let something go" it's likely because you were never allowed to process it fully and feel the emotions surrounding it/ decide for yourself how to move through it. Keep thinking and moving forward, you're not wrong in asking questions and wanting to learn more. You won't be punished for it, you'll be rewarded with full access to your life. Keep going!
@@AngelDeSantis thank you so much for the encouragement! It’s greatly appreciated.
Yea i always thought my mom would die in past. I use to cry alot.
OMG...I was " TOLD THIS THING, THIS LIE " SO OFTEN,
I LET GO OF EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING I OWNED AND MY APARTMENT WITH ALL MY FURNITURE 20 years ago, packed my car and ran for, far, faaaar...away !!!
& BECAME A TOTAL RECLUSIVE HERMIT AS A RESULT,
(TO Prevent GOD FROM COMING After ME WITH A GIANT FLYSWATTER OR Lightening BOLT TO ZAP ME OUT OF Existence )😳
...BEST TO JUST BE UTTERLY ALONE AND I *HAVE BEEN* UTTERLY ALONE;
MOSTLY LIVING DEEP IN THE WOODS BY MYSELF IN MY CAR AS A HERMIT AS A RESULT.
( TALK ABOUT MAJOR C-PTSD!! OMG!!! )
NOW I TRUST NO ONE AND NO CHURCH AND IM THINKING THEY ARE ALL JUST TRYING TO BRAINWASH & HURT PEOPLE.🤔🤨
What a crappy way to live my life.
Just saying..
This is what " THE RELIGIOUS CHURCHES "
HAVE DONE TO ME😢.
I am 46. I wasn't in a cult setting, but my family was toxicly religious. I was treated so badly physically and emotionally, denied certain medical exams that would have prevented catastrophic injury, and was hospitalized many times for asthma attacks induced by panic during childhood. I was hospitalized so often that my family latched onto the "our child is sick, our child is the problem.." trope that screwed with my head so badly I still can't function as an adult. It took me waiting for them to both die, with me care providing for them in their end of life, then selling my childhood home, after 3 years cleaning it because of hoarding for me to finally leave all that and find a place to feel safe at. I still don't feel safe. Thank you for all this information. It is the umbrella for all my mental illness and it's beginning to make more sense. Even reading the 8 elements of coercive control, or listening to your channel, I can't absorb all of the information because I don't feel worthy of it and still feel I am the problem. I have to walk away a lot. I lost everything. Thank you for being brave and recording this.
I'm so sorry to hear that you went through all of that. You didn't deserve any of it and I hope you know that. You are not the problem, you are the solution. I hope you can grow the courage slowly but surely to feel worthy to help yourself and to absorb what ( not just me but also) others have offered the world as resource for healing. You are not alone in the wound and you will not be alone in the healing. Thank you for sharing your story, I know it's not easy to be seen.
This video helped me so much, I felt like I was lost
I'm so glad it was helpful! Appreciate you being here.
I LOVE your thoughts, I was a traditional Catholic for a while. Your video is healing.
Thank you for this. I grew up Jehovahs Witness and it’s all the same stuff. I’m struggling with all these things.
You're so welcome, please reach out with anything you want me to cover. We'll get through it! Thanks for being here.
Me too. You are not alone.
Me to
I grew up JW too
As a de-convert living in the South, religious trauma has been especially difficult for me. I like to use the analogy of Rambo in the movie _First Blood,_ in order to illustrate it, because he's a veteran of the Vietnam War who's wondering in a place that he doesn't belong in, and is having feelings of anger and sadness deep within him, along with the trauma he experienced from the war, such as losing his friend to a bomb in Saigon.
I grew up in a hardcore Pentecostal denomination and then became a clergy in the United MEthodist Church. I was abused growing up and as a pastor. I eventually was outed by my now ex-wife and was forced out of the church. I can relate to the traumaand PTSD aspects of this. I am currently attending an Episcopal Church and pretty much have one foot out the door due to lack of trust.
My best advice, is to trust yourself. You are not wrong in how you are feeling. Listen to your own inner wisdom, it has never steered you wrong, even though others have. I hope you find a way to live fully alive and be at peace.🙏🏼
I learned all the basics of religion from my mother and my family but I went to school and learned all they had to teach. My problem started last year when I started watching videos about apocalyptic theories and subliminal messages that Hollywood artists put on their videoclips, the “predictions” on the Simpsons episodes, conspiracy theories on politics, religion and I can tell you that I have been experiencing a lot of the symptoms that you described on the video. Lack of joy and interest on doing things, no pleasure, no interest in sex, apathy in relationships, difficulty in expressing myself. I have been trying to stay away from these videos but now and then I catch myself going back to the youtube channels to watch more and see what they are gonna say. I grew up in South America and came to the US in 2018, Even tough I have a lot of people around me (my husband’s friends and family that are American and grew up here) sometimes i feel alone and like a “fish out of water”, I guess that makes the bad thoughts even worse... and this quarantine too... well thank you for the video, I am gonna try to be more curious and enjoy myself more to try and get out of these thoughts. And stop believing that the world is going to end soon.
Yes, let yourself learn and try new things, not with the intention to perfect them, but just because you are curious about it. The world is a wonderful and exciting place if you allow yourself to be in it.
I grew up on conspiracy theories and they always come up with new ones to keep you in a constant state of fear. I was told the world would end "soon" for 23 years and I was finally like "soon" doesn't mean what they think it means ....
Let yourself ask questions that you want answers to, but also remember that no one knows "what's going to happen in the future" and the person who claims to know, is the person that is trying to control you. The world will go on for much longer than we will, and I hope that's comforting :-)
Thank you for this video. I finally left Mormonism after 30 years, and I check every box on your list. Just knowing there is a name for what I am experiencing is comforting. Now I need to focus on moving on in a healthy manner.
30 years is a long time! Good for you for making it out and focusing on moving forward. Bravo! Thank you for watching and I hope to hear your story some day too.
Did you ever like me have a lot of fear of the second coming? In in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I just have fears like hell and the second coming. I feel like if I was just sure he’ll isn’t real I would not even be in religion.
@@erikjimenez5090 I'm not sure if this was meant for me, or Shawn, but hopefully this helps: I used to fear the second coming, until I realized it's something they have held over peoples heads for literally thousands of years. It is a fear based lie that they don't need to provide any evidence for, they simply lay the ground work of fear and hope your imagination will do the rest to keep you in their grasp. There is no second coming, but there is a beautiful life waiting for you to reach out and grab it
@@AngelDeSantis thank you soo much. I’ve been sad lately and in fear of it at times. Fear is what keeps me in religion but I just want to live the way I want to live.
Me too. It's been 2 years and I'm realizing I'm still suffering from something. I can't let something go...
I also left christianitý. And still recovering of RTS. One thing that helped me is listening NDE testimonies and most of people never been warned that hell exists. When I also realized that the bible is full of errors and contradictions it helped me to go out. Thank you for your video.
Thank you for this, if you have a link I'd love for you to share it so I / everyone else an see it! Appreciate you being here.
Jehovah Witnesses does all these things. I was one for most of my life. It takes time to gain the strength to change. Great video and Congrats on the courage it took for you to grow.
Thank you Tamara!
JW is awful! It’s not my background, but I’ve known some/testimonies of others… disgusting! 😔
I left JW’s over 30 years ago. Still get split second doubts in my head about being destroyed at Armageddon.
Spot on my friend. This was truly amazing and so helpful to us who are trying to reclaim our lives. Thank you. I'm 67.
Glad it was helpful! And I'm glad to hear you are healing !!
Within my childhood of bullying, after talking to adults had not worked, I turned to faith and spent some nights crying on my knees praying. Once I had realized nothing was getting better for me like people had preached it would, it completely broke my faith to an irrecoverable measure. Christian imagery and or verses, sentences, or preachings don’t sit right with me any longer. I still see photos of me at religious events, and it makes me want to look away.
I've been there. Many nights asking for a sign or asking for relief from pain, and nothing in response. It's okay that you don't like Christian imagery or teachings any longer. Now you can discover what you do want, and what to fill your head with! But I hope you forgive the part of you that went to religious events. I hope you realize you weren't stupid for believing in it. It is a very beautiful and human thing to have a deep hope and desire for fulfillment. Abusive religions understand human nature and prey on it, but human nature is not the problem. Your desire for hope, your desire to commit, and your search for something greater is not the problem. Keep your curiosity, and channel it into something that brings you true joy.
I told my friend in a conversation when he felt pressured, if you face obliviation would you want it to be because of something someone told you or something you believed in? They’re some things I believe in in the good book and some things I won’t go near. This is between me and the one and this is how he made me.
Yes, your relationship with God should be between you and god. I'm glad your friend has someone to give them advice to look within themselves.
I totally agree you're right, the time we don't take responsibility we stop growing and developing that's so true
Amen! And thank you for watching !!
thank you so much for this video! I too was raised in a christian cult here in Georgia. It's so hard to navigate the pain of loss and the pain of making up for the lost years of damage from these destructive environments of children. I have kept my faith in a higher power but am now going through the extreme deconstruction of religion, abusive leaders and social structures, and I'm writing a lot about my experiences. Thanks for your honesty and your openness to share and help create change, growth, and Community for us who are feeling alone and triggered by religious abuse.
Thank you for being here! I'm so sorry that you experienced the extreme mental and emotional abuse that these environments create. I am so glad that you are writing about your experiences, I would love to read what you wrote. Keep fighting for your peace, you deserve it!
Former Mormon here. I experienced all of this.
I'm sorry you did, but I hope you know you're not alone and I wish you so much love and healing.
Thank you.....I can't even express all of this. It helps so much that you do. "Don't be so open minded that your brain falls out"....my mom still finds a way to say this every time we talk.
Thank you ! I am so glad that it helps. And yes, that saying... so common among people who are close minded.
Haha! I used to say this all the time too!! It was even a line in a Steve Taylor ("Christian New Wave") song in the 80s.
I am not from a cult. But my grandma took me to church but she also took my to plays and the science centre and art/history museums etc etc. . . I went to a Bible collage for a year to learn about god. That was nuts. I came out with anxiety and low self worth. . . switch collages to a more libral collage. It was amazing! Soo yeah a year in the vult almost recked me. I cannot imagine what its like for kids who grew up in this! I am still a beliver in Jesus. But I dont belive God hates gay people. I belive that women and men are created equally. Children are little people that should be able to form opions and a self identity. I belive in reading books about therory and philosophy. I love poety. I love art. I am very happy I came apon this topic. There needs to be more self awearness around this topic. Also. We need to help kids fleaing this abusive cults! I find alot of them are trying hard core drugs and becoming addics to try and cope with this. What can we all do to spread awearness? I think we need to take this to the news!
I'm sorry that you experienced all of that. But I am glad to hear you love philosophy, poetry and art and are building yourself back up! Bravo. And I think we can all spread awareness by sharing our stories!
Curiosity, Joy, self-esteem!!!
This totally slipped my mind. A good tool for me to put back in my journals.
This Really touched me...
Big, big hugs to you. This infuriates me. So glad you left.
Thank you!
Thank You..... I’m looking more in to this....I am a christian who has been thru 16 denominations 🤪.... not all churches are bad.... I quickly rejected the right wing denominations.....I learn to listen for words in church.... If I hear mostly: hell, sin, abomination.... I run!.... If I hear mostly: love, peace, grace, forgiveness, mercy..... I give the church a chance
I agree not all churches are bad, I know many people who have had churches literally save their lives. I like your take on it. Go to the places where you feel loved, safe, and welcome to live your expression of a full life. ✨
This made me so sad and angry to hear! I'm so sorry you went through this - I want to do everything in my power to prevent others from experiencing what you went through. Thank God you are free from that oppressive environment. There IS healthy spirituality. Wishing you much love and healing.
Thank you so much! And yes I'm so thankful to be free and healing from everything that happened. Thank you for your support.
15:00 Wow, I thought I was the only one who thought God was going to kill my fiance because we were living together before we were married and were leaving the faith together. Always checking find-my-friends when he was out to make sure he kept moving on the road and wasn't in a crash. Totally paranoid because 'God punishes people who have sex outside of marriage'... Thanks so much for opening up about similar feelings of fear when you and your ex-husband left and all for the things you share in this video 💕
You are not alone! I didn't have find my friends (we left in 2008 and bought burner phones cause it was what we could afford ) but I would call him all the time to make sure he was still alive. They really instilled fear of god to the point of mania. I'm so glad that you are no longer in that situation! Only good things ahead! Thank you for being here.🙏🏻
Fornication being sex outside of marriage, is not in the bible, the sex sins are found in Leviticus I believe ch, 18 ? But NOWHERE in bible is sex out of marriage spoke of, to the contrary, ISAAC TOOK REBECCA IN THE TENT, HE WENT INTO HER AND SHE BECAME HIS WIFE, THEY EVEN WANTED A BLOODY BED SHEET TO PROVE VIRGINITY. ADULTERY IS A SIN, SEX WITH MARRIED PERSON, WITH ANIMALS, FAMILY, THESE ARE THE SEX SINS, CHURCH IN MY OPINION HAS TAIGHT THE SEX OUT OF MARRIAGE IS WRONG!! NO I DON'T LIVE WITH ANYONE I LIVE ALONE AND AM CELIBATE CAUSE I CHOSE. I DON'T GO TO CHURCH BUT I DO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS. MOST THESE STORIES I HEAR ARE ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAD BAD EXPERIRNCE AT A CHURCH, THAT'S WHY I DON'T GO TO ONE , CAUSE NONE OF THEM HAS THE SAME DOCTRINE.ILL STICK WITH MY BIBLE AND JESUS...IM NOT SURE IF THIS PERSON IS A PROFESSIONAL,AND IDK IF REKIGIOUS TRAUMA SYNDROME IS A REAL THING, I NEVER HEARD OF IT..ANYBODY THAT READS REVELATION IN BIBLE CAN SEE THE WORLD IS NOT GONNA BE HERE LONG, AND SINCE JESUS SAYS WE DON'T HAVE PROMISE OF TMR, I'LL DEOEND ON HIM ALONE FOR ETERNITY. I CAN'T LOSE GOD, CAUSE HE KEEPS ME.
You told the story of all of us.
My biological parents used physical abuse to instill the word of God.
I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately that's the story for so many of us. I hope you are finding healing where you can. Thank you for being here.
You're incredible. Im posting for the algorithm. Incredibly valuable content.
Thank you! It helps, appreciate you.
I agree soooo much! And totally relate. Thank you for being so open.
I'm glad you can relate ! And thank you for being here!
I don't think I have religious trauma since I've never been forced into religion
but ever since I was young, I always felt intense anxiety and dread whenever I had to attend church
Like I felt like I'm being stared at and being judged over everything I do from taking donuts from the breakfast table or shaking hands with the people around me or standing up to sing or praying etc
I'm sorry you've felt those things. Feeling like you are always watched and judged is terrifying. I hope you are healing from that and know that you are allowed to live your life the way that you want!
This is so damn validating.
I'm so glad!
Hi! 😁
I'm a new subscriber, thank you for sharing your experience.
I'm not from a cult, but I've experienced RTS as well.
Religion was and still is something really important in my household.
Growing up I've noticed how some members of my immediate and extended family are openiated about religion: they would act as if they are better muslims, closer to Allah and misinterpret verses of the Quran to brainwash me.
Whenever I try to question something they would tell me to shut up.
I was forced to wear a hijab (they never succeeded though) saying that 'in the sight of God, non-hijabi women are naked'
They analyze every single thing from a religious perspective, ex. If something bad happens they would tell me "that's because you don't pray" or "your faith is not strong"
Since my childhood, I've only heard horrible stories about death, the Afterlife and the Apocalypse...
And men would justify their misogynistic and aggressive attitude using Islamic scriptures that they don't even understand.
Parents would use verses similar to "Honour thy father and thy mother" and mix cultural references with Islamic beliefs to manipulate their kids.
I'm not allowed to feel, I'm not allowed to think, I'm not allowed to speak, I'm just supposed to follow them blindly.
So, I started wondering "what are my rights as a kid?"
I did my own research and I've come to the the realization that yes, I have my rights in Islam but my family never knew about them and I don't think they were interested in explaining them to me.
Now as grown individual, I never accept any given information unless it comes with a logical evidence.
If I'm not sure about something I only as people with good intentions or do my own research.
That sounds like an intense upbringing. I'm glad you made it out alive, and that you were able to take something painful and create a useful curiosity pattern in your life. It's so good to ask questions and vet your sources. Good for you, and thank you for sharing this!
Thank you for making this video and thank you for how beautifully you explained the steps of recognizing the trauma and then healing from it. I left the Mormon church 4 years ago after 25 years of involvement, including serving 18 months as a missionary. I was solid at staying away for 4 years and just barely went back again to see how I would feel. There are so many emotions of anger and oppression but also loving feelings of familiarity, but mainly just sadness. I have been trained to believe that I cannot find a good man outside of this religion. I feel torn all the time at family events and never know if people are talking about me and how I left the church. I gained a bachelors degree in religious studies to try to understand why I felt so bad in my religion all the time. Why I felt like I was sinning constantly. I will work hard to heal this in myself. I am glad there are others who understand this feeling. Thanks again for the video.
Thank you for your comment. There are so many others who are feeling what you feel and hope you don't feel alone. Religion's goal is to make you feel confused so it's not surprising that you feel so many things all at once. You are definitely not sinning though, you are learning to love and heal yourself.
There are good men outside of religion, in fact a lot of them are better because they don't use God/satan as an excuse for their behavior and they take personal responsibility.
Thankful that you are here, and I am glad you are healing, You're not alone! 🙏🏻
💚
"A man was married to someone who was 'slow boiling him like a frog in a pot' but never managed to bring her husband into the cult his wife belonged to for over 10 years. He had an extensive close network of family and friends that his wife tried to cut him off from. He had a mountain of support and yet - he still suffered from trauma (from the brainwashing of this cult) when he had distanced himself from his wife's cult. It's impossible to imagine what someone who was raised in this cult would go through if they tried to leave. The fear of something bad happening because you left is the worst type of chains to be enslaved by. The ability to feel like you aren't responsible for making decisions was a strong attractive 'drug' to the cult members. They replace their parents with a disgusting manipulative cult leader and remain like children for their whole lives."
thank you so much i’m crying listening to u i finally fear heard and relate to people eveyone thank you so much seriously i love u
Maya, thank you. The thing that pushed me through my fear was hoping that I could help others feel less alone in their journey and I hope that you feel this. Thankful that you are on your journey out!
Thanks for making this video, I'm 19 and going through this , trying to navigate through life. It's really encouraging to see somebody like you make it out and become the true, best version of yourself. That inspires me to do the same and reach your level and that everything will be okay. Thanks so much...
Thank you! I'm so glad it's encouraging. That's amazing that you're able to go through this transition at 19! I was still a very committed cult member at that point in my life, ha. You will make it to the best version of yourself as you stay committed to learning more. I'm always if you have questions and I am excited to cheer you on in your healing!
man you are a miracle!! you are so free and completely your higher self and true self!!! it encourages me to keep the path and become .
Yes! Stay the path and give yourself time to enjoy the journey, it gets so much brighter and joyful.
10:21 so so hit home for me. Thank you for posting this video. I started reading Dr Winell's book a few months ago and I've been overwhelmed with how much RTS has impacted me when I came from a relatively 'liberal' Christian upbringing (if there is such a thing).
Ashley, thank you for watching. And yes RTS can impact literally all of your thoughts especially if religion was intertwined in your upbringing. Glad you found Dr. Winnell's work! Please let me know if you have other questions, I'm definitely wanting to cover more ground on this because so many of us have been affected.
You are so lovely! Thank you for this video! I can relate to everything you described. I want to sign up for your course
Yay! I would love that. I'm so glad that you can relate!
thank you so much for this video, as someone who just had a major anxiety attack over not understanding what im going through, I reallyy appreciate it and it made me calm down so much
I'm so glad to hear that it helped! You're not alone !
Your channel is so good, thank you for sharing this! Best wishes to you! xx 💛💛
Thank you Angie!! Appreciate you 🙏🏼❣
This is an important voice. All the best with your channel.
Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing your story. It helped me a lot. Made me feel less lonely. I struggle a lot with my RTS. I actually learnt today it is called RTS. I am glad I came across your channel. I am sending a lot of support.
Thank you Anna, I appreciate your support! And you are definitely not alone in your journey, there are so many of us, and we're all learning.
Listening to your extreme experience helps me a lot figuring out my (not so extreme) experience. Thank you
I'm glad it helps you to figure some stuff out in yourself! Remember that just because others have it worse doesn't mean that you pain is not valid. Your pain matters no matter how it got there.
I just signed up for your course. Thank you Angel ❤️
Thank you Ina! let me know if you have any questions about it !
thank you for this.. makes so much sense about who I am today and why I'm struggling..
I'm glad it makes sense. Keep struggling through, one day it'll feel routine, and then it'll feel easy, and then it'll be a pleasure to have overcome so much. You've got this!
Thanks for your candor. I love hearing about other ex Christian’s experiences bc I can relate so much. It really helps me bc you fs have moments of doubt or wanting to drift back, but videos like this helps reinforce that I’m not crazy or alone lol
Thank you so much for this, I was told to be possessed for my sleep paralyses, my fear for the dark and anxiety, causing every single one of them to worsen dramatically.
Every time I think deeper and outside of the box which is one of my favorite things to do, an inner guilt overwhelms me, every time I thank someone for his service and not God first and foremost, an inner guilt overwhelms me.
Life feels like not trying to offend God for the most trivial things ever, EVEN BY MY DAYDREAMS WHERE I IMAGINE IN MY FANTASY WORLDS.
Your talk helped me very much, though and you caved another way out of this mess.
You did it so I can too
Keep thinking, its your right to think. Find logic through Stoicism and science and keep on thinking. Your life isn't mean to be lived "not offending god" it's to be lived in a way that honors your gifts! Find out what they are and cultivate them. You are not an offense to God. You've got this!
@@AngelDeSantis | Thank you so much for your reply, helped me put things even more into perspective, your work is admirable!
The video is amazing and I totally understand and feel this struggle
Hit me with anything you want me to cover! And thank you for watching !!
Thank you for speaking up about RTS. It is soooo important! I just found your channel and only discovered RTS a few weeks ago. I grew up in a pentecostle church, left the church over 10 years ago because I thought it was very hypocritical but I kept my faith until a few months ago and now consider myself an atheist. It's very overwhelming to find out that you were indoctrinated and brainwashed as a child - and my upbringing wasn't even that strict but I still suffer from it a lot. To loose your faith and finally realizing all this, to go from knowing what is right and wrong to not knowing almost anything and have your whole world turned upside down is beyond words. I'm still in some kind of shock, I think, and don't exactly know what to do. I'm listening to a lot of stories from people who have experienced something like it and I'm very glad I found your channel. Finding likeminded people online helps a lot to cope with it all. I'm definitely going to use my story in some way. This needs soooo much more attention.
Maria, thank you for responding. I feel you, it's one thing to lose the external world you grew up in and it's quite another to lose the mental structure they put in place. I'm glad that you're curious to hear stories and share yours! I recommend Marlene Winell's book "leaving the fold" As well as listening to her lectures, and also Dr. Gabor Mate to help understand the coping mechanisms we come up with. Thank you for being here! Excited for your journey!
@@AngelDeSantis Exactly! Thank you so much 😊 I will definitely look into your recommendations.
Yep, all of that, at least everything 1/3 the way through. I'm still struggling with it, with the loss of meaning, purpose, and world view I still take no joy in the secular world. By the end you addressed all of that. You hit the nail on the head. I'll probably be calling.
Yes! Shoot me an email, or take the religious trauma course. There's a lot of stuff in there that'll help to walk you through.
THANK YOU for this. I didn’t grow up in a commune / cult but I grew up with two parents who were both pastors in mainline, Protestant churches. They were incredibly abusive and cruel. My sister also carried their torch and went on to be an abusive pastor as well. I’m now estranged from my family and although I left my faith over a decade ago, I am still grieving and processing. I’m SO ANGRY at the multitude of lies I was sold and the magnitude of the consequences. Over and over again, I was abused by Christians- I don’t trust any of them anymore.
I'm so sorry to hear that. But I am glad that you are away from people who were cruel to you and I'm glad that you are able to feel anger. Let yourself keep processing and learning. I'm sorry that it's painful, but so glad that you are on the path to your souls recovery. It does get better. I hope you know you are supported and loved.
I left the morman church
And this is crazy that there is a term for religious trauma.
I am healing from so much
I am so glad you are healing!
I was raised in a religous household from the age of 7 years old. I got baptized and was pretty joyous about it. But recently i started talking to a lot of atheists and i wondered if i could survive without God. I talked to a lot of christains too and i realized the fear of hell and my delusion that God was my father and was loving and the continuous ideaology that i would be bereft of morals and values and be abandoned would make me sit on the boundering edge of staying with christ and being "christain" or "becoming a satanist." Or an apostate or anti-christ. "Christains" have asked me, "god is good, why do you want to give up a good thing?" Or "the only way to live life is to have jesus." ill get somebody who wants to preach at me about how im still a christain but just lost. I was always told that satan would attack me and that i could be taken over by demons if i didnt follow jesus and if i became a buddhist or shintoaist i was serving the devil or making myself to be king over my life when i shouldnt do that. Im a woman by the way. I just cant take it anymore. I want nothing to do with satan or jesus. I have a choice as a human being! I am my own person! I am not someboy's servant or property. My purpose is not just to give somebody else glory. I give them up and refuse to torture myself about them anymore! Its ridiculous to do so.
Good for you! Give it up!!! You are not made to either be perfect (according to someone else's standard) Or be in "satan's army" You are meant to be a human being having a human experience. I am so glad you are refusing that rhetoric! I hope you enjoy this whole new and wonderful world!!
@@AngelDeSantis thank you.
Thanks for sharing!
It really is, but recovery is possible! Thank you for understanding
thank you so much for this
I'm glad you found it valuable! Appreciate it!
so sorry you went through this..I'm going through it now...xoxo
You're not alone ! Keep fighting for yourself, you're worth it.
Thank you so much for this. I was raised in the WELS synod and I am just realizing how toxic it was & how much of my issues can be traced back to that church/school I went to
Thank you, I'm glad you found it! I'd not heard of the WELS synod, I googled it and it seems super intense. I'm glad that you are realizing that it was unhealthy and working on yourself! It's all upwards trajectory from here!
@@AngelDeSantis YES! I hadn’t realized how much damage it did till literally last night so it’s a long journey from here. I stopped going to the church a long time ago but my parents are still extremely involved... (I’m 20 and went to the private school from pre-k till 8th grade & then slowly stopped going to church in high school)
@@jessnettgen It's a long journey but it's one that is worth every single step. And the fact that you're starting at 20 is amazing! I didn't start thinking for myself till I was like 27 😆Bravo to you for having the courage to do it.
@@AngelDeSantis thank you!! I always hated the religion I grew up in so its almost validating to know it messed me up. Weird way to think about but idk 🤣
I guess it’s like I had good reason to hate it. I wasn’t just a disobedient kid
Thank you for sharing your story.
Thanks for listening.
Witchcraft is non patriarchal.. I’m struggling too and this is a deep, important option. Very difficult transition if possible. The transition exposes the deepest fear that was secretly taught, the silent indoctrination.
Oh that's true about witchcraft. Thank you for the info. And yes, fear is how they get you, keep exposing it!
Thx for sharing your story I’m the same
Thank you for watching!
Good talk, thank you for the clarity in describing a painful process of leaving a christian community (cults, sects, and all main religions).
Thank you!
I'm glad this topic is finally getting attention, been struggling with the poison of religion my entire life...thank you.
Thank you! I'm glad I can do my best to bring light to it. I hope it was helpful!
I didn’t grow up in such an extreme religious environment but I’m 23 years old and have been in church my entire life. I finally left 6 months ago after 3 years of feeling a bad “gut feeling” to what the church was teaching. I feel that I might have RTS because I relate to almost all those symptoms. Especially with the sexual issues, I have vaginismus from what I assume would be purity culture. None of my family knows that I’m no longer Christian. I dread what will happen when they find out. I’m scared to lose the people I love. Thank you for this video, by the way.
I'm sorry to hear that you have those symptoms. The good news is that life is meant to be long enough to recover. And you being here means you are taking the first steps towards reclaiming yourself and are interested in your own healing. Which is a really great step. Please know that you get to keep all the good memories of the people you love, that never has to go anywhere. I know for me the loss of a close relationship to people I love was very difficult, but I have no regrets of taking steps towards my healing, even if it meant I was walking alone for a little while. Sometimes people join you as you walk, sometimes there's a period when you walk along, but the journey for your mental health and freedom is always worth taking. I wish you courage on your journey. You're on the right path.
This was really good! I grew up in fundamentalist evangelical christianity and actually have 2 aunts who were members of Children of God (joined in the '70's as teenagers) with 5 of their kids growing up in the cult (products of arranged marriages of course). They were mainly in Europe and Argentina during the '70's-90's. I'm pretty sure 1 aunt and 1 cousin are still members with what's left of the cult. Because of having family in a cult, growing up I understood about religious trauma in relation to cults, but it's only very recently that I've begun to understand how even in the socially acceptable forms of church and other religions, religious trauma is also a real thing there. What was done and manipulated into our psyches just happened to be accepted by society, but it was just as damaging. I'm looking forward to watching some of your other videos because you have such an intense first-hand knowledge of it from your past.
Thank you so much! And wow that they were in Argentina, were any of them involved in the raids they did there in 93? The authorities took the children out of our communes for a few months before giving them back. ( A whole other story)
And yes, religious trauma in a cult vs religious trauma in "regular society" is a really interesting thing for me because at least with my upbringing I can be like "oh this was all wrong, let me question it." But when something is normalized and accepted in society it can be even scarier to question it, especially if your family/ society stands by it. Interested to see how you feel about the other videos! And best of luck with your family who is still in it. I hope they are able to exit soon.🙏🏻
@@AngelDeSantis so yes...they actually were in Argentina for the raid. I remember it very well because I was in high school. My 1 aunt, her 4 kids, and her husband were all there. She and the kids were eventually let go, but her husband at the time was was arrested and stuck in Argentina. I just remember the rush to get them back to the US so they would be safe. They stayed for a bit and then shortly after all left again to Brazil before eventually heading back to Europe.
I also remember growing up that my aunt would come back to visit my grandparents and get lots of money from them (they were somewhat well off). All my other aunts and uncles would always comment how the money was just going to end up with the Children of God and how my aunt wouldn’t actually get any of it for herself. I guess it was a normal occurrence going back all the way to the ‘70’s before they left the US. Members of the cult would just show up at my grandparents house and get money from them. This went on until the day they died and she got money in the will. 🙄
Yoga is indeed life changing!!
Agreed !!
I know exactly what you r talking about. Listened as I am trembling
Wow. Just subscribed. Cheers for this vid
Thanks for the sub!
thank you
You're welcome. Thank you for watching.
You rock girl!
Thanks Paulina!!
Thank you so much for this. Your channel is so lovely! I was a born-in to a doomsday cult (JW) and just left with my hubby and 6 of my children. So thankful but so much to unpack too.
I’m so proud of you. I was born in and left 13 years ago now.. best decision of my life. It will be hard at first, but trust me please when I say you will feel AMAZING soon. Lol sometimes I still get intrusive thoughts like “ohhh my god what if???” Then it’s just time to sit down and breathe and think logically. It will be okay. Best of wishes ❤️ so happy you left as a family. It will make it waaaaaay easier.
@@ChristisKing7922 Thank you!
Wow, thats incredible! I'm so glad you were able to leave with your spouse and to save your children from the experience of life under constant threat. They are lucky to have courageous parents who broke a cycle of abuse. Seriously, well done and yes there is unpacking to do, but you did the hardest bit! Really proud of you.❤️
@@AngelDeSantis thank you!
I am extremely happy for you!!! To have your family intact after leaving the JW cult is an amazing feat! My husband and adult children are still stuck in the cult under the hypnosis the GB so hearing that you and your family have left together is very, very inspirational. I wish all the best that life has to offer to all of you!
The end times aren’t gonna make you fearful it shouldn’t make you fear meanwhile me over here getting scared having anxiety depression and suicidal thoughts any time someone would talk about it and this was the problem I have the most it’s when people would say Jesus could come any second and then an hour or so later they would tell me I had a great future ahead of me and I would also if I was left alone for to long I’d try and find my mom or anyone who was a Christian so that I knew the rapture hadn’t taken place and then we have the mark which we won’t get into because I can get just physically and mentally sick from hearing that stuff in general
Yes it's so confusing that they tried to make us believe two contradictory things and we had to try and reconcile it. I'm sorry it made you fearful and I hope you are healing.
@@AngelDeSantis yeah it’s a very long healing process though
@@gmg9010 For sure, I'm 13 years in, but I'm thankful that it does get better, slowly but surely.
17:00 - 17:20 This can be commonly found in probably MOST church congregations, and that’s another reason why “elders” and Boomers get ignored because this is traditionally passed down as far as false beliefs go and many people are still stuck in that mindset under… mind control! 😓
Great Great Great video!
Thanks ❤️
Having left a cult this is what I experience
Thanks for giving me words to it and making me feel less alone.
Thank you so much 🙏🏼 this is exactly why I share. I am thankful you found your way here. You are definitely not alone.
@@AngelDeSantis sure feels very lonely though.
I used to be a Jehovah’s Witness and exiting from there means lose all policy. Hells Angels are kinder in offering outs.
Once again thanks for the video.
@@theohuioiesin6519 Jehovah's witness are notorious for the way they shun. I'm sorry you feel lonely.
instagram.com/exodusjw/?hl=en
That link is to a woman who also left the JW. I know there are many more groups of people who have been "shunned" after they've left. I hope that you are able to find your worthiness and understand that you never deserved the way they treated you. Keep walking towards your confidence and healing. You deserve it.
You are brave and strong and it's mind boggling how much you had to endure. So sorry. Recovering catholic here. Who came up with this horror anyway? The god of the BuyBull is a narcissistic monster
I grew up in the gospel hall church at a very young age the pastor would talk about hell and the devil and creep behind the podium and jump out and scare the fear in me that i was going to hell for same sex attraction!! At 19 i left and lived the gay lifestyle i always wanted a committed partner and adopt kids !! But i was cheated on by everyone of my relationships but i realized now that i was destructive and was afraid of a good relationship because i was afraid to die in my sins and go to hell because of the fear base reglion !! Jesus should be loved and worshiped out of love for him not out of fear of going to hell and burn forever!!! I realize now that the trama has a child from this pastor has messed my head up and is seeking skills to let go of this hurt and fear i prayed last night that i forgave this man and now the regrowth will begin threw Jesus Christ our lord!! You can raise you children in faith but in love not in fear !!! God bless my sister in Christ
I agree that love is a better motivator than fear. I'm glad that you realize you didn't deserve the treatment that you received, and are finding your new way of life.
Hi I grew up in Ifb so somewhat similar and it’s been incredibly difficult to find therapist that can provide the insight I need! Do you have any recommendations?
www.heartcenteredtherapeutics.com/
Thanks
🙏🏼🙏🏼
Sounds like a good theory (the responsibility thing)
Love you girl!!!! Wow!!!
Thank you, Paula!
I wasn’t in a cult. I can relate to this. I was raised by very religious parents. It got so bad for me I left, and no longer talk to them.
I'm sorry that family bonds were severed over religion. I know what that's like. I hope you are finding places of peace and safety and true joy in your life!
@@AngelDeSantis thank you, I do miss them but it’s better for me to stay away
Thank you for your video, Angel. I left an extreme religious cult in 2018 that I had been a part of for 21 years. I have been diagnosed with PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. I have struggled and am doing better but my past life still has a hold on me. I would like to speak with you further. How can I contact you?
Hi Zandra, Thank you for being here. That sounds so intense, but I am so thankful that you made it out and are getting help! You can contact me through my website www.angeldesantis.com I'd love to hear from you.
I believe in Jesus as my Saviour. But I have been through more horrible things said to me by ministers and church members.
I'm sorry that the members of your church have been so cruel. I hope you are able to separate them from god. God or Jesus does not believe those things about you the that ministers or church members said. Humans are so flawed and should never speak with "divine authority." Please know that you deserve joy in your spirituality, not oppression and cruelty.
@@AngelDeSantis Thank you.
Stealing joy yesss! I was always told when something disappointed me that we’re not supposed to be happy here that we will only be happy in heaven. Like what? 😒
Exactly! Like why are we in this wonderful world then, if we're not supposed to have happiness or joy from it?
Did you struggle with triggers and flashbacks?
Since starting therapy and digging up my past, words such as demonic and my therapist suggesting that I can't do something, triggered me into a flashback panic attacks.
I don't struggle much with those because I remind myself that I am no longer there, so even if I flashback starts I pause and remind myself "I'm safe, I am no longer there" and it helps to keep me present and look forward and ask "What's next?"
I was not raised particularly religious in my immediate family, but I did experience some religious trauma elsewhere.
It can come from anywhere and any religion. I'm sorry you went through that.
How does one make an appointment with you? What is the cost? I've completely lost any support and am currently living with my abusers again. I'm trying to figure out how to navigate with no support and it kind of feels like drowning. I would love to make an appointment with you so I'm going to start saving up now. Thank you so much for your videos.
You're welcome. And I don't do personal one on one appointments any longer, but I do have a religious Trauma course that I can guide you to. It's self guided to help you find out what your baseline is that you are starting from. Try this link:
resiliencetraining.teachable.com/p/religious-trauma
I remember nightmares about tribulation movies and wondering if I’d survive
Thanks for the content. I’m toggling still between believing and deconverting. I know some might say to simply just deconvert because of data presented, but it’s not that simple, at least from an emotional standpoint. I’ve been delving deep into watching deconversion testimonies and exposing my faith to the scrutiny of atheist arguments. At the end of the day, the real truth will stand to any scrutiny. Any other suggestions? Thanks.
I understand it's not that simple to deconvert. My suggestion is to keep asking questions and give yourself time. I believe people have a very strong internal compass and the more information you gather and let yourself think, the more the truth will naturally come to light. Remember that emotions are real, but they are not fact. At the end of the day, you need to live your life in a way you can be proud of, and whatever that means to you will be what forms your character. You are not doing life wrong. You've got this.
Don't be afraid to do the research. Give yourself time to process it.
Sigh. I’m turning 50 this year and just now realizing that I have RTS. I guess better late than never.
I think that if you look at Hitler and the Nazis and compare that to religious sects that a lot of parallels will pop up. I'm no expert but it seems to me as though religion begins with one person wanting power and so he or she thinks how they can best get their hands on it. So they find other people who they can control and immediately send those people out recruiting more people. And so, after years and years of hard work, where does this all end? There is only one possible outcome and agenda to all this effort. This will sound crazy but I think it's world domination. It's not about religion at all. Religion is simply a convenient and usable tool to be used in establishing more and more power.