But today there are still conflicts and ongoing discussions within the Jewish community concerning the traumatizing of the Palestinians as part of the creation of the nation-state of Israel. This can cause lasting impacts on others who believe in the religious teachings or feel unable to disagree with the teachings, including fear that if you choose to question the faith or even part of the faith, you will be kicked out of your community, you will disappoint others, or that you will go to hell because God is angry at you for your lack of belief. Other times people do not feel that they have the opportunity to say no or to escape harmful situations, because they do not know that they can choice to leave, to say no, or to have an opinion that differs from someone else, and often are explicitly told that they cannot disagree and must follow the religions rules. Religious trauma refers to the deeply felt ongoing mental and emotional suffering one experiences at the hands of a religious belief system. In other words, spiritual awakening emerges as a deep inner call from the Soul, demanding that we wake up, walk our own paths, and listen to our Souls calling to find Home. The topic of religious trauma is such an inflammatory topic, and one that has harmed so many people, that Im going to try and approach it as delicately as I can. In some cases, religion can reinforce trauma on an individual and collective level. I also recommend looking into getting an IFS therapist if youd like to go deeper into this work. Using Islamic values and beliefs can be beneficial in treatment of mentally . Being authentic and refusing to be complicit in violence or concepts that cause trauma is a requirement. You can also check out this guided Self-Love Journal that I co-created a little while back, if you want some structured help. According to Walker,[41] importance elements of trauma recovery involve shrinking the inner critic, the role of grieving, and the need to be able to stay self-compassionately present to dysphoric affect. All rights reserved. Merely questioning Islam is a criminal offense in some places. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Chicago Monitors editorial policy. [2] The potential extremity of feelings in relation to losing one's worldview while also losing emotional and social support to get through any given crisis can cause further trauma. And self-compassion helps you to learn how to be gentle, kind, and forgiving with yourself. Nearly 8% of Muslims in the. Whenever I told people around me (muslims) that I left islam, they abused me with insults. Religious trauma has also been linked to severe results such as suicide and homicide. The Jews, Christians, Muslims? Data from Michigan showed that among Arab Americans who perceived they were discriminated against, they had increased odds of psychological distress, especially among males [14]. These signs arent meant to diagnose you in any way (as Im not a psychologist or mental health professional). Merriam-Webster defines religion as the belief in god(s), which involves an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship god(s). There is a ton of variation in what that means to each religious group and person involved in a religion. All three Abrahamic religions have a history of both traumatizing other communities as well as bringing their unique spiritual resources and experiences to bear on assuaging these moral injuries for victims of trauma. 67 Michael Walrond Jr., known as Pastor Mike, at the First. Non-duality is also a path that is said to open a doorway to freedom from suffering via Self-Realization or spiritual illumination. However, there is relatively little research on the inversion of this dynamic, the way that trauma changes a person ' s religious beliefs. He is a full-time activist with a long history of civil rights, anti-racism, anti-war, Irish Republican, and Palestine solidarity work. Amina Ahmed 's interaction with Muslim women scholars started when she met Shaykha Leasha Prime at an NYU "Umrah" a smaller pilgrimage to Mecca trip in 2019. To date, most research on religious trauma has been qualitative research with an individualistic, experiential focus. (RNS) Raised by evangelical Christian missionaries, Kara Erickson struggled for years with anxiety, depression and eating disorders that two decades ago . In the face of this structured violence, they responded with non-violence. Experiencing religious trauma can happen to anyone of any faith at any point in their lives and it can be cumulative or sudden. (The religion I was brought up in.) Feeling forced or coerced to do things that you dont want to do, including but not limited to engaging in sex, giving money, sharing resources, etc. We as a community are both traumatizing and traumatized. Each group may have a different name for spirituality, including collective conscience, God, Universe, and others. And be sure to share this article with anyone who you feel might benefit. Imagine being taught, as a tiny little girl, that not only is the Devil always out to try and get you, but that if youre bad in any way, youll suffer for all eternity in hellfire in the worst possible agony you could ever imagine? Any type of long-term trauma, can lead to CPTSD. The shadow side of that response was a kind of persecution complex becoming insulated from external groups, distancing themselves from other people, and a lack of engagement with other groups. Herman outlines the importance of naming and diagnosing trauma to aid recovery, further legitimizing the need for defining RTS as resulting from specifically religious experiences. e.g. According to cognitive and neuroscience researchers, adverse childhood experiences can alter the structural development of neural networks and the biochemistry of neuroendocrine systems[31][32] and may have long-term effects on the body, including speeding up the processes of disease and aging and compromising immune systems. (Authors note: Much of my experience is with western religions and primarily Christianity. Chronically living in fear of eternal damnation and lifelong separation from loved ones and religious communities if they fail to comply with sexual identity restrictions can induce long-term symptoms of RTS. No. Are you a spiritual rebel or outsider? This list is not exhaustive for other types of abuse that can be perpetuated using other religious beliefs.). Minimizing or ridiculing mental health symptoms as sinful, demonic, or weak faith. Few religious leaders are trained in mental health and yet they provide counseling to others causing some to neglect the mental health support they need. Insulted or demeaned for things you cannot change (gender, sexuality, race, etc). But returning to that environment would mean deep self-betrayal, threatening my mental, emotional, and spiritual sanity. Difficulty maintaining friendships, relationships, etc. Sudden thoughts of murder-suicide would flash through my fragmented mind as disturbing bloody images of stabbing the preacher over and over again and then killing myself would burst into my awareness. This post may contain affiliate links. Be kind to yourself and others. Religious trauma syndrome (RTS) is not present in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) or any DSM-5TR (Text Revision) materials, nor is it represented in the ICD-10, but it has been recognized by individual psychologists and psychotherapists as a set of symptoms, ranging in severity, experienced by those who have participated in or left behind authoritarian, dogmatic, and controlling religious groups and belief systems. Religious Trauma and Spiritual Awakening. Religious trauma syndrome (RTS) occurs when an individual struggles with leaving a religion or a set of beliefs that has led to their indoctrination. Am I completely healed? Otherwise, you can also check out the following resources: Being in and amongst nature was the second practice that helped me tremendously when I was in the thick of religion and feeling slowly suffocated. Just like in The Truman Show, my whole understanding of reality began to collapse and crumble beneath me. Often the response is anger, violence and isolationism. Rabbi Goldstein traced the traumatic events in Jewish history and Judaisms response to them. Make deeply intellectual, guided group discussions on challenging faith topics a routine. Proceed with caution. Islamic Trauma Healing is a six-session, lay-led group intervention developed within a Somali Muslim community that integrates evidence-based trauma-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy principles with cultural and religious practices aimed to enhance uptake and create an easily up-scalable intervention for a wide range of trauma. Non-duality is an eastern philosophical and spiritual teaching that suggests that everything is ultimately One, and that dualities such as self/other, light/dark, subject/object, are ultimately constructs of the mind. These have been interview-based or case studies from clinical practice. Kathryn Post. The theme during this period was adaptation and evolution, especially replacing strict dogma and doctrine. Sexually abused by a religious authority like a teacher or imam. [2] Betrayal trauma adds a fourth assumption ("people are trustworthy and worth relating to") to Janoff-Bulman's original three: (the overall benevolence of the world, the meaningfulness of the world, and self worth). Religious trauma can be compared to betrayal trauma because of the trust placed in authoritarian communities and religious leaders which causes harm to individuals. Im not going to give you some kind of gimmicky 7-steps-to-healing shit because thats not how it works. Wild Wild Country 3. The violence of Charlie Hebdo in Paris was an example of an encroachment upon the sacred. Displaced persons are exposed to trauma and experience posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS). There are many other practices (this whole website is a resource open for your benefit), but these are some that come to mind. We are also privileged to have food where only a few miles away people live with hunger daily. girls forced to cover themselves in front of grown men). It's hard to find 2 Muslims that share the exact same interpretation of islam's guidelines. The term "religious trauma syndrome" was coined in 2011 by psychologist Marlene Winell in an article for the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies, though the phenomenon was recognized long before that. It has information that is helpful for survivors and clinicians working with those have experienced religious abuse. Trauma may encourage the entry of micro-organisms, which lead to various infective diseases. What has your experience with religious trauma been like? And this deep pain is perhaps the main reason why Im drawn to the symbol of the wolf, writing for and running this website, and exploring the shadows that obscure our Inner Light. It is not my goal or my place to say what is right and wrong for someones beliefs.
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