54. Traumatized By Religion (Religious Trauma Syndrome)

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In this episode of Mental Podcast Michelle and Seth catch up during their Mental Minute It had been two weeks since they have sat down together so there was a bit to talk about For example Michelle has published her debut book Into The Gray The Mental and Emotional Aftermath of Spiritual Deconstruction and is a contributor for a new book Before You Lose Your Mind Deconstructing Bad Theology in Church Both books are available on Amazon now Then the discussion around Religious Trauma Syndrome begins This is a very large topic so large that it could in fact be its show Dr Marlene Winell a leading research coined Religious Trauma Syndrome and defined it as the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination Whether you are currently involved in a faith or not RTS refers to the psychological damage that is the result of religious experiences messages doctrines and teachings Michelle and Seth review frequently experienced symptoms of people suffering with RTS and then spend time reviewing examples of the different aspects of religious spiritual abuse For example it s possible that you ve experienced religious spiritual abuse if You have left a religious institution and as a result have lost relationships and or been punished in some way This week s lived experience story is brought to you by Karl and Laura Forehand Karl was Seth s pastor for a year or so while he was in high school Karl started deconstructing and shares what this process has been like over the years Laura shares how her children were impacted and how her personal relationships changed as a result Information in this series is being drawn from the following books Traumatized by Religious Abuse by Connie Baker Sacred Wounds by Teresa Pasquale Leaving the Fold by Marlene Winell Coming Up Next For the month of May Michelle and Seth will be highlighting Religious Trauma Syndrome RTS Next week will likely involve the cycle of trauma Support this podcast at https redcircle com mental-podcast exclusive-contentClick here to visit this podcast episode