If you were indoctrinated with 5 or more of the below toxic lies, you have likely been impacted by religious trauma.
Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) is a psychological trauma that can result from harmful religious experiences, such as abuse, indoctrination, or manipulation. It can occur when someone struggles to leave a religion or set of beliefs that led to their indoctrination, or when they break away from a controlling environment or religious figure. RTS can have a significant impact on a person’s mental and emotional well-being.
I am inherently bad.
I can’t trust myself.
My heart is wicked.
I deserve punishment.
I don’t measure up.
I am powerless.
My pastor knows God better than I do.
Self-denial is holiness.
I need forgiveness for who I am.
I need saved from myself.
I am worthless on my own.
Being devoted to God means staying in an abusive relationship.
Therapy or medication is a lack of faith.
Self-care is selfish.
Sex before marriage is evil in God’s eyes.
The world is evil.
If I mess up I will lose my salvation and go to hell.
People I deeply love are in hell or will go there.
Everything outside my church culture is a threat.
Jesus is coming back to fix everything.
Divorce is disobedience to God.
I can never be good enough.
Feelings are dangerous and not trustworthy.
I am not capable of thinking for myself.
I can pray myself out of this.
Obedience is true discipleship.
Questioning is a spirit of rebellion.
I must be perfect.
My struggles mean I am not trusting God.
God’s word is all I need.
I am nothing without Jesus.
I am weak and he is strong.
God will fix it for me.
I wrote a leaving-religion do and don’t list with lots of resources and suggestions for charting a path forward, which you can check out here -> https://tinyurl.com/57uy3em8
Jim Palmer
