Religious Trauma: Intro

I’ve been sitting with this idea of Religious Trauma for quite a while now. Growing up ultra conservative and seemingly spending more time at the religious institution than in my own home, there was not a lot of space for free thinking or even exposure outside of the conservative space. I remember being taught that God’s way was the only way and anything else was a sin and punishable - ultimately with going to hell. The priming that happened included having to listen to leaders, or people in authority, and not being allowed to question because it was dishonouring and disrespecting to my elders. This early childhood priming set the stage for me getting into some really dicey situations when I was older because these beliefs were pervasive. The religious leaders were the ultimate authority and being accepted and cared for in these environments were a matter of basic human survival. At least it felt that way. I never knew anything different. It was my experience that I felt like if I disobeyed them, I would be shunned and humiliated - that the sense of safety within the community would be withdrawn and then I would truly be on my own.  

When people ask “Why? Why did you do that? Why didn’t you leave or say no?” It’s because it wasn’t that easy. The belief systems that were taught from a young age stayed as long as I was within that environment - and long after. The power of those belief systems were rooted in the biological need to survive. The world within was known and comfortable, as long as the rules were followed, then things were ok. Things outside of that world were unknown, scary, evil, and bad. We as humans are inherently and biologically, scared of certain things and that fear was compounded by the teachings that were given. It didn’t feel like there was another way. It felt paralyzing to even think about looking outside of those perceived four walls. 

Now, this is just the beginning of the journey - the beginning of unpacking the Religious Trauma that I have experienced. I know I’m not the only one and I’m sure some of you reading this have also experienced similar things. You’re welcome to come along on the journey of what this has looked like, and feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear what your journey has been like and what resonates with you along the way. If you’re looking for someone to talk to, I have some incredible people on my team that are able to help you unpack some of this stuff. If you’d rather not see someone on my team we can try to help you find someone that would be a good fit outside of my team as well.