by Concluding our “Am I Okay?” series on mental health
Over the past several weeks, we’ve been exploring various mental health issues including depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Today, we’re concluding this series by discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and religious trauma syndrome.
Understanding PTSD
According to studies, about 9% of US adults will experience some form of PTSD in their lifetime. While commonly associated with war or major accidents, PTSD can stem from many traumatic events. Two people can experience the same event, yet only one may develop PTSD symptoms – it’s often related to brain chemistry and neural pathways.
PTSD was first recognized by the Swiss military in 1678, though not to the extent we understand it today. Throughout history, it was often called “shell shock” or “combat exhaustion.” Like other disorders we’ve discussed, PTSD involves the over- or under-activation of certain brain structures and changes in neurotransmitter levels.
People with PTSD often experience:
- Flashbacks and nightmares
- Intrusive thoughts
- Avoidance of triggers
- Detachment from people and events
- Hypervigilance (excessive attention to possible dangers)
- Frequent negative thoughts and emotions
Complex PTSD: When Trauma Is Prolonged
Complex PTSD differs from PTSD in both the length of trauma and the symptoms experienced. While traditional PTSD generally develops from short-term traumatic events, complex PTSD results from long-term, repeated trauma and presents additional symptoms:
- Excessive reactivity with anger and aggressive behavior
- Persistent feelings of shame, guilt, failure, and worthlessness
- Severe difficulty forming and maintaining meaningful relationships
Scripture offers examples of figures who displayed PTSD symptoms. Jacob never fully recovered from the trauma of believing his favorite son Joseph had died. Job, who lost everything within a week – his livelihood, property, health, and children – showed signs of PTSD throughout the remainder of his story.
Importantly, these biblical figures maintained their faith in God despite their struggles. As Matthew Stafford notes in Grace for the Afflicted: “The biblical descriptions of PTSD in the lives of Jacob and Job demonstrate that mental health problems are no respecter of faith.” Even people of exemplary faith can struggle with mental health challenges.
When Religion Is the Source of Trauma
What happens when religion itself becomes the source of trauma? This is more common than we might realize.
Religious Trauma Syndrome, a term developed by Dr. Marlene Winell, describes “the condition experienced by people who are struggling with leaving an authoritarian or dogmatic religion and coping with the damage of indoctrination.”
The Religious Trauma Institute defines it as “the physical, emotional, or psychological response to religious beliefs, practices, or structures that is experienced by an individual as overwhelming or disruptive, and has a lasting adverse effect on a person’s wellbeing.”
Warning signs of potentially traumatic religious environments include:
- Using guilt and shame to control behavior
- Enforcing strict gender roles, often with double standards
- Fear-based teaching (overemphasis on hell, rapture, eternal damnation)
- Threats of excommunication or shunning
- Repression of critical thinking
- Physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse
- Hypocritical leaders with no accountability
Words of Warning and Hope
Scripture offers both warnings to religious leaders and hope for those who have experienced religious trauma:
In Matthew 18:6-7, Jesus offers one of his harshest warnings to those who cause “little ones” to stumble in their faith: “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses. For offenses will inevitably come, but woe to that person by whom the offense comes.”
Ezekiel 34 contains a powerful indictment of shepherds who have abused their flocks, along with God’s promise to seek out and rescue those who have been scattered and abandoned: “You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty…For this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them. As a shepherd looks for his sheep on the day he is among his scattered flock, so I will look for my flock. I will rescue them from all the places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and total darkness.”
The crucial lesson I’ve learned through my own experiences with religious trauma is this: People will let you down, but God never will. When human leaders fail us, God remains faithful as our shepherd.
Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
Finding Healing
Healing from PTSD and religious trauma requires a holistic approach:
- Mind: Consider therapy and, when appropriate, medication
- Body: Maintain exercise, healthy diet, and regular sleep patterns
- Spirit: Engage in supportive spiritual practices like meditation, Bible study, or small groups
- Relationships: Spend time with understanding people who love you
Jesus offers these words of comfort in Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message):
“Are you tired, worn out, burnt out on religion? Come to me, get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Whether you’re struggling with PTSD, religious trauma, or supporting someone who is, remember that healing is possible. Jesus won’t abandon you. He sees your pain, feels compassion for you, and offers to be the good shepherd who leads you to recovery and rest.
LISTEN TO OR WATCH THE FULL SERMON:
Daniel N. Lee 