http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-03-11-the-lives-less-lived-sons-daughters-of-perdition
An excerpt:
But because religion and identity are so intertwined, and because indoctrination almost always takes place at a young age, leaving religions remains a complex and traumatic affair. “You feel like you have lost all your moorings, all your ties,” says Winell. “Depending on the particular religion, family or community you are from, it can be more or less painful or negative. But some religious groups are horrible in their response. For instance the Jehovah’s witnesses have a policy, and it is part of their doctrine, to shun anyone that leaves, because the community thinks it is following orders from Jehovah. In a lot of cases it just forces someone to come back because they just can’t stand it. They want to be with their families, you know.”
Winell talks about a former Jehovah’s Witness in one of her support groups who was cut off from her family. “Last night this woman was talking about her parents who completely shunned her and told her that she couldn’t come to see them anymore. She’s 40 years old and she has got a child, a son. She’s no longer allowed to come and visit or to bring him there, and she just cried and cried and cried. To think that a religion could dictate something like that and create that kind of destruction to a family, is unbelievable,” says Winell, who offers a list of symptoms of Religious Trauma Syndrome:
- Cognitive: Confusion, poor critical thinking ability, negative beliefs about self-ability & self-worth, black & white thinking, perfectionism, difficulty with decision-making;
- Emotional: Depression, anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness, difficulty with pleasure, loss of meaning;
- Social: Loss of social network, family rupture, social awkwardness, sexual difficulty, behind schedule on developmental tasks
- Cultural: Unfamiliarity with secular world; “fish out of water” feelings, difficulty belonging, information gaps.