Mormon Religious Trauma Syndrome
Leaving or Losing Faith in Mormonism is Traumatic
Walking away from Mormonism, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, means the end or death of the life you learned previously. In other words, the reality you knew is no longer a reality. That, my friends, is much more of a psychological shock to you than you may be aware and, according to Dr. Marlene Winell, “needs to be recognized as trauma.”
When you lose trust or feel betrayed by the people around you that you were always confident you could trust, there is an implicit and immediate question about your judgments. How could you ever be right about anything again if you were so wrong about this? Sounds obvious; however, self-doubt creeps in as you discover you were so overwhelmingly duped. After all, it's not a mistake akin to choosing the wrong shade of paint for your living room. It's more of a catastrophic self-discovery that I, and others, are so easily conned.
Were there signs? Should you have known? In my case, I recall right at the beginning of my 35-year participation in Mormonism; there were obvious signs that something just wasn't right. For example, I found “God” during my most vulnerable time. And lo, and behold, weeks later, as I served as a Ward Mission Leader (Missionary guy), I was directed by my church leaders to ‘seek’ out the vulnerable and desperate because they are the easiest to brainwash. Okay, they said they are the easiest to teach and more likely to be baptized, but it's the same.
Mormons are taught from a very young age and continuing through adulthood that their safety and happiness depend on the church. Singing the hymn “Follow the Prophet” is no different than singing about following God. The church's prophet speaks for God; therefore, he is God by proxy. What he says goes. President N. Eldon Tanner once said, “When the prophet speaks, the debate is over.” Once you leave this controlled environment, although grateful, you may experience inner concerns about what happens next. Your identity is no more. No longer being obedient and loyal to the church means having to rediscover a world that is no longer framed by limitations. A person may even experience symptoms of religious trauma, knowingly or unknowingly.
As a person transitions from any religious group and starts to experience a new life, they may well, in doing so, have psychological and physical challenges. Not that their journey is wrong, but leaving a controlling, restrictive church will significantly change in many ways. And so the following list (as supplied by Claudine Foundray) points out some of the symptoms:
1 — Anxiety or panic attacks (Mine started five years ago and still occur)
2 — Guilt/Shame
3 — Anger
4 — Insomnia and Exhaustion (I’m still experiencing years later)
5 — Social Withdrawal (After five years, I'm now at ease)
6 — Avoidance of specific places/people (I still avoid Provo, Utah)
7 — Feelings of not fitting in anywhere (It took me about four years)
8 — Feelings of grief/loss/lack of trust
9 — Trouble making sensible decisions
10 — Mood swings (in my case, it took five years or so to recover)
Thankfully, leaving Mormonism is not totally traumatic; it is also a relief to experience life on your terms. The freedom to think and act for yourself is life-changing. No longer constrained. When people ask me what my religion is today, I say I’m non-delusional.
© Stephen G. Arrowsmith 2022
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