A Framework for Faith Based Mental Health Issues

Working on trying to identify, what the mental illness issues were, in relation to being a part of a faith based "cult", and how this social/environmental factor was harmful to my health.

In the process of family healing, I engaged with my brother but faced challenges due to underlying dynamics. Prioritizing my well-being, I sought support from professionals, friends, and ChatGPT. Choosing to disengage, I used creative tools, meditation, and ceremonies to release negativity. Insights led to recognizing Christianity's role in mental and transgenerational trauma. The journey, documented here, may resonate with others.

Following are key points of the process.

• Communication with Brother:

  • Engaged in a process of family healing, attempting to re-establish a relationship with family members.

  • Faced challenges as the dynamics of the relationship became apparent during the interaction.

  • Prioritized personal well-being and mental health after recognizing the impact on one's own balance. 

  • Sought objective outside support from my Dr., trusted friends.

  • Used ChatGPT as a tool for crafting communications back and forth with my brother, in order to craft communications in a respectful tone.

  • Followed the advice of my Dr., to attempt no further contact.

  • Used creative and wellbeing tools to process: journalling, support from partner and trusted friends, meditation, time in nature, studying languages, keeping regular schedule of classes and such. Received support in meditation circle, shamanic journey circle, and from ceramics lab peers. Received support via email, via text, via Facebook chat.

  • Used ChatGPT to identify the harmful language in my brothers emails. Asked for these to be made into positive affirmations.

  • Identified what thoughts and feelings surfaced with drawing of boundaries, and choosing to no longer be in direct contact with my brother, and identified underlying damaging beliefs and asked ChatGPT for support in creating positive affirmations.

  • Used shamanic ceremony to release the harmful words, burning a copy of the negative language to release it.

  • Used creative visualization, and body movement, to imagine "trauma bonds" dissolving.

  • Used meditation practice of holding brother in heart, and feeling love for my brother as me, loving your neighbor as yourself, I think in Buddhism this is called Mehta.

  • Once the disconnection was complete, processed insights that came in relation to how Christianity was a central component in fostering what might be interpreted as a form of mental illness, which fed into the transgenerational and historical trauma illness.

  • Began to consider it being a small short book!

• Realization about Christianity's Impact:

  • Acknowledged the external factor of the forms of Christianity one was indoctrinated into as a source of mental distress.

  • Identified harmful elements within the religion, such as magical thinking, delusional thinking, and fear-inducing doctrines.

• Differentiating Mental Illness and Trauma Illness:

  • Distinguished between mental illness (resulting from external beliefs) and trauma illness (stemming from repeated abuse and harm).

  • Emphasized the importance of addressing past traumas with professional help and personal commitment to self-growth.

• Critique of Religious Structure:

  • Explored the limitations of religious structures in addressing deep-seated trauma and childhood abuse.

  • Noted potential harm in the rigidity of religious doctrines and the absence of mechanisms for personal responsibility and self-reflection.

• Reclaiming Mental Health:

  • Emphasized the importance of a healing path and self-reflection in reclaiming mental health.

  • Recognized the impossibility of direct relationships with those unwilling to embark on a healing journey.

• Love Amidst Trauma Bonds:

  • Explored trauma bonds and the need to dissolve them for personal healing.

  • Shared a transformative shamanic journey experience of loving a brother like oneself.

• Ceremonial Release and Positive Affirmation:

  • Used ceremony and positive affirmation to release harmful Christian dogma.

  • Leveraged external support, including professional help, to navigate complex emotions.

• Creation of New Language:

  • Acknowledged the need to retrain the brain and subconscious with positive messages.

  • Integrated elements from the Christian perspective that resonate positively while avoiding triggering language.

• Impact on Mental Wellness:

  • Recognized the potential negative impact on mental wellness, including denial and a preference for religious figures over mental health professionals.

  • Connected unhealthy patterns of thought and behavior with conspiratorial thinking.

• Consideration for Others:

  • Reflected on the potential usefulness of the shared experience for others going through a similar crisis.

  • Explored the intricate interplay between religious beliefs, mental health, and personal well-being.

• Decision to Share with Psychiatrist:

  • Contemplated the idea of sharing the reflections with a psychiatrist for additional insights and support.

• Self-Reflection vs. Psychosis:

  • Clarified that the self-reflection process was not indicative of psychosis but rather an attempt to make sense of negative aspects of the Christian experience.

In summary, the process involves a deep exploration of personal and familial dynamics, recognition of the impact of religious teachings on mental health, and a commitment to reclaiming mental well-being through self-reflection, ceremony, and positive affirmation. The narrative also highlights the importance of seeking professional support and understanding the nuances of trauma and mental illness within the context of religious experiences.

I began to write a book, but really, there are better uses of my time, and I close todays work with a game with chat. Taking my understanding of the cause/effect of the Faith Based Dogma on my life, suggestions from my friend for language for the DSMV.

Creative Play: I asked ChatGPT to come up with some terminology, to define these things I exprienced from a “mental illnesss” framework.

DSMV Category: Faith-Based Mental Illness

Definition: The manifestation of mental health challenges stemming from rigid adherence to specific religious beliefs, leading to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral disturbances.

Application: Illustrates the unique category of mental health concerns arising specifically from the influence of religious doctrines, emphasizing the need for nuanced understanding and targeted therapeutic approaches.

Specific Mental Health Terms:

Cognitive Dissonance of Faith: Definition: The mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs within a religious context. 

Application: Navigating the tension between fear-based teachings and the core message of love and compassion in Christianity.

Fear-Induced Cognitive Fog: Definition: Mental confusion and lack of clarity resulting from fear-based teachings. 

Application: Experiencing difficulty in critical thinking and decision-making due to the emotional impact of fear-driven doctrines.

Anxiety of Spiritual Condemnation: Definition: Persistent worry and apprehension about the potential spiritual consequences of one's actions. Application: Fear-based teachings may contribute to heightened anxiety regarding perceived moral failings.

Orthodox Paralysis: Definition: Feeling immobilized or trapped by strict adherence to orthodox beliefs. Application: Fear of deviating from established doctrines may lead to a sense of paralysis in personal growth and exploration.

Existential Dissonance: Definition: A state of inner conflict arising from the clash between fear-based teachings and one's innate sense of purpose and meaning. Application: Wrestling with questions of personal identity and purpose within the context of fear-driven religious narratives.

Sacred Self-Reflection Inhibition: Definition: The hindrance of healthy self-reflection due to the fear of divine judgment. Application: Fear-based teachings may discourage individuals from critically examining their beliefs and behaviors.

Dread-Driven Dogma Adherence: Definition: Rigorous adherence to religious doctrines fueled primarily by fear rather than genuine conviction. Application: Following religious practices not out of love or devotion but as a means to avoid perceived negative consequences.

Faith-Induced Cognitive Disregulation: Definition: Disruption of cognitive processes resulting from the internal conflict between faith and fear. Application: Experiencing mental distress and confusion when attempting to reconcile deeply ingrained fear with the concept of faith.

Dysfunctional Divine Relationship Patterns: Definition: Unhealthy interpersonal patterns influenced by fear-based teachings about the divine. Application: Struggling with feelings of unworthiness, guilt, or inadequacy in one's relationship with the divine.

Spiritual Gaslighting Resonance: Definition: Internalizing manipulative religious narratives that undermine one's sense of reality and self. Application: Experiencing self-doubt and confusion as a result of fear-based teachings that manipulate perceptions of truth.

Catastrophic Thinking: Definition: The tendency to perceive situations as far worse than they are. Application: Fear-based teachings may contribute to catastrophic thinking, where everyday events are viewed through a lens of extreme negativity or danger.

Mind Reading Bias: Definition: Assuming that one knows the thoughts and intentions of others without sufficient evidence. Application: Fear-based doctrines may encourage believers to engage in mind reading, assuming negative motives or influences in others.

Demonization Bias: Definition: A tendency to attribute negative intentions or characteristics to others. Application: Labeling certain behaviors or individuals as "demonic" may contribute to a bias where others are automatically seen as malevolent.

Religious Stigma: Definition: The societal or self-imposed negative perception associated with certain religious beliefs. Application: Fear-based teachings may contribute to stigmatizing mental health challenges by attributing them to demonic influences rather than recognizing them as human experiences.

Demonic Attribution Syndrome: Definition: The belief that mental health challenges are directly caused by demonic forces. Application: Fear-based religious teachings may lead to the misconception that mental health issues are a result of demonic influence rather than complex human experiences.

Religious Paranoia: Definition: An irrational fear of perceived religious threats. Application: Fear-based doctrines can contribute to paranoia, where individuals may fear demonic influences in ordinary aspects of life.

Fear-Induced Hallucinations: Definition: Hallucinatory experiences triggered by intense fear, terror, or anxiety. Application: Extreme fear cultivated by religious teachings may contribute to hallucinatory perceptions, such as seeing demonic influences where none exist.

Religious Cognitive Distortion: Definition: Distorted thought patterns influenced by religious teachings. Application: Fear-based doctrines can contribute to cognitive distortions, such as black-and-white thinking, overgeneralization, or catastrophizing.

Belief-Driven Paranoia: Definition: Paranoia fueled by rigid adherence to specific religious beliefs. Application: Fear-based teachings may lead individuals to believe in external threats, contributing to heightened levels of paranoia.

Dehumanization through Demonization: Definition: The process of viewing individuals as less than human due to perceived demonic influences. Application: Labeling others as "demonic" may contribute to dehumanization, hindering empathy and understanding, and does not integrate what is now known about the dissociative spectrum and personality development in the cases of severe prolonged trauma.

Denial-Reinforcing Doctrine: Potential Psychological Term: Denial Mechanism Explanation: A defense mechanism that involves the inability to access underlying truths and realities that may be too painful to acknowledge. 

Faith Over Professional Guidance Barrier: Potential Psychological Term: Faith-Based Coping Explanation: Relying on faith and religious beliefs as a primary coping mechanism, often to the exclusion of seeking professional guidance, or trusting the wisdom of the body, and intuition to discover ways in which one can help themselves.

Conspiratorial Teaching Patterns: Potential Psychological Term:

Paranoid Ideation Explanation: The tendency toharbor unfounded suspicions and beliefs that others are plotting against you.

Faith Healing and End-of-Life Care: Observation: Faith healing beliefs impacting medical decisions, such as denying appropriate end-of-life care, in the hope of a miraculous recovery. Application: Illustrates how religious convictions can influence critical medical decisions, sometimes to the detriment of well-informed and compassionate care.

Non-Conformity Self-Hatred Syndrome: Potential Psychological Term: Self-Rejection Phenomenon Explanation: A pattern of self-hatred and a desire for self-harm resulting from perceived failure to conform to a rigid belief system.

Suicidal Ideation due to Belief System

Non-Conformity:

Potential Psychological Term: Faith-Induced Suicidal Ideation 

Explanation: Suicidal thoughts arising from the inability to align with and conform to the rules of a religious belief system, and/or align belief systems with other members of the Christian cult.

Veiled Trauma Syndrome (VTS) - Proposed Addition to DSMV

Definition: Veiled Trauma Syndrome (VTS) is a proposed addition to the DSMV to encapsulate the unique challenges faced by individuals within faith-based communities, particularly Christianity, where the structure may inadvertently contribute to the concealment of traumatic experiences, hindering the healing process.

Symptom: Silenced Trauma Dynamics Description: Individuals exhibiting symptoms of Veiled Trauma Syndrome may experience an environment within religious institutions characterized by secrecy and the suppression of traumatic experiences. The absence of societal checks and balances within these structures can lead to a culture of silence, hindering the acknowledgment and validation of trauma.

Behavioral Indicators:

• Reluctance or fear to speak about personal traumatic experiences within the religious community.

• Avoidance of discussing or acknowledging instances of abuse or victimization within the faith-based context.

• Perpetuation of secrecy around traumatic events, often due to perceived consequences or social stigma within the religious community.

Impact on Mental Health:

• Hindered healing process as a result of suppressed trauma and the absence of an open discourse.

• Increased feelings of isolation and alienation, as individuals may fear judgment or ostracization if they were to disclose their traumatic experiences.

• Contributing factor to the perpetuation of predator and prey dynamics within religious contexts.

Note: The inclusion of Veiled Trauma Syndrome in the DSMV is a theoretical proposal and requires extensive research and validation before being considered as an official diagnostic category.

This addition emphasizes the need for recognizing the role of religious structures in shaping the experiences of individuals suffering from trauma-related mental illnesses and advocates for a more comprehensive understanding of faith-based mental health challenges.