What is Religious Trauma Syndrome? & Signs You Might Be Experiencing It

Signs You Might Be Experiencing It

Let’s be honest. Religion is complicated. For some, it’s a source of comfort, community, and purpose. For others (maybe you?), it’s where things started to fall apart. If you grew up in a rigid, fear-based, or high-control faith environment, and now you find yourself anxious, ashamed, or untethered just hearing certain phrases like “quiet time” or “submit to authority”… you might be dealing with Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS).

No, it’s not in the DSM (yet). But it’s a term many therapists and survivors use to name the very real psychological, emotional, and spiritual fallout that happens when religion harms instead of heals.

So... What Exactly Is Religious Trauma Syndrome?

Religious Trauma Syndrome refers to the symptoms that can show up after leaving or being pushed out of a high-control religious system. We’re talking about:

• Being taught that your body, thoughts, or desires are dangerous

• Living in fear of hell, judgment, or eternal punishment

• Suppressing your identity (especially gender or sexuality) to survive

• Being told not to trust yourself, and definitely not your emotions

• Being gaslit into believing your suffering was “God’s plan”

RTS is kind of like complex PTSD’s churchy cousin. It doesn’t come from one single event, but from years of spiritual micro (and macro) aggressions that slowly disconnect you from your sense of self, safety, and sanity.

Signs You Might Be Dealing With Religious Trauma

If you’re wondering, “Is this really trauma?”—here are some signs that say yes, it very well could be.

1. You feel guilty for basically everything

Your brain says, “This is fine,” but your nervous system says, “You’re going to hell.” Guilt for existing, resting, wanting things, having boundaries…it’s exhausting!

2. You still fear divine punishment

Even if you don’t believe in hell anymore, the thought still creeps in: What if I’m wrong? That fear isn’t irrational—it was taught to you, on purpose.

3. You don’t trust yourself

You were trained to defer to pastors, parents, “God’s will,” and spiritual authority. Now, making your own choices might feel terrifying or totally foreign.

4. You’re grieving, hard

Leaving your faith isn’t just walking away from a building. It’s leaving behind a belief system, an identity, and maybe even your family or friends. That’s real grief.

5. Relationships feel… tricky

Maybe you were told to overlook red flags, stay in harmful relationships, or prioritize forgiveness over safety. Now, you may struggle to trust, speak up, or even recognize what a healthy connection looks like.

6. Religious spaces or phrases make your skin crawl

Hearing worship music or walking past a church might make your heart race, even if you don’t “believe” anymore. Your body remembers.

7. You’re anxious, depressed, or totally unsure who you are

You feel off, lost, or like your life was built on someone else’s rules. That isn’t failure. That’s the effect of long-term religious conditioning.

Good News: Healing Is 100% Possible

You’re not broken. You don’t need to be “fixed,” and you definitely don’t need to go back to church to find peace. What you need is space. Space to grieve, question, cry, laugh, and unlearn what never served you.

That’s the kind of therapy I offer.

I work with women and non-binary folks in Washington State who are healing from religious trauma, deconstructing their faith, and learning to trust themselves again. No spiritual bypassing, no toxic positivity, no explaining purity culture to your therapist. Just real conversation, real healing, and space to reconnect with your truest self.

Want to talk more?
Book a free consult and we’ll see if we vibe. You don’t have to do this alone.