"Leaving the Fold" with Marlene Winell, PhD

[@voncillehenry8160]

I have been recovering from religious trauma for 50 plus years and finally have a peaceful life. Evidence is that I love and value myself. I love knowing that there is a psychological term for it, Religious Trauma Syndrome. I just wrote a book called "My Sins, A Childhood Memoir of Staying on the Nice Side of God". Feedback I'm getting is that it is a very healing book to read, and I wanted very much to speak my truth about Fundamentalism and the harm that it causes children. I think Parents don't realize that they are creating anxiety and even terror in their children. They are just doing what "Pastor" says to do. Thanks for the great interview with Dr. Winell.

[@sonomusic9883]

Wish I knew about this psychologist along time along . I had to figure this out on my own . I thought I was so alone I never even thought to look for people in the same situation! Praise Yahweh Jehovah Jesus Yeshua Christo I found this.

[@TheLifeAfterPodcast]

Thank you! Her work has been a life-saver!

[@bandilemsimanga]

Thank you for the work you do!

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

Thanks for an wonderful 73 min talk. It would be fine if your "show" reached 3,4 billion people !!!!!!!. We need you. We are in the millions. Mvh Regina.

[@monus782]

10:25 this was the most relatable part so far as in my case I was raised as a relatively conservative Catholic but in my high school and college years I went more “fundamentalist” about it (essentially it’s talking to God in Latin and acting like Vatican II never happened), it was just basically me taking that upbringing to its logical conclusion (as I had nothing but contempt for the Catholics who were less devout or more liberal than I was, basically for me it was all or nothing when following church doctrine) so I’m grateful to know I’m not alone on this part. 11:50 and this is how I realized that perhaps I was suffering from RTS the whole two years since I’ve left Christianity, at the beginning I thought my severe depression was caused by something else so maybe that’s why I didn’t go far when I first went to therapy before the lockdowns happened. When I first heard of this condition I really thought it strictly had to do with those who suffered within those religious groups (as I really don’t recall being depressed when I was still a Christian, just anxious and ashamed) and not those whose world fell apart after leaving, I definitely was the latter and I just figured this out last week. How funny that this episode was posted around five months before my own deconversion, I just wish I figured this out earlier but at least after connecting the dots I feel more alive than I’ve been in a long time but also really trapped and lonely due to family and relationship dynamics (the very people I have to pretend to be someone I’m not anymore), at the very least it really feels like I’ve finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Because of that I can’t wait to go back to therapy ASAP but I’m really concerned about how my therapists will handle it, maybe they might unintentionally open some wounds with the whole “religion is good” attitude but I have to give it a shot as I just want to be free from all of this as I just turned 27 and already feel that I’ve missed out on some things because of my past.

[@shriggs55]

I came out as an atheist about 4 years ago. My immediate family-wife,kids,etc.-are all fundamentalist evangelical believers-due largely from my influence,when I was a believer.After a few arguments,we have generally agreed to disagree.But,for me at least,there's still a state of uneasiness about it all.Now,my eight grandkids are starting to be indoctrinated-and it's just killing me.I'm still glad to be free of that religious nonsense-but there are consequences and it still hurts.I have been trying to make sense of my past Christian experience and the psychology involved in my being sucked to it in the first place.You have helped much,and I want to check out some more of your videos.And,by the way,I am going on 65 years old now.I am trying to get over the fact that I wasted 35-40 years of my life in psychological bondage.(Stockholm?)

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

Me too. 35 years of mental terror!

[@shriggs55]

@@Ronnymikkonen2686 I'm sorry to hear that.I hope you have found or will find happiness and meaning in your life.There's nothing we can do about the past.All that's left is to do the best with what we've got,-or not.Good luck to you-I wish you the best

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

@@shriggs55 18 years in Eksjö! Bibelbältet! I moved from there to a new place! No Christians around anymore! No more backstabbing, and manipulation! Before Eksjö I had big mental health problems because of Religion! No more! I'm with team healthy 😁 now! I'm 52 years old! And free!

[@shriggs55]

@@Ronnymikkonen2686 Good for you girl! I always like to here about people getting out from under the delusion and the bondage of religion! I wish you much happiness and wholeness. P.S.-where is Eksjo? Just curious.

[@Ronnymikkonen2686]

@@shriggs55 In Sweden, 60 km East from Jönköping!

[@heybrittsta]

As someone who still believes, I’m saddened that Christianity has caused trauma to so many people. I have not had any of these experiences within a fundamental church. I have found it positive, loving and beautiful. I think this was because I was always encouraged to figure out what I believed for myself. I don’t want to discount the experiences of those that have found it traumatising though. I’m glad there is support from amazing people like Marlene.

[@rokfather]

Thank you for the contrast. I would ask: how deep were you into fundamental Christianity? Many of us in recovery were children of missionaries or pastors and it cuts a lot deeper for people like us. Even before my parents were actively a part of ministry they would never think of skipping church for for a camping trip or weekend devoted to family. As I grew older I learned how most people balance their lives with church and secular activities, and if I had that experience growing up I might have a lot less animosity against fundamentalism. We were in church Wednesday night, Sunday morning and evening, and anything less was considered "backsliding". I married someone from the same denomination as me but her family was a lot more flexible in their commitment and I honestly think that was much healthier for her.

[@petrathorsty3833]

@@rokfather this! I was a PK and went through Christian education so I feel like it really hit me much deeper because my entire world was centered around Christianity. Additionally, my dad could be very nasty and I felt like I could never tell anyone what it was like at home because he was a pastor and a 'man of God'. The further in to religion I got the more isolated I felt, constantly made to feel like my reality wasn't right or okay.

[@bellezavudd]

@@petrathorsty3833 Pastors are often the most hypocritical in the church. Notoriously demeaning to females also.

[@janetmary-vasquez7517]

Good for you, Brittany...really. I question whether is was really "fundamentalist". That kind of church almost ruined my life. I've got a lot of work to do. Reading Bart Ehrman helped a lot. I didn't realize much of the bible's teachings were unreliable. BTW, if all of this Christian crap has given you physical pain-please visit Nicole Sachs/John Sarno. And thank you, Dr. Winell.

[@theroadlesstraveled3993]

I had a beautiful and amazing experience too, for 20 years. The more I served and the closer I got to the inner circle of it all, the more I realized how fake, political and orchestrated the BUSINESS of 'church' is. But there's always that core group of heartfelt disciples you see as the family to flock to. Then our son came out as gay. As is normal, I questioned the theology and what I believe about everything and just like that, we were outcast. As soon as life didn't fit neatly inside of the theological box the Evangelical Church has God in, you can't help but do a deeper search. And boy, they don't like that. The elders shut you down and the rest of them avoid you like the plague. You quickly see how everything's guided by fear and tradition disguised as love and faith. And when you call it out, you're labeled as "deceived", backsliding, fallen from grace, heretical. Your world turns upside down at first. People either choose not to see it or are in denial. The entire system is broken.

[@devanyehansen2162]

THIS. Everything around the 5 minute mark. Sunday afternoon I was having lunch with my parents in law, and my husband took a bite of my dessert and crunched a giant piece of glass. O.O And he was fine, and his parents were all, "Oh thank God, what a miracle! Where did that glass even come from?" And I was sort of, rattled, looking on from a sort of distance, immediate recoil, like this instinct of not letting myself react because I had been in the middle of telling them about this jarring experience I had at church in the wake of the SCOTUS decision, and then the thing with the glass happened with my husband. And my first thought wasn't like, "Omg, how crazy, how did that happen, baby are you okay??" My first thought was, "God didn't like what I had to say and that was a warning shot." It was really rattling and frightening because God was threatening my husband. Just ... that those kind of mob tactics were normalized for me and still kind of are.

[@Jannietime1]

That music at the end ... UGH

[@scofah]

The Constitution created our secular government. Vote for Democrats in midterms 2022 to keep the USA free.

[@cdzlink7115]

Is it possible for these places not to be a shill for the Democrat Party?

[@ChacetheBass]

Nothing new here for me guess I'll keep suffering. This whole world is religious and yet screams it's owned by Satan.

[@davidhamilton5893]

Religion: "How can I get the money from your pocket into mine? Too people badboozed.