Adverse Religious Experiences: When Faith Communities Cause Emotional Harm
For many people, church is a place of belonging, comfort, and support. But for others, their time in a faith community has been marked by fear, shame, or emotional harm. Dr. Laura Anderson coined the term Adverse Religious Experiences (AREs) to describe these painful encounters.
AREs can range from overt abuse to more subtle experiences, such as being silenced, shamed, or excluded. While these experiences may not always be recognized as trauma, they can have lasting effects on mental health, relationships, and self-worth.
Adverse religious experiences and trauma from church need to be named and taken seriously.
What Are Adverse Religious Experiences?
Adverse Religious Experiences can include:
Being taught that questioning leadership or doctrine is sinful.
Feeling shamed for natural human experiences (doubt, sexuality, emotions).
Experiencing rejection or exclusion for not meeting religious expectations.
Witnessing hypocrisy or abusive leadership but being told to “stay quiet.”
For someone who grew up believing church was meant to be a safe space, realizing that it caused harm can feel confusing and isolating.
Statistics on Harmful Religious Experiences
A 2022 survey found that 37% of U.S. adults who left their religion cited negative religious experiences as a major reason (Pew Research Center, 2022).
Research shows that 62% of people leaving high-control faith groups report symptoms consistent with PTSD, such as nightmares, hypervigilance, or panic (Winell, 2011).
A 2020 study revealed that individuals reporting spiritual abuse were 2.7 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to those without such experiences (Kent, 2020).
These statistics highlight that religious harm is not rare, and the mental health impact is real.
Mental Health Effects of Adverse Religious Experiences
AREs can trigger emotional pain that lingers long after someone leaves their faith community. Common effects include:
Anxiety and fear – worrying about punishment, hell, or rejection.
Depression – feeling hopeless or cut off from meaning.
Shame and guilt – believing you are inherently flawed or unworthy.
Isolation – feeling like a “black sheep” for speaking up about harm.
Fear of abandonment – worrying loved ones will leave if you share your doubts.
Relational struggles – difficulty trusting authority figures or intimacy in relationships.
If you had a painful experience in church, you may feel torn between your need for healing and your fear of being misunderstood. Maybe you’ve tried to bring up your hurt with family or friends, only to be told to “just pray harder” or to “forgive and move on.” You might feel like a black sheep, carrying your pain in silence.
You deserve to be heard. Your pain is valid. Having an adverse religious experience does not mean you are weak or “faithless.” It means that what happened to you mattered, and it is worth healing from. It’s taboo, and it deserves a safe space like therapy.
Reclaim Your Life
Feeling like a black sheep for leaving church is lonely. Depression from harmful religious experiences and church-related anxiety can consume your thought life. The fear of abandonment after leaving faith and shame after speaking up about religious trauma feels so heavy. If you’re looking for counseling for spiritual abuse recovery, you’ve come to the right place! I offer therapy for anxiety and depression from church experiences.
At Deconstruction Counseling, I specialize in helping individuals process and heal from adverse religious experiences. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, depression, shame, or fear of abandonment, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. Book an appointment today and take the first step toward reclaiming your voice, your worth, and your peace.
References
Anderson, L. (2022). Adverse Religious Experiences: Understanding the impact of harmful religious environments.[Conference presentation]. Religious Trauma Institute.
Exline, J. J., Pargament, K. I., Grubbs, J. B., & Yali, A. M. (2014). The religious and spiritual struggles scale: Development and initial validation. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(3), 208–222.
Kent, J. (2020). Religious trauma, PTSD, and the psychological impact of spiritual abuse. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(5), 453–467.
Pew Research Center. (2022). Why Americans leave religion and what they say about it.
Stauner, N., Exline, J. J., & Pargament, K. I. (2016). Religious and spiritual struggles as concerns for health and well-being. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 25(4), 208–213.
Winell, M. (2011). Religious Trauma Syndrome: It’s time to recognize it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Today, 8(3), 22–29.
Ward, T. B., & King, L. A. (2019). Faith transitions and identity reconstruction. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 58(1), 134–150.