Has anyone ever had faith/religion as a part of your healing process?

[Emily L]

**PLEASE NO HURTFUL OR RUDE COMMENTS**

I 100% support seeking medical and therapeutic help for healing from PTSD & CPTSD, depression, anxiety, OCD, etc. But in addition, has anyone ever found solace, peace, comfort, and/or healing with faith in a God or higher power? Please share your experiences or answers below. :)

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

Nature and all it entails has brought me more genuine and lasting healing than all the insurance approved methods I've sought through the years, combined, although I'm glad the other still exists in case of emergencies Natural creator, the universe, energy consciousness, god, faith....or whatever one wishes to call it. The side effects seem to be a lot more pleasant, too.

 

[Emily L]

Nature and all it entails has brought me more genuine and lasting healing than all the insura...

@Tornadic Thoughts I'm not really sure how people use nature to bring healing. Do you just spend time in nature? I'm not an outdoorsy person, so I am genuinely curious!

 

[Ronin]

In short, yes.

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

I do spend time in nature. Lots of it. I'm fortunate to live in a space where I'm surrounded by it. I've learned to grow some of my own foods, safely forage for "wild" sustenance (a.k.a. weeds...lol), pay close attention to the sounds of nature, notice how each tree is vastly different, yet very similar, nurture and observe things through their growing and death stages, observe the behaviors of the animals, keep an eye to the sky to observe patterns and such, look into the Native American teachings of animal "medicine" for when the animals cross my path, soak up early morning sun for some natural vitamin d, take barefoot walks in the grass, spend time near running water, eat a whole food plant-based diet, make my own hygiene and cleaning products from nature-based ingredients, smudge myself and my spaces with sage bundles and palo santo sticks, build a small fire to sit with and process feelings, fill my living space with plants that help clean the air, exercise outdoors on the mini-trampoline and with my hula-hoops, etc., etc., etc.

 

[user27357]

My initial traumas are from people that abused and brainwashed me because they thought I needed their religion. It never ends with them and they hurt me regularly right up to the day I cut my ties with them and became an anti-religious person for my own safety and recovery.

Always remember and never forget, the extremes of religion are the most consistent source of suffering and terror throughout human history.

If the truth is hurtful or rude, well I guess I will be banned and the truth suffers. It won't be the first time.

Look, I don't believe in religion but I do believe in the goodness of religious people, the same way I think persons are for the most part smart and want to be good people but gatherings turn into crowds and crowds turn into mobs and mobs become stupid and do bad things very very often.

If it helps you, that's great, really. If you get steered into thinking that you are getting your help from a better source than those that get their help elsewhere, that's neither good nor bad but I would say it is not helpful to you or anyone around you to think like that. If enough of you start thinking that way and want to impose your beliefs on others, well now we have a problem.

We are all aware of the problems that have arisen from that kind of thinking in the past. If this thread is going to represent that kind of thinking it should have a warning that it could be triggering for some of us.

 

[Emily L]

My initial traumas are from people that abused and brainwashed me because they thought I needed their re...

@enough I'm not forcing religion on to anyone. The question is simply asking if anyone has ever found healing IN religion or faith. My traumas were mostly centered around religion as well, specifically Christianity. I wasn't brainwashed but I did grow up with the fire and brimstone type speech, which is terrifying. Then a few things happened that were traumas and it goes from there.

 

[ILoveLife]

Trying to diverge from my political take on religion...

I'm not much for faith in a monotheist or polytheistic religion, or any organized religion for that matter. I think imagination is powerful enough for each of us to create their own belief systems if we're willing.

I do like the philosophy behind Taoism and Pantheism, so probably if I do identify with any spiritual ideology is a mix of those two.

 

[Tinyflame]

Yes, but it had nothing to do with fire and brimstone, ( which I find distorted and frankly, very mislead if not outright exploitive or 'crazy'.) It was my own choice, for the strength and peace I receive myself from it. It is more practical.

Come to think of it, I had one critical positive person (clergy) show up and give me a bear-hug (his choice) for many minutes directly after I thought I had murdered a relative. It was not something I would have thought of or even agreed to, but probably the most critical and only positive thing that occurred. Especially considering what I knew, and the personal guilt/ shame/ horror/ remorse/ not telling anyone/ eventual lies/ everything else going on. Now, 34 years later, I realize it probably saved my life (though I tried to kill myself twice after.)

I heard it said recently faith is trust. I have little faith and less trust. So little trust it's beyond 'normal'. But I also heard, we can choose to 'have faith in' God, people, etc- the process or treatment or whatever. That I can do with rare souls who've earned it by their actions, and have a wisdom or non-blame that doesn't scare me away and speaks to my mind and heart. Within the last 11 or 12 years that has provided both my guidance and explanation to keep trying to deal with the monumental stress and grief.

Welcome to you.

 

[ShodokanJenn]

My abuse was suffered at the hands of a satanic cult. So many horrific things, so much brain-washing and crazy-making. I have since given my life over to Christ. I want others to have what I have - peace, hope, the feeling of unconditional love and acceptance, joy - but I have never and will never try to force my faith on anyone else. My life is FAR from perfect, and I struggle just like everyone else. I don't see myself as perfect or even as better than any other human on this planet. I have no more worth than anybody else - but I also have no less. My faith is a source of solace and strength for me. When I let other things take priority over it, my life tailspins. I need it. I also go to therapy every week, take psychotropic medications, take medications for other conditions as well, regularly see my physician, seek support here and at a different forum where I'm the moderator... I believe in doing everything possible to live a life worth living (thank you, DBT, for that phrase :rolleyes:). That looks different for everyone. I don't judge anyone - that is NOT my job. I am not perfect, so how could I???
Anyway, for me, my faith has been a major source of healing and direction.

 

[Deleted member 12723]

I developed my faith in God after being spiritually abused in a very toxic church. I really believe that what I call the Creator of the universe and all contained within has been a source of so much healing and comfort in my life. I still struggle with some concepts but I believe that God is a friend to me and I do believe also in the holy trinity. I do not force my faith and beliefs on anyone and have the utmost respect for where other people are in their lives. I do not believe I am better than anyone and am grateful that I got included into this faith. I am not religious anymore and I do not attend a church as a result of not being able to trust going to one again. That is okay by me because what I have works for me and helps me each day.

 

[deeplyloved]

Yes, absolutely. I still sometimes feel triggered by overtly fundamentalist Christian language...but also sometimes by (what feels to me like) the anger of staunch atheists. My faith is my own...my understanding of the divine is my own and my relationship with what I understand to be divine is also my own. No one can take those things from me. I've found a lot of healing in womanist and mujerista theologies. I also met the author of Prayer Beads for Healing and find her prayer beads comforting and affirming for my prayer practice.