I know. It doesn't sound like it makes sense.
Spirituality is a deeply personal and supportive element of the human experience. Whether it's coming from your religious roots in a church setting - or from a wellness space of holistic healing. Spirituality is positive in it's purest form, but when communities, fellowships, organized groups and all of the leadership and mentoring within the organization of it all.. well spiritual abuse *can* happen.
Spiritual abuse is a form of psychological abuse that can happen in a religious, spiritual or wellness communities. It involves manipulating or controlling someone’s beliefs, emotions, or behaviors in a way that is harmful to their well-being -- often under the guise of spiritual or wellness guidance.
It's not about Spirit, Wellness or Health itself - it's about the people with some authority in these communities, who hold power over members - with little to no accountability or regulation guiding their actions.
Spiritual abuse can have long-lasting effects on mental health, leading to symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression, self esteem, and self trust. The loss of connection with being in charge or and aware of your inner experience, and the conditioning that your body gives wrong or mixed signals.
People who experience this abuse may struggle with their faith, the wellness or spiritual beliefs that brought them into the fold previously. They may begin feeling betrayed by the community itself or resentful. It's possible people will start to question the core belief system they once held dear that lead to belonging to the community. Leaving a group of this nature and healing from spiritual abuse often requires psychotherapy, trauma treatment like EMDR, and support from others to validate this traumatic experience leading to fostering an environment of healthy mind, autonomy and spirituality.
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