Anxiety Disorders And Pentecostalism

[sethosayher]

For the past few days I've been talking to and reading the testimonies of ex-pentecostals. I've noticed that more than a few of my fellow heretics have in the past suffered or are currently suffering from Anxiety disorders and other issues like depression. I'm beginning to wonder if Anxiety disorders are perhaps common in this brand of Christianity...if so, why? I don't have any statistical data to validate this claim, so I can be totally wrong, but perhaps there is something in Pentecostalism and Pentecostal communities that tends to nurture such disorders? What are your thoughts on this?

[PK!]

I'm ex-pentecostal and grew up in a pentecostal home with a pentecostal pastor for a father and i shit you not when i say that every single one of my relatives that i can think of are pentecostal. It's funny how you bring this topic up because i myself am dealing with a large amount of anxiety these days with my abandonment of Jesus and all. I've noticed the trend as well in reading some posts of others who have delt with bat shit pentecostalism and what i have gathered is that the focus on the demonic, holy babble, and other insane products of the imagination seems to be what causes the shitty anxiety and depression. I really wish i grew up into a relaxed baptist church as opposed to a church that likes to scare the shit out of non christians and christians alike. Hope this helps. There are others on the boards who can surely relate to the mind fuck that is pentecostalism.

[dichotomy]

For the past few days I've been talking to and reading the testimonies of ex-pentecostals. I've noticed that more than a few of my fellow heretics have in the past suffered or are currently suffering from Anxiety disorders and other issues like depression. I'm beginning to wonder if Anxiety disorders are perhaps common in this brand of Christianity...if so, why? I don't have any statistical data to validate this claim, so I can be totally wrong, but perhaps there is something in Pentecostalism and Pentecostal communities that tends to nurture such disorders? What are your thoughts on this?

 

Causes of disorders are complex...often there is a genetic component. In any case, what I've observed here is that the two don't mix well. People with severe anxiety don't seem to come out of Pentecostalism unscathed.

 

Phanta

 

I agree the two don't mix well. Depression, anxiety and other mental health issues are indeed very complex and it's hard to know if Pentecostalism and similar brands of xianity are the causation or just enhance the potential and symptoms that are already there. You could possibly argue that people with certain mental health issues are more likely to be drawn to things like Pentecostalism too.

 

From my own experience, the 4 years I was part of a Pentecostal Church were possibly the worst 4 years of my life. I was depressed and bordering on suicidal which I have never been before or since. At the time I did not connect it with Pentecostalism but looking back it may well have played an important part of it. I was obsessed with demons and angels, being filled with the HS, prophecy and God speaking to and through me. It all feels so freaky and alien to me now.

 

My husband is from a very charismatic borderline fundamentalist background and he is suffering from depression. We only realised that was what was *wrong* recently, a good few years into his atheism (which of course gives family some handy amo) but looking back over the last decade I can see all the signs of depression but our faith and xian obsessions totally masked it or we at least were blind to it at the time. I realise this is just anecdotal but it certainly does make me wonder about the affect of Pentecostalism on people's mental health.

[Japedo]

For the past few days I've been talking to and reading the testimonies of ex-pentecostals. I've noticed that more than a few of my fellow heretics have in the past suffered or are currently suffering from Anxiety disorders and other issues like depression. I'm beginning to wonder if Anxiety disorders are perhaps common in this brand of Christianity...if so, why? I don't have any statistical data to validate this claim, so I can be totally wrong, but perhaps there is something in Pentecostalism and Pentecostal communities that tends to nurture such disorders? What are your thoughts on this?

 

Having been raised in the ass of god myself and been diagnosed with panic disorder in my adulthood, I can attest that I feel the same way. Being brought up with fear of either the ones you love being left behind due to their lack of belief, or yourself for upsetting god someway is a huge stress to always be dwelling on. Along with Death, destruction, never being good enough, always 'sinning', this includes 'thoughts', the rapture, the end times. Satan always tricking you, causing you to doubt and disappoint god. The list is endless. These types of chronically talked things inflicts nothing but fear and what if's in children.

 

I went to a Pentecostal school as well as church and group activity's ( Daisy's, Prims, Missionetts, Sign language choir, different Teen groups, Revivals, et al) There was no escaping it. I was surrounded by this death and doom talk All the time. There was no end, there was never peace of mind.

 

When watching the Jesus Camp movie, I could be any one of those kids. Those kids are experiencing extreme fear and rejection. Being called worthless or dirty rags by their 'teachers', being ground down to nothing as a group is a constant way of life in the pentecostal environment. Notice how they all look around because they want to fit in and want to make sure they are 'pleasing' god. Hate of mankind is another strong emotion in that cult, hence hating yourself for being born human and worthless. Anytime anything in life goes wrong it's attributed to some sin you must have committed. It highlights failure and nothing but extreme emotionalism, is no wonder people stuck with that brainwashing have extreme emotional issues. The longer the years your stuck in it the greater the effect IMO.

[Franko47]

Religion is designed to exploit the "anxiety impulse" in our human nature. It thrives on it, uses it for leverage.

 

 

Just another reason why much of it disgusts me.

[JoifulDreaming]

I went into the pentecostal church with anxiety disorders. The very first service I was prayed over (with touching hands and tongues wagging). I had a total melt-down kind of panic attack. The kind where you freeze and can't move, shaking and such. I guess they thought I had the spirit or something, because that only made them more fervent. Man, I wish I had left that morning and never looked back... That same thing happened several times over the 3 years I was in the church. I definitely came out more scarred than I went in. The only plus was that pentecostalism brought my 23-year-old faith to an end.

[Dagaz]

I visited a Pentacostal church ONCE at a next door neighbor's invitation to go with her family and quite literally ran out crying with terror. I then demanded that she take me home. This was back in my hardcore Christian days, too... now I'd probably melt like the Wicked Witch of the West if I set foot in one of those places.

 

But yeah... the people who had the greatest influence on me Christianity-wise were Charismatics or Pentacostals, and oh holy hell was it anxiety provoking. Of course, I'm inclined to think that Christianity in general is a ripe breeding ground for anxiety disorders and panic attacks and assorted other fun things.

[par4dcourse]

I was 11 years old and addition to dealing with being sickly, short, and nerdy, my primary concern was the terror of being sent to hell. Then at 14 in a fit of temper I cursed gawd. Another bout of terror over the unforgiveable sin.

I don't know how exactly that affected my adult life, but needless to say, subjecting a kid to that ain't right.

 

From the headquarters in Cleveland Tn: "The Church of God is right, halleujah to the land."

[godlessgrrl]

Depression runs on one side of the family, anxiety on the other, but to be perfectly frank my family has historically not been terribly religious at all, so depression and anxiety have not been associated with religion much.

 

That said, when my mom and I first converted we both went to the same Pentecostal church for awhile. I don't remember a lot of guilt-tripping there, but I do know that the theology we both tended to gravitate towards was very guilt- and shame-inducing, and for me it certainly intensified my depression and anxiety during those years because of that.

 

I will also add though that shame and guilt were already a part of my family legacy anyway - and again, religion wasn't really involved much in that. Guilt and manipulation were just how generations of parents got their kids to comply with the behavior they wanted.

 

I think being Pentecostal made what was already there worse. But I don't know that it was Pentecostalism per se that was the problem, so much as Xianity in general, exacerbating an extant family history.

[SilentLoner]

I grew up catholic and have a pretty bad anxiety disorder which developed in my pre-teen years. Can't blame it all on catholicism, but my fiasco of a communion definitely didn't help matters.

[decafaholic]

I'd like to chime in here. I was AoG from birth-19.Did the programs too. I was crowned Honor Star, if anyone here knows what that is

 

I had MAJOR depression/anxiety issues as well. I honestly think that mental illness is more prevalent in the Assemblies of God, than say, the methodist church for sure. AoG really pushes the visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, hearing the voice of God, and doing just plain weird shit.I had a lot of problems with hearing voices in my head, or at least that's the best way I can describe it. And I was not that unusual, which is the scary thing.

 

It doesn't help that there is a real stigma surrounding anxiety medication. I fought suicidal thoughts for a long time before I finally decided it was okay to ask for help from my doctor.

 

However, I'm not sure if pentecostalism attracts anxiety-prone people or it makes them that way. I just know there seems to be an association.

[Pinner]

I am still in the process of questioning and working through everything myself at the moment but I do have a few experiences to do with the issue of pentecostalism and anxiety. I got "saved" at 15 (now nearly 21) and before christianity I havent had any issues with panick attacks or anxiety. After highschool when I was 18 I did a year at bible college (a church run one, which is quite pentecostal/charasmatic) and that year I experienced my first panick attack, it happened for no reason - well irrational reasons and nothing to do with church but I was at church/bible college when it happened. That year I also experienced my second panick attack. It was at a youth conference and I was ushering when I broke down because people werent listening. I think it was all the stress from that year - there was alot of talk about spiritual warfare and gifts etc and we were made to do ALOT of serving in the church, with not alot of support. It didnt help that none of my immediate family are christian - actually my mum is pagan/wiccan so that makes me "more succeptable to demonic attack" hahaha hahaha rediculous. Then the following year I was in the states doing my DTS when I had another panick attack. I think there is a link between these anxiety attacks and the pentecostalism/christianity I was a part of.

[smellincoffee]

I grew up Pentecostal: I'm ex-UPCI, to be precise. I wouldn't be surprised to see a strong correlation between anxiety-based disorders and a Pentecostal upbringing. Pentecostalism is a mentally exhausting denomination: depending on what particular sect you're raised in, keeping your head above the waters is almost impossible. If you're Pentecostal, everything is your fault. There are gobs of rules -- I write a little about Pentecostal beliefs and practices here -- and the religion is very intrusives. There is no part of a person's life it doesn't touch and spoil.

 

Pentecostal salvation entails "worshipping" God enough for him to start dwelling inside a person, proof of this being that person's speaking in tongues. To keep God -- and to stay saved, since "ain't no sin goin' in" -- Pentecostals have to adhere to rigid lifestyle rules and dress codes. Church is to be their life: it's like a cult. Everything is banned -- and everything that goes wrong in your life is your own fault, unless God is testing you, in which case you'd better not screw up.

[Vomit Comet]

Schizophrenia and schizophrenic tendencies run in my family. When your religion insistently says that the demons are 100% not-fucking-'metaphoric'-at-all very very very real, you have every reason to believe that the associated hallucinations are 100% not-fucking-'metaphoric'-at-all very very very real.

[OpheliaGinger]

And not to mention that any mental illness is seen as a demon possession.