Hi OneInBillions, welcome to PC and the PTSD forums.

You asked a good question and I think that you may very well struggle with PTSD or complex PTSD that you have always been told was Depression or Anxiety.

I see no problem with an individual asking if the religion their parents raised them in or some individual used as an excuse for abusing them in some way could be part of what traumatized them where they ended up struggling as you and others here have discribed. It's unfortunate but many people who are dysfunctional tend to turn to a religion and end up using a religion in some very dysfunctional and emotionally abusive ways.

It is not just religion that is used for this kind of dysfunctional vehicle, but also how children are educated and how society tends to fall into promoting judgements that tend to do a lot of harm. And having no religion can be just as bad because people can be dysfunctional with or without religion.

Look at the horrific things ISIS is doing and these people think it's right and through their distorted religious beliefs think they will be rewarded for these horrific violent acts they are committing. I also happened to see a video clip of how the Palastinians are now teaching their little children to kill and mame any child or person they can from Isreal. It's unbelievable to see a little three year old holding a knife and being encouraged "killing is good".

So to answer your question YES a child can suffer from abuse in the name of a religion and be traumatized.

But that doesn't mean all Religion is bad, a lot depends on how that religion is used that can become so very harmful to ANYONE.

There are people who practice religion in very positive ways that help them respect others and love their families and develop caring communities. A religion can be meant to offer love and respect and accept whatever is not perfect in self as no one ever is perfect and that's ok. Human beings do best with UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, when that takes place then human beings develop a very healthy sense of worthiness that helps them become strong thriving individuals that do much better at living their lives with a sense of well being and purpose. It has been proven that when a child is not exposed to that unconditional love, they suffer in many ways that can end up causing them to have all different kinds of anxiety disorders and also struggle to connect with others in healthy ways. In the sixties experiements with primates were done where primates were not allowed to have the warmth and love from a mother, the results were devastating and these monkeys could not function normally in the typical group of monkeys. It is not much different in human beings.

The route of many who struggle with complex PTSD comes from their childhood where they did not have the kind of healthy nurturing presence that all human children need to thrive well. Often the result is a deep sense of unworthiness and shame which is NOT THE CHILD'S FAULT, nor the adult that child grows up to become. However, often what also happens is that these children can try to fill that unmet need by getting involved in a religion or participating in a mindset where they get involved in filling that need by doing some kind of community service where they are in the control of providing for others what they themselves never got. That too can become unhealthy because it ends up becoming a path of organizing with hovering over that continues to inhibit healthy growth and indepence in others. These individuals may use a religion more for "power over or judgment of" because of how that had been deeply impressed or imprinted on that individual.

Anything that focuses on attaining perfection is unhealthy be it a religion or education or something considered "perfect" in a society. There is NOTHING, NOTHING what so ever in nature and any living thing that is EVER perfect.