50 Symptoms Of Psychological Dysfunction Caused By Mormonism

[Stevyn]

50 Symptoms Of Psychological Dysfunction Caused By Mormonism

http://mormoncurtain.com/topic_opinion7.html

Chronic depression
Wondering who you really are and what the real you is like
Sensing that something is wrong with the LDS Church/Mormonism but not knowing what exactly
Trying to escape from your doubts about the LDS Church/Mormonism, but not being able to
Avoiding facts that do not agree with LDS Church doctrines and teachings and Mormon beliefs
Undermining your rational mind and the negative psychological consequences (e.g., cognitive dissonance, feeling stupid)
Fear of questioning what you have been taught by the LDS Church, Mormon parents, etc.
Fear of thinking for yourself and living fully by your mind/judgments
Fear of exploring life in order to learn by experience and develop your own set of values
Fear of reading books, visiting websites, attending conferences, etc. that contain information (e.g., historical, scientific) that does not support LDS Church teachings and Mormon beliefs
Fear of questioning Mormon priesthood authority
Fear of God (the Mormon version) and "His" punishments
Fear that if your obedience to church teachings is lacking in any way (i.e., is not "perfect"), you will be judged as "unworthy" after you die and spend "Eternity" separated from your Mormon family members, relatives, friends, etc.
Fear that "Satan" and his "army" of "evil spirits" are trying very hard to cause you to commit "sins"
Nightmares or negative metaphysical experiences involving "Satan", "evil" powers, etc.
A chronic feeling that you are "spiritually" filthy/unclean/unrighteous
Feeling driven to be "perfect" and guilty when you are not busy
Scrupulosity (rigid, obsessive adherence to church rules and "God's commandments", as defined by Mormonism)
Perfectionism, rigidity, fear of losing control
Chronic anxiety and stress related to your "spiritual" performance (i.e., obedience to church teachings)
Chronic guilt/having a sense of shame that does not go away
Low self-esteem (self-esteem is the reputation that we acquire with ourselves over a period of time)
Feeling disempowered (a common reality for LDS women, who must always answer to LDS men in Mormonism's patriarchal structure)
As a LDS woman, feeling that you're capable of achieving so much more than Mormonism will allow
Black-and-white, simplistic thinking
Hyper-vigilance of your thoughts and behavior, and the resulting mental fatigue
Magical thinking; believing that God will fix you and whatever's wrong in your life
Harsh judgments of yourself/lack of self-acceptance
Uncompromising, judgmental attitudes/religious ego
Chronic judgments of other people as "less valiant", "unrighteous", etc.
Psychological immaturity/feeling naяve, particularly in comparison to non-Mormons
Victim-mindset/believing that you need a savior to rescue you/avoidance of responsibility
Compulsive praying, scripture reading, fasting, church attendance, etc.
Feeling that without Mormonism in your life, you wouldn't know who you'd be or what you'd do
Always feeling burdened and drained/lack of joy in your life
Obsessive ritualizing
Basing your self-concept/identity on your achievements in the church, level of obedience/compliance, and your status in the LDS community
Psychological and emotional enmeshment with your Mormon parents, siblings, spouse, etc.
Addiction to approval-seeking in relation to LDS parents, grandparents, other relatives, church leaders, the Mormon community, God (the Mormon version), etc.
Fear of Mormons' disapproval and the disapproval of God (the LDS version)
Addiction to always being "nice" and "pleasing", but rarely real
Fear of speaking your personal truth, including doubts about Mormonism and negative personal realities that will be negatively judged by Mormons if expressed (e.g., feeling that the temple endowment ceremony is not spiritual)
Repressed anger/rage (resulting from being abused by Mormon parents, disempowered by LDS patriarchy, having the real you smothered over the years, etc.)
Fear of confrontation, particularly with Mormon authority figures such as parents, church leaders, etc.
Repression of your sexuality and the resulting secret, "spiritually unclean" sexual behaviors
Sex addictions (e.g., addiction to pornography) resulting from Mormon religious shame
Feeling/believing that you're "wicked" because your sexual feelings are homosexual
Unrepressed grief/sadness because you, in your Mormon family/environment, were never allowed to be just you
Feeling separate from non-Mormons, but sensing at a deeper level that we're all connected and no one is extra "special" or "chosen" by God
Apocalyptic mindset and fear of living in "the Last Days"