Followers In Pain

Toxic Characteristic #6

Many religious addicts in the system are physically ill, emotionally distraught, and spiritually dead. Many toxic systems claim to free people from all problems: emotional, spiritual and physical. The irony is that the systems accomplish just the opposite. Yet religious addicts are determined to hide their real feelings and thoughts and present a happy, peaceful glow. They suppress all discomfort to maintain an image of perfection.

The pain that is buried is buried alive, so it surfaces in the form of emotional despair and physical illness. Religious addicts often suffer from chronic back pain, headaches, eye problems, arthritis and asthma and hundreds of other complaints. They fight to deny their physical and emotional conditions, often until it is too late to provide effective treatment.

It is not easy living in an unreal world. Addicts have to do drastic, desperate things to maintain unreal beliefs. Denial becomes a quick and easy tool until both physical and emotional trauma break religious addicts’ facades of perfection. The followers in pain find relief only when they break down and are forced to examine their true condition and limitations.

(From Toxic Faith, Chapter 6)