Faith and Mental Health: Coping Strategies for the Mentally Ill, Neurodivergent, and Queer

Personally, I carry a lot of trauma and PTSD from growing up in Catholic school and experiencing conversion therapy as a queer and trans neurodivergent person. It can be really hard to even be near religion in any way. Traditional prayer can be incredibly triggering. I still struggle with ecclesiophobia (fear of churches). The smell of frankincense still sends me into a panic. I really admire people who come from similar backgrounds that are able to hold on to their spirituality. I have been doing my best to find other ways to connect to spirituality that feel safe and meaningful to me. It’s not easy, especially since I developed extreme cynicism and skepticism towards faith as a defense mechanism when I was younger. I hope that in my own time I will find a faith that works for me. I hope that you continue to find peace in your faith as well. 💕

I’m Christian. Following Jesus gives me a lot of peace, it’s nice to know that I am loved unconditionally. It’s hard being queer in the church though, so I haven’t gone in a while. I practice my faith in my own way, it’s very personal to me