Symptoms of Religious Addiction
From Spiritual Growth Network- Inability to think, doubt, or question religious information and/or authority
- Black-and-white, good/bad, either/or simplistic thinking: one way or the other (DING DING DING! We have a winner! Sound like a symptom of Borderline Personality Disorder to you?!!)
- Shame-based belief that you aren't good enough or you aren't doing it right
- Magical thinking that God will fix you/ do it all, without serious work on your part
- Scrupulosity: rigid obsessive adherence to rules, codes of ethics, or guidelines
- Uncompromising judgmental attitudes: readiness to find fault or evil out there
- Compulsive or obsessive praying, going to church or crusades, quoting scripture
- Unrealistic financial contributions
- Believing that sex is dirty; believing our bodies or physical pleasures are evil
- Compulsive overeating and/or excessive fasting
- Conflict and argumentation with science, medicine, and education
- Progressive detachment from the real work, isolation and breakdown of relationships
- Psychosomatic illness: back pains, sleeplessness, headaches, hypertension
- Manipulating scripture or texts, feeling specially chosen, claiming to receive special messages from God
- Maintaining a religious "high", trance-like state, keeping a happy face (or the belief that one should...)
- Attitude of righteousness or superiority: "we versus the world," including the denial of one's human-ness.
- Confusion, great doubts, mental, physical or emotional breakdown, cries for help