Leaving Christian Science Leaving Christian Science

Licensed clinical social worker and ex-Christian Scientist Cara returns
for part two of The Mental Health episode. In this episode, Cara does a
live grounding demonstration you can do at home, and answers more of
your mental health questions. See below for resources.

Here are some topics covered:
2:00 - what is the anxiety/CS connection?
6:00 - a 20 minute-ish grounding demonstration (feel free to join in)
31:00 - how is distracting yourself from negative thoughts or feelings
different from suppressing them in CS?
42:00 - what is the difference between toxic positivity and good
positivity?
52:00 - forgiveness - is it necessary? And how to just let things go
1:02:00 - what is narcissism? Can CS make you a narcissist?
1:13:00 - what is the connection between anhedonia (inability to
experience joy) and CS, and how can you get back your "lust for life"?
1:21:00 - if you were raised by people with mental health issues, how do
you know that what you're experiencing is your mental health issues or
theirs?
1:34:00 - trigger words from CS, and how to take away their power
1:38:00 - how do you process the sickness and/or deaths of loved ones
who might have been helped had they not been CS?
1:49:00 - how to explain CS to your therapist
1:58:00 - what is it about CS that makes it difficult or impossible to
process something that's wrong?
2:01:00 - 12 Step programs, can they help?
2:08:00 - having you own back - a final self soothing tool

Here is Cara's list of resources:

An article on the genetic vs. environmental effects on mental health:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wps.21034

Here's a link to a "feelings wheel" to help you identify those pesky
emotions: https://feelingswheel.com/Mental health book list for ex CS by topic:
Pete Walker The Tao Of Fully Feeling: Harvesting Forgiveness Out of BlameUnderstanding shame and moving toward self-compassionBrené Brown, PhD, MSW I Thought it Was Just Me (But it Isn’t): Making the Journey from“What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough”Brené Brown PhD, MSW The Gifts of Imperfection: Your Guide to a Wholehearted LifeKristin Neff, PhD Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to YourselfKristin Neff, PhD & Christopher Germer, PhD The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: AProven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and ThriveAddressing CPTSDArielle Schwartz, PhD The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to RegainingEmotional Control & Becoming WholePete Walker, MA, LMFT Complex PTSD: From Surviving to ThrivingEmotional Intelligence/MaturityBrené Brown, PhD, MSW Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and theLanguage of Human ExperienceLindsay Gibson, PsyD Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal fromDistant, Rejecting, or Self-involved ParentsWorkbooks/Self-HelpArielle Schwartz (see above)Patricia Resick, PhD et al Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy toGuide Your RecoveryNedra Tawwab Set Boundaries, Find Peace and The Set Boundaries WorkbookSonya Renée Taylor The Body is Not an Apology and Your Body is Not an Apology WorkbookFrancine Shapiro, PhD Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-HelpTechniques from EMDR TherapyKaryl McBride, PhD Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of NarcissisticMothersKC Davis, LPC How to Keep House While DrowningAmir Levine, MD and Rachel Heller, MA Attached. The New Science of Adult Attachment andHow it Can Help You Find—And Keep—LoveGary Bishop Unf*ck YourselfMegan Boardman, LCSW The EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSDMatthew McKay, PhD et al The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills WorkbookLeaving ReligionMarlene Winnell, PhD Leaving the FoldDaniel Dennett, PhD Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural PhenomenonMemoirsStephanie Foo What my Bones KnowJennette McCurdy I’m Glad my Mom DiedAbout Therapy and TherapistsJeffrey Kottler, PhD On Being a TherapistLori Gottlieb, LMFT Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneCommunication S

Licensed social worker and former guest Cara returns to answer some
questions about mental health posted in our ex-CS Facebook group.

Here are some topics covered in this part 1:
2:00 - different types of therapists
23:00 - therapists vs coaches
29:00 - the code of ethics that therapists maintain
39:00 - different types of therapy
44:00 - an explanation of EMDR
59:00 - PTSD and CPTSD
1:23:00 - help for attachment issues - internal family systems, somatic therapy, DBT, CBT, CPT and mindfulness
1:41:00 - where to start

Here is Cara's list of resources:

Mental health book list for ex CS by topic
Understanding shame and moving toward self-compassion
Brené Brown, PhD, MSW I Thought it Was Just Me (But it Isn’t): Making the Journey from
“What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough”
Brené Brown PhD, MSW The Gifts of Imperfection: Your Guide to a Wholehearted Life
Kristin Neff, PhD Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself
Kristin Neff, PhD & Christopher Germer, PhD The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook: A
Proven Way to Accept Yourself, Build Inner Strength, and Thrive
Addressing CPTSD
Arielle Schwartz, PhD The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining
Emotional Control & Becoming Whole
Pete Walker, MA, LMFT Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
Emotional Intelligence/Maturity
Brené Brown, PhD, MSW Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the
Language of Human Experience
Lindsay Gibson, PsyD Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from
Distant, Rejecting, or Self-involved Parents
Workbooks/Self-Help
Arielle Schwartz (see above)
Patricia Resick, PhD et al Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to
Guide Your Recovery
Nedra Tawwab Set Boundaries, Find Peace and The Set Boundaries Workbook
Sonya Renée Taylor The Body is Not an Apology and Your Body is Not an Apology Workbook
Francine Shapiro, PhD Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help
Techniques from EMDR Therapy
Karyl McBride, PhD Will I Ever Be Good Enough? Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic
Mothers
KC Davis, LPC How to Keep House While Drowning
Amir Levine, MD and Rachel Heller, MA Attached. The New Science of Adult Attachment and
How it Can Help You Find—And Keep—Love
Gary Bishop Unf*ck Yourself
Megan Boardman, LCSW The EMDR Workbook for Trauma and PTSD
Matthew McKay, PhD et al The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook
Leaving Religion
Marlene Winnell, PhD Leaving the Fold
Daniel Dennett, PhD Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
Memoirs
Stephanie Foo What my Bones Know
Jennette McCurdy I’m Glad my Mom Died
About Therapy and Therapists
Jeffrey Kottler, PhD On Being a Therapist
Lori Gottlieb, LMFT Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
Communication Skills
Marshall Rosenberg Nonviolent Communication
Sharon and Gordon Bower Asserting Yourself: A Practical Guide for Positive Change

In this episode, Sheri discusses childhood ailments and accidents that, left untreated, led to issues later in life, and walking the fine line of maintaining relationships with loved ones still in CS after leaving.

The book Sheri references is The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy and the
History of Christian Science by Georgia Milmine

Sarah discusses navigating her mother's medical issues and cognitive dissonance, plus battling her own perfectionism as a result of growing up in CS

In this bonus episode, I compare and contrast the experience of growing up in a religious community and belief, and subsequently leaving it, with ex-LDS (Mormon) Paul

Barbara discusses her boundary-pushing mother, dental trauma, finding empathy for her parents and their own childhood traumas, and finally finding her way out of CS. Below are some resources Barbara would like to share that were helpful to her:

Books:

Mothers Who Can’t Love: A Healing Guide for Daughters by Susan Forward

• Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

• Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind over Body by Jo Marchand

• Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich

• Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology and How You Can Heal by Donna

Jackson Nakazawa (and her IG)

• How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman, MD

• Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed,

Misdiagnosed, and Sick by Maya Dusenberry

• All three books by Dr. Jen Gunter - The Vagina Bible, Menopause Manifesto, and Blood (and her

Substack and IG)

Podcasts:

Unbiased Science (also a FB page)

Science VS

America Dissected

Emancipate Your Mind