The Walking Wounded

The so-called Faith movement urges people always to think positively and never to make a 'negative confession'. How does this affect people psychologically?

Gudrun Swartling is an occupational therapist and the director of a day centre for psychiatric patients in Uppsala, Sweden. Per G. Swartling, MD, heads a group practice of district doctors in Tierp, Sweden. Their research on psychiatric problems and mental illness in former members of the Word of Life Bible School was compiled in the Swartling Report.
Word of Life is a Swedish 'Name it and claim it' faith 'ministry' with connections with the Rhema Bible Training School of Kenneth Hagin. Here are several major passages from that report, which first appeared in Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 9, No. 1 (1992):

'Severe and long-term psychiatric problems have been recognised in former students of the Word of Life Bible School. Almost half of the 43 individuals interviewed had experienced psychosis-like symptoms, and one out of four had attempted suicide. Anxiety, feelings of guilt, and emotional disorders were common. Knowledge of the Bible movement is essential in order to understand the crises of these patients.'
People who leave faith movements - represented in Sweden by Word of Life headquartered in Uppsala - may display serious and long-term psychiatric problems that necessitate long-term contact with a physician.

Word of Life teaching

In order to understand the group of patients described here, it is essential to know some of the characteristics of Word of Life doctrines.
There are constant reminders in the teaching that God himself is the source of everything said or done in the movement. Therefore, anyone criticising Word of Life, or its leadership, goes against God. Examples are given showing that bad things can happen to anyone who criticises the movement and to members who leave it: they may suffer illness, misfortune, sudden death or have deformed children. Anyone who takes the teaching seriously is caught in a self-perpetuating grip that can be very difficult to get out of. The fear of speaking negatively of Word of Life may remain for a long time after the person has left the movement.
The responsibility to keep away the devil and evil spirits or demons rests solely on the believer, according to Word of Life. This task is carried out regularly by speaking harshly directly to the demons. There are demons of illness, criticism and sexual lust, for example. If the believer fails to avert the demons' attack, the individual readily assumes the blame and may despair of any help. The distraught member may think there is no stopping the devil, and this results in anxiety.
Another doctrine states that you get what you say, which means that the words you speak have the power to change reality. If you say that you are ill, or don't feel well, you will, according to the doctrine, feel even worse.
This makes it difficult to seek help in the case of depression with suicidal thoughts, for example, because if you speak about your thoughts they may come true.
In order to gain health as promised in the teachings, you are to act as if you had already attained it. If you are depressed, you are to look happy and healthy. Some people become so trained in showing an unaffected face and denying thoughts that it can be difficult to assess their actual state of mind during a brief doctor's appointment.

Interview study

Since 1986, Gudrun Swartling has had personal, and in many cases, extensive contact with about 100 former followers of the faith movement all over Sweden. 70 attended Bible School for a period of one to two years. The Bible School belonged to the faith movement, primarily Word of Life. Interviews by telephone or personal visit took place with 43 of the 70 individuals. Six declined to participate or had returned to the movement; 21 former Bible school students had not been reached or were not psychologically fit for an interview.
The data in this report result from the interviews with the former 43 former Bible School students. Gender distribution is even, but the younger age group predominates, with 80% under 25 years. The interview group is homogeneous in that all had received the same kind of Bible School instruction.
The interview was semi-structured, that is, the same questions were used for everyone; yet there was room for expansion and deeper penetration. The result is a combination of answers and personal observations.

Social contacts broken

Deterioration of contact with family and friends after joining the movement was reported by 85% of those interviewed. Also, to a large extent, many had ceased keeping themselves informed through radio, television or daily newspapers and had given up their former interests. Often their financial status had deteriorated drastically, because of the generous offering expected in Word of Life's collections in addition to tithing.

Psychiatric symptoms

Those interviewed was asked about psychiatric symptoms they had experienced after contact with the movement that had not posed a problem previously.
In 60% of the cases, others (for instance, parents) had noticed a change in appearance after the individual had joined the movement. Body posture became tense, with a frozen facial expression and eyes that were staring or had an absent or evasive look. In 35% of cases a regression was observed.
Symptoms of schizophrenic-like psychosis were seen in 47%. These are loss of a sense of reality, pathological assumption of guilt (in addition to the almost obligatory feeling of guilt or wrong-doing) and auditory and visual hallucinations.
Psychosomatic problems were common during the time in Bible School and during the period immediately afterward. Stomach pain, heart palpitations, headache and dizziness (which had not been a problem previously) were reported by 63% of those interviewed. Some sought medical help for their symptoms.

Psychiatric care

The extent of psychiatric help is re-ported in the table. Prior to Bible School, seven students (16%) had been in contact with a psychiatrist; in four cases this was due to an acute crisis, with one have been committed for three days.
Subsequent to leaving the movement, 27 former students (63%) sought psychiatric help because of problems they attributed to their contact with Word of Life; six of them had been in need of psychiatric help prior to their involvement. In nine cases the symptoms were moderate and required only sick leave and some medication. 11 former patients received inpatient psychiatric care; six of those were, according to Swedish law, committed to involuntary psychiatric care.
Medication, usually benzodiazepines and anti-depressants, was prescribed to 28 of the group. Neuroleptics were used in 10 cases, without noticeable effects, according to the opinion of the interviewed. Maprotilin, prescribed for panic attacks, was reported by the patients to have had a good effect as a rule.
Sick leave attributed to involvement with the movement was reported in 54% of cases. In two-thirds of the cases, the sick leave extended beyond two months; in five cases it was more than a year; and for four patients it lasted several years.

Long-term problems

Many of the interview group who left Word of Life have demonstrated severe and sometimes long-term psychiatric disorders. Similar problems have been recognised in ex-members of other cults, such as the Unification Church, Hare Krishnas and the Church of Scientology. Our study does not illustrate how common psychiatric disorders are in the group of Bible School students as a whole. Interviews with active members of Word of Life would not be enlightening, since, according to the teaching, they are not to admit that they suffer from depression or any other symptoms of illness. On the contrary, in the movement, disorders, such as anxiety or lack of a will to live, are explained as attacks by the devil or the influence of demons. However, during a service a considerable number of participants have, by a show of hands, admitted to affliction with the symptoms attributed to these demons (J. Carlsson, cassette tape: 'The Spirit and power of Elijah against the spirit of Jezebel'. Uppsala: Word of Life 1988).
According to doctrine, psychiatric disorders are not to be viewed as warning signals, but rather as a sign that one is working for God and therefore is subject to attacks . . .

Risk of relapse

It is common that individuals who have recently left the movement swing between attempts to free themselves and the temptation to return to the group. This 'floating' phenomenon is comparable to a detoxified addict's craving for narcotics in certain situations, such as the sight of needles, with the risk of relapse. In the same way, an ex-member runs the risk of returning to the movement if he meets old friends or participates in a service. It is not uncommon that members of the movement seek out individuals who are on the way out of the group and through loving treatment ('love-bombing') try to entice these members to return to the fold.
There may be risk of relapse for a while after the association ends. The more wholehearted the engagement in the movement's message and in the leader, the more difficult it seems to be for a person to leave the group. Often this results in an identity crisis. Vulnerability is great when former social ties are severed. The time immediately after breaking with the group carries the risk of social isolation.
In addition there is the anxiety that maybe Word of Life is right after all and the world outside is wrong. The temptation to return to the familiar world of the movement is great during these moments.
Often it is difficult for the former member to resume studies that were interrupted several years previous to involvement with the group. One's self-esteem has been damaged; one feels deceived and manipulated. It may take years before ex-members can feel that they have overcome the influence of the movement.

Conclusion

There have been speculations whether certain personality traits lead persons to be drawn to cults. According to Margaret Singer (1987, Group Psychodynamics, in R. Barkow, Ed. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy), just about anybody can join a cult. However, often it happens during a time of vulnerability in the person's life.
We regard the long-term prognosis of ex-members of the cult discussed here as good. Most have been able to resume their studies, employment and normal social relationships with parents, siblings and others.
Also we have been able to notice that their self-confidence has returned gradually, and that regression and cultic behaviour have disappeared. In some cases the rehabilitation has been very difficult, and is still incomplete after many years.

Reprinted with permission from

THE WALKING WOUNDED
By Jeremy Reynalds
Huntingdon House Publishers
207 pages. £8.99 (inc. p&p)
Available from Penfold Book & Bible House, PO Box 26, Bicester, Oxon. OX6 8PB (Tel. 01869 249574).

This book documents a number of disturbing stories investigated by the author as he interviewed both faith believers and former members of the faith movement.

Faith theology and mental illness - extract from the book The Walking Wounded