Have you ever felt a sense of guilt after participating in an action? You may have questioned how you even ended up in the situation that led to you acting in a certain way. Or you may experience anger related to the action(s) you took, and being asked/expected to take those actions at all.
This is moral injury.
Moral Injury describes a person’s experience of feeling they have violated their moral compass or personal values when they have taken part in or been witness to an act that goes against their personal principles and values.
The term has frequently been utilized to describe the experience that some folks have as they come to terms with their actions in their role as military service members or law enforcement officers. Moral Injury can also describe the experience of some folks after exiting high-control religion, and beginning to process the impacts of their actions while in the group.
Moral injury frequently includes feelings of guilt, shame, betrayal, and anger. Someone dealing with moral injury may or may not also be dealing with symptoms of PTSD, such as an overly activated nervous system (known as hyperarousal).
Types of Moral Injury
Moral injury can have great variety, both in those who experience it and in the reasons a person may experience it. Three common types of moral injury are:
- ACT OF COMMISSION – This type of moral injury occurs when a person takes an active role in participating in something that goes against their own moral compass. The person has committed an act.
- ACT OF OMISSION – This type of moral injury occurs when a person recognizes that they did not act in a way to limit or stop something that goes against their values and morals. They omitted to take a stand against the action.
- BETRAYAL – This type of moral injury involves instances when an authority directs or commands an individual to act in ways that go against the individual’s own moral compass. They are betrayed by a person or organization in whom they placed their trust.
It is important to recognize that someone may not realize they are acting contrary to their own values in the moment. This can be due to a variety of factors, from the expectation to follow the commands in the situation to the fact that the person may have never had the opportunity to explore their own values prior to engaging in the act.
Moral Injury & Religious Trauma
A lor of my time is spent supporting folks who have been harmed by faith systems or high-control religions. This type of harm often leads to an experience of religious trauma (trauma symptoms related to the experience within religion). A common impact, particularly for those who were deeply committed to their faith, is moral injury.
Folks who are healing from harm caused by high-control religion may find themselves facing moral injury due to the actions in which they participated (Acts of Commission). Many individuals have shared the guilt they feel related to pressuring others to convert to their belief system. Others talk about the pain associated with cutting off important relationships because their leader or organization told them not to associate with those who believed differently.
Moral injury related to religious trauma may also be connected to those things that someone didn’t do (Acts of Omission). Some folks share about the ways they didn’t speak up when statements made within their religious circles were degrading or harmful to others.
Religious trauma and moral injury are also frequently intertwined around betrayal. Individuals often feel a sense of betrayal by the authorities placed over them within the religious setting (for example, priests, pastors, elders, and other leaders). Folks will often have to deal with the impact of being guided by those they trusted toward actions and decisions that do not align with their own moral code. At times, there is the added complexity of feeling betrayed by God (or another higher power) and/or betrayed through what the individual was taught about the deity.
In my experience, and contrary to the opinions publicly shared by many religious leaders, a large majority of the people who experience religious trauma are the folks who were deeply committed to their faith. They are people who were involved, who yearned to learn more, and who shaped their lives around attempts to live aligned with the teachings of their respective faith or religion.
When faced with inconsistencies and harm within their belief system, these folks often spent months (or even years) trying to find the truth in their long-held beliefs. They read and study and pray. The last thing they’re looking to do is deconstruct their belief system, and be left picking up the pieces to rebuild.
Part of that rebuilding is often coming to terms with moral injury and finding ways to heal.
Healing Moral Injury
There is no one-size-fits-all method to understanding and healing any aspects of religious trauma. This includes moral injury. And, if anyone ever tells you they have the “one magic solution” to address these complexities, please run the other way.
Below are a few options for addressing moral injury and moving toward healing.
RADICAL ACCEPTANCE – Radical acceptance is the process of embracing the truth of what was and what is. In the case of moral injury and religious trauma, radical acceptance may mean acknowledging the beliefs you held and the acts you committed (or omitted) in relation to those beliefs. You seek to accept with your whole mind, body, and spirit that these things cannot be changed in the past. Radical acceptance does not mean approval, but does allow you to move forward without the ongoing weight of guilt or shame.
ALLOW YOUR EMOTIONAL REACTIONS – Recalling, acknowledging, and practicing acceptance of your experience with religious harm and moral injury will likely bring some strong emotions to the surface. It is common within high-control religion that emotions are not discussed, and some may not even be allowed. You may find it useful to use a resource such as FeelingsWheel.com to help you identify the emotions you are experiencing. Allow those emotions to exist, knowing that ALL emotions are important and provide us with information. You may find it helpful to work with a licensed mental health professional who will support you in understanding and dealing with your emotions in an effective manner.
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE – Healing from moral injury leads many people toward a commitment to change. For some, that change is focused on a more personal level such as the way they treat individuals and how they live a life aligned with their personal values. Others may commit to change at a systemic level, which might include engaging with important causes such as women’s rights or helping change harmful systems from within.
Radical Acceptance, Allowing Emotions, and Commitment to Change are a few ways that someone might find healing from moral injury. The intersections of religious trauma and moral injury can add layers of complexity, and healing is a process that requires time.
Working with a licensed mental health professional who understands the impacts of high-control religion, spiritual abuse, and moral injury may also be an important part of your healing journey. If you’re located in North Carolina, and interested in scheduling a free, 15-minute consultation to see if we might be a good fit for working together, you can contact me here.
Michelle F. Moseley is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in NC. She believes ALL people deserve respect, compassion, and access to mental and physical healthcare. Michelle specializes in working with survivors of religious trauma and with those who have body image concerns, finding there is frequent overlap in these areas. You can learn more about Michelle by visiting her website at MichelleFMoseley.com or following her on Instagram – @therapy_with_michelle
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