Your Report is Ready!

Your Religious Trauma Type Is:

Apocalyptic (“The World is Scary”) Trauma

What does this mean for me?

Hi! My name is Candice,

I’m a Psychotherapist specializing in trauma and also one of the co-founders of The Hunger App.

But nearly 20 years ago, I battled suicidal ideation and severe depression as a result of harmful religious indoctrination.

I remember pacing my driveway wanting to end my life while my dad tried desperately to calm me down.

Years of toxic theology, cynical apocalypticism, and gloomy conspiracy theories had brought me to a breaking point — I felt that no matter what I did I would never be good enough for God and there was no way I would survive all the scary things that were coming to the world. So what was the point in going on?

During this time, I developed obsessive compulsions that made my life and spiritual experience miserable. I would read the same Bible verse over and over again believing that if I missed one word God would be angry with me. I suffered intrusive thoughts and would then beg God to forgive me for being such a bad person.

Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore so I walked away from God entirely. I felt guilty at the time, but looking back I can see my body was trying to protect me from the intense harm I was suffering.

But despite walking away, the pain persisted for many years. And while my healing journey continues, it wasn’t until I began studying mental health and deconstructing the harmful beliefs I was exposed to, that I began to recover a sense of freedom and spiritual joy.

I tell you this short story because I want you to know that this quiz, this page, and everything we do at Hunger App comes from our own experience as wounded sojourners.

We get what its like to suffer spiritual abuse. And we want you to know that we see you, hear you, and affirm you in your own healing journey.

Apocalyptic (“The World is Scary”) Religious Trauma fills our mind with pessimism and harms our ability to enjoy God and life.

It’s often rooted in “disaster oriented” beliefs that paint a cynical picture of the world while obsessing over conspiracies about the end of time.

Cynicism, fear, anxiety and pessimistic thinking tend to plague this type of religious community. There is often a sense of arrogance as well where believers feel that their conspiratorial knowledge makes them more special, more holy, or especially chosen by God.

Those outside of the community are often demonized or looked down upon, especially if they belong to other religions or political parties.

The overarching mood of apocalyptically obsessed communities is dark, gloomy, and places the nervous system in a constant state of hyper-awareness that makes it impossible to lighten up and enjoy life. For those raised in this environment, it can be difficult to let go of the gloom and enjoy a faith that is abundant and free.

But, here is the truth…

God is not abusive. He made us to be happy and free.

And anytime someone tries to control us, it hurts us because we weren’t built to be controlled.

Our DNA is literally designed, by God’s hands, for freedom and connection.

Spiritually abusive teachings deny this. The harm they cause can lead to:

  • A Crisis of Faith (why did God allow this?)

  • Emotional Insecurity (Co-dependence, indecision)

  • Loss of Trust (Inability to relax around others)

  • Physical & Psychological Impacts (PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, OCD)

  • Guilt & Shame (Self-loathing, self-depracating beliefs)

How can I heal these wounds?

In order to experience deeper healing — the kind that restores our self-love, self-confidence, and enables us to live with freedom and lightheartedness, three simple but important steps need to unfold.

Deconstruct the harmful ideas. Spiritual abuse is always connected to toxic beliefs and teachings that haunt us long after we left that harmful church. A journey of deconstruction where we gently dismantle the lies we have been taught, replacing them with healing teachings that restore the heart is key.

Listen to your body.
Toxic religion has a body problem. It shames our bodies and indoctrinates us with self-loathing beliefs that make us easier to control. Because of this, recovery has to include a new relationship with our bodies where we learn to love, trust, and honor them the way God intended.

Draw a new map of reality.
High control religions warp our maps of reality. And because humans are wired to explore the world with the maps our communities give us, its especially hard to live well when the map we have is harmful. Religious trauma recovery invites us to draw new, healthy maps rooted in love.

Where can I begin?

Hi! my name is Marcos,

I’m a Religious Trauma Coach and partner-in-healing with Candice.

Just over 15 years ago, I walked into a counsellors office for the first time in my life. I was studying to be a pastor, but the pain of harmful religious beliefs had all but destroyed me. I was battling suicidal ideation, crippling anxiety, and a constant preoccupation with my sins and imperfections.

Most days, I would experience “spaghetti legs” (an anxiety symptom where the exhaustion is so intense your legs feel super weak and you struggle to walk)…

In fact, the only few moments of peace I knew during those days were the .008 semi conscious seconds of bliss when you first wake up in the morning.

All this to say, Candice and I get how heavy this journey can be.

Which is why we dedided to create a simple tool that removes some of the heaviness, so you can learn to dance and move freely, the way God intended. That simple tool is our FREE 3-step religious trauma recovery course, which we put together just for you!

(Scroll down to learn more.)

Introducing Our FREE Course

3 Steps to Heal From ‘The World is Scary Trauma’ & Rediscover Love

Without any pressure to go back to church, change your beliefs, or risk another toxic environment.

Who is this course for?

  • You are a spiritual person who has been hurt by apocalyptic obsession & is struggling to enjoy life and have fun.

  • You want to get on with life and learn to live with enthusiasm and lightheartedness.

  • You know God is good but you can’t see it and are looking for a simple, empowering, judgment free tool to help you process things without the pressure of joining a new church, adopting a new religion, or entering another shame-based environment.

Download Your Free Self-Guided Course Straight to Your Phone Via our App

Explore the 3 healing steps at your own pace. There is no need to communicate with anyone. You are in charge and in control every step of the way.

This Free Course is Part of our ‘Hunger App’ — A Trauma-Informed Devotional App for Survivors of Spiritual Abuse & Religious Harm

With Hunger You Can:

Experience the love of God in a whole new way with devotional plans for just 10 minutes a day.

Encounter a non-judgmental & inclusive God who loves all people.

Deepen your understanding of faith, trauma & spirituality without fear or guilt.

Experience healing without guilt tripping or pressure from religious systems.

Bring peace to your heart & soul with weekly meditations.

Immerse yourself in our trauma-informed, love-centred plans.

What Our Members Are Saying

  • “A fresh, new approach to my Christian journey without all the hangups of formal religion. Freedom to engage with new ways of thinking.”

    Lesley Topperwien

  • “If you are burnt on religion or struggling with your faith, this is the app for you.”

    Asianguy07

  • “To be honest the last 2 years I haven’t had a relationship with God and have been really struggling spiritually to hold on to anything. Your app is phenomenal!! I wish I’d met the Jesus you talk about sooner! Life changing. Thankyou.”

    B. Graceson

  • “I'm currently going through ’Decolonizing God’... so informative and beneficial. I feel such connection and community and answers and healing!”

    MsGracenotes

  • “Shoot! It's my very first devotion on here and I'm already tearing up!”

    Mandy

  • “I’ve tried so many devotional apps and none have stirred such a healing experience for me as Hunger.”

    Alice

How the Hunger App Works

Download Your Free Self-Guided Course Straight to Your Phone Via our App

Explore the 3 healing steps at your own pace. There is no need to communicate with anyone. You are in charge and in control every step of the way.

FAQ’s

  • The main difference is that while most apps focus on Growing faith, Hunger focuses on HEALING Faith.

    All of our plans are trauma informed and carefuly designed to support your healing journey.

  • No. The Hunger App is created and managed by ACA registered Psychotherapist, Candice Marie and former pastor/ Religious Trauma Coach (GCRR certified in Religious Trauma Studies) Marcos Torres and focuses on themes like deconstruction, decolonization, reconstruction and an overall focus on emotional and spiritual well being.

    The app does not endorse any denominational agenda nor does it promote any church or church attendance but it does resist and dismantle harmful theological ideas that are incompatible with a just and inclusive world (such as male dominance, female submission, homophobia, xenophobia, Christian Nationalism etc.)

    As a person-centered resource, the goal of the app is to empower individuals recovering from religious harm to shape their faith story in their own unique way, without pressure from religious systems or institutions.

  • Yes! There are no lock-in contracts as it is a monthly subscription. You can cancel anytime from within the app, no questions asked.

  • While the app is optimized for Apple and Android, you can still access and use it on other devices. Simply go to https://hunger.mvt.so and follow the instructions.