Trauma We Don’t Always See

By Dr. J.

June is PTSD Awareness Month: Let’s Talk About the Trauma We Don’t Always See

Every June, we pause to recognize Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—a condition that affects millions of people across the globe. While often associated with veterans, PTSD doesn’t wear a uniform. It lives in everyday people. It lives in survivors.

PTSD is not only born on battlefields—it’s born in bedrooms, churches, courtrooms, classrooms, and childhood homes. It lives in the lives of survivors of abuse, domestic violence, narcissistic relationships, financial coercion, emotional gaslighting, and spiritual manipulation.

And yes—PTSD can even begin from the misuse of scripture.

✝️ When a Bible Verse Becomes a Weapon

One verse that has been misused for decades is found in Ephesians 5:22:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands as you do to the Lord.”

But that’s not where the passage begins.

Just before that line, Paul writes:

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)

What follows was never meant to create hierarchy or justify oppression. Yet, when churches and abusers isolate this verse, ignoring its context, it becomes a tool of harm.

In abusive marriages, this scripture has been twisted to mean:

• “Stay and pray, even if it’s destroying you.”
• “You’re rebellious if you set boundaries.”
• “You’re not godly enough if he’s mistreating you.”

When a woman is made to believe that silence equals holiness, and endurance equals godliness, she may stay in dangerous relationships far longer than she should—sacrificing her mind, body, and spirit on an altar that God never asked for.

What Does This Have to Do With PTSD? Everything.

PTSD can develop when a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event. This includes:

• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Living in a constant state of fear or control
• Being gaslighted or spiritually manipulated
• Watching your truth be denied in spaces that should feel safe

Many survivors of spiritual abuse or domestic violence struggle for years with:

• Flashbacks
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Dissociation
• Sleep disturbances
• Triggers from religious language or verses misused against them

And too often, they don’t seek help—because they’ve been taught that their pain is spiritual weakness or that asking for help is rebellion.

🌿 The Truth That Heals

Let’s reclaim what Ephesians 5 actually teaches:

• Mutual submission, not one-sided obedience.
• Christlike love, not coercive control.
• Sacrificial partnership, not spiritual superiority.

God is not the author of abuse.

Christ did not die to keep women in bondage.

And submission—when rightly understood—is a response to love, not a surrender to harm.

Let’s Shine a Light This June

PTSD doesn’t just come from war. It comes from the war inside a home, inside a marriage, inside a belief system that told you to stay silent, to shrink, to suffer for the sake of “faithfulness.”

This PTSD Awareness Month, I stand with survivors of all kinds of trauma, especially those who have been wounded by twisted theology, abusive relationships, or controlling religious systems.

If you’ve been told that God is disappointed in you for walking away from abuse—know this:

God is not disappointed in you. He’s proud of you for surviving.

What You Can Do This Month:

• Educate yourself and others about PTSD beyond combat.
• Share resources for survivors of spiritual or domestic abuse.
• Speak up when you hear scripture being misused to shame or control.
• Reach out for help if you’re struggling. There is no shame in needing support.

🕊️ You’re Not Broken—You’re Healing

You are not “less faithful” because you have PTSD.

You are not “less Christian” because you questioned distorted teachings.

You are not “less worthy” because you left what was harming you.

You are brave.

You are loved.

You are worthy of peace, freedom, and joy.

If this message resonated with you, share it with someone who may need it. You are not alone—and neither are they.

Resources for PTSD Support and Education

PTSD & Trauma Support:

• National Center for PTSD – https://www.ptsd.va.gov
  Offers extensive resources for all types of PTSD, not just veteran-related.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) – https://www.rainn.org
  24/7 support for survivors of sexual violence. Call: 800-656-HOPE (4673)
• The Hotline (Domestic Violence) – https://www.thehotline.org
  24/7 confidential support. Call: 800-799-SAFE (7233)
• Therapy for Black Girls – https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com
  Mental health support and therapist directory for Black women.
• Give an Hour – https://www.giveanhour.org
  Mental health services for those affected by trauma, including emotional abuse.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
  Free, confidential helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)