ADDENDUM::Survivors Open Up About Trauma Of Gay Conversion Therapy (VIDEO)

After a recent federal report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration called for an end to conversion therapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth, survivors of the practice joined HuffPost Live last week to discuss their traumatic experiences.

Josh Sanders told host Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani about taking classes at Exodus International, a large purveyor of ex-gay therapy that was shut down in 2013. There, Sanders underwent reparative therapy, which the report from SAMHSA called dangerous and baseless.

"There are a lot of different extremes when it comes to this form of therapy as well. I've had friends that have experienced electrocution," Sanders said, who himself experienced a "gay exorcism."

"It's not like 'The Exorcist.' It's not like what you see on TV, but a very intense time of prayer, holy water, a dark room with candles," Sanders explained. "It's traumatic and so for me, I experienced religious trauma syndrome ... it's similar to PTSD, so there's triggers that I would have."

Survivors Open Up About Trauma Of Gay Conversion Therapy

ADDENDUM::What Is Conversion Therapy, Exactly?

"It is not therapy; it is quackery, pure and simple, often legitimized in the name of religious freedom.”

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At its core, conversion therapy assumes incorrectly that sexual orientation and gender identity are caused by environmental factors within the family. “Conversion therapy is a pseudoscience that blames homosexuality on bad parenting. Specifically, the practice claims — without evidence — that a rift between a child and a same-sex parent can lead to a child rejecting that parent and his or her gender role. At puberty this leads to sexualizing the same sex,” says Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, a nonprofit group that speaks out against the ex-gay movement and anti-gay messages.

“Conversion therapy seeks to reverse this alleged process through a combination of prayer, talk therapy, and creating non-sexual same-sex friendships. It also includes masculinity exercises for men, such as touch football and drinking Gatorade, and lipstick seminars for girls,” Besen tells Yahoo Health.

Experts agree that the practice is not only ineffective — it can be dangerous, especially for children and teens, who are still developing their sense of self and trying to figure out their place in the world, Pettus says.

“Young people perceive conversion therapy as a form of family rejection. Family rejection of LGBT youth has been demonstrated to greatly increase their risk for depression, HIV or other sexually transmitted infections, drug use, and suicide,” Gill says. “Family acceptance, on the other hand, is a critical protective factor that helps LGBT youth to grow and thrive.”

Conversion therapy can also have lasting negative effects into adulthood, Haldeman explains. “Adults who have been through some form of this so-called ‘treatment’ as youngsters often become depressed and suicidal due to inner conflict about sexual orientation — and guilt over the inability to change it. Such survivors of conversion efforts often become unable to form intimate relationships in adult life,” he says.

What Is Conversion Therapy, Exactly?

SAMHSA report shows conversion therapy not appropriate for minors, offers methods to support LGBTQ and gender non-conforming children | SAMHSA

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is releasing “Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth,” a comprehensive report that provides an in-depth review of research and clinical expertise related to conversion therapy.  This important new resource makes it clear that conversion therapy is not an appropriate therapeutic approach based on the evidence, and explores alternative ways to discuss sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression with young people.

This report includes the first publication of consensus statements developed by an expert panel held by the American Psychological Association in July 2015.  The expert panel included researchers and practitioners in child and adolescent mental health with a strong background in gender development, gender identity, and sexual orientation in children and adolescents.  Experts with a background in family therapy, ethics, and the psychology of religion also participated.

Through a collaborative process, this panel found that variations in sexual orientation and gender identity are normal, and that conversion therapies or other efforts to change sexual orientation or gender identity are not effective, are harmful, and are not appropriate therapeutic practices.  The report provides an overview of existing efforts to eliminate the practice of conversion therapy.

SAMHSA report shows conversion therapy not appropriate for minors, offers methods to support LGBTQ and gender non-conforming children | SAMHSA

See also:  Feds: 'Harmful' Conversion Therapy Must Be Stopped