Updated Monday, April 25, 2022 at 10:02 PM. If you are leaving something you have known for a long time, the effect on your psyche can be profound. You do not need to have been "brainwashed" or "mind controlled" for it to affect you severely. That is why people who leave loved ones or move to a new city or change long time careers, or get divorced, often need counseling, someone to talk to, to deal with the change. This is normal. A simple part of life. Humans don't like big changes, and a change or abandonment of religious belief is certainly difficult. Religion is a large commitment, an investment of time, energy, thought, money and emotion. When you leave all that behind without something to replace it, it can seem like it was all wasted and you can suddenly feel taxed. For those joining a religion, on the other hand, it is easier because they believe they are trading up and they find joy in doing so. They don't view the past as a waste of time, but as ...