"Imagine everyone you know telling you that you are going to burn in Hell because you like men,", Kellen told NBC News. This is a serious problem, as a large part of the LGBTQ community face this problem sooner or later. The man tells how, at the age of 11, he prayed to God to eliminate his attraction to the same sex. He stored hundreds of letters in which he poured out his grief. However, later he realized that his feelings were only enhancing and prayers were not helping him. It marked him for life. One in three US adults has been a victim of religious trauma at some point in their lives, according to a study. Such trauma occurs when religious beliefs affect a person's thinking, mental and physical health. Symptoms can manifest in guilt, feelings of shame, distrust and existential crisis. Religious trauma is not classified as a mental disorder, but it has been observed for centuries. It can have serious consequences on an individual's thinking and self-esteem for the rest of their life. People from the LGBTQ community have serious problems growing up in religious and strong-believing families. They feel they do something wrong and it will send them to Hell. That is why extreme measures are taken because they feel guilty.