Shunned
Being shunned within a place where one expects to be received with the love of God or Christ by Christians or any religion is a devastating experience. By definition, to be shunned means to be persistently avoided, ignored, or rejected by someone. Other words that are synonyms for the word shunned are: rejected, abandoned, forsaken, deserted, excluded, discarded, left out, denounced, dumped, forgotten, ostracized, and ignored [to name a few].
In narcissistically empowered institutions [which also includes cults], shunning is practiced to control a target. Members will shun a target by refusing to interact with the target at all. Members do not talk to the target or even look at the target. In a sense, the behavior of the members is diabolical in nature because the target may have never been given an indication that anything was wrong. Instead, the target is met with an aggressive form of the silent treatment.
In the narcissistic abuse cycle, shunning falls within the devaluation phase of narcissistic abuse. Being shunned is being devalued because in a sense the target of this form of abuse is being erased from the group. The group members silently illustrate that the target does not matter to them. Although nothing is ever said by the members, the target being shunned often feels like he or she has done something wrong or has a flaw that requires being ostracized from the group.
The effects of shunning is that the target experiences a low dive in self-esteem and may develop physical and psychological symptoms that increase the more shunning occurs. Deep emotional wounding is also an effect of shunning and can result in anxiety, depression, and emotional feelings of sadness, anger, and rage. A target may even blame themselves for their experience and are left feeling inadequate [as if they are not good enough].
The feeling of rejection is often difficult for a target of shunning to deal with as the target has already been cast off and isolated by the group of members. Feelings of rejection leads a target to consider their value and importance. Being aggressively stigmatized can also lead a target to having feelings of shame for merely existing because in a sense the group members demonstrate behaviors that show the target does not exist or is dead to them.
My Voice Unchained 