Is your congregation on medication? (page 2)

steve2

Prescriptions for anti-depressants and anxiolytics in the general population have mushroomed in recent years. That people have noticed JWs on them simply reflects the widespread use of such medication in the population anyway.

toby888

So, since Jehovah's Witneses are the "happiest people on earth" then why are they following the same trends as the "unhappy worldlings?"

Nate Merit

When I was disfellowshippied 33 YEARS AGO I sought psychological help. The counselor I spoke with kindly showed me statistics on the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who were in mental institutions. This was before the mental institutions were summarily emptied by the Feds. Of those 'inside' professing a religion, Joe Hovah's Witlesses were numero uno on the list. A massively impressive number given the fact that JW's are such a tiny slice of the American pie, especialy back then.

Call me crazy, but I suspect it has something to do with the whole salvation by works mentality, trying to placate an angry mercurial despot in the sky, thinking any moment his rage is going to bring (BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP) and some (BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP BLEEP) upon you!

Yours NOT in Joe,
Nate

R6Laser

When I was disfellowshippied 33 YEARS AGO I sought psychological help. The counselor I spoke with kindly showed me statistics on the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who were in mental institutions. This was before the mental institutions were summarily emptied by the Feds. Of those 'inside' professing a religion, Joe Hovah's Witlesses were numero uno on the list. A massively impressive number given the fact that JW's are such a tiny slice of the American pie, especialy back then.

Well, I have a friend who works in this field and he actually showed me statistics that completely reverses everything you're saying. Just goes to show you there's always a new statistic that can goes against a previous one.

enigmatic

Got a sis that still goes (recently disfellowshipped though, and I have not heard from her about it) but shes on a bunch of meds. J

Darth Yhwh

I think that psychotrophic medication could have done some of my former "brothers and sisters" some good. Perhaps it should be distributed to the entire congregation through the water cooler?

steve2

When I was disfellowshippied 33 YEARS AGO I sought psychological help. The counselor I spoke with kindly showed me statistics on the number of Jehovah's Witnesses who were in mental institutions. This was before the mental institutions were summarily emptied by the Feds. Of those 'inside' professing a religion, Joe Hovah's Witlesses were numero uno on the list. A massively impressive number given the fact that JW's are such a tiny slice of the American pie, especialy back then.

I am surprised at the counsellor showing you the statistics. Were they based on confidential hospital records and if so, you have to wonder about the ethics of the counsellor breaching confidentiality?

I work as a clinical psychologist in a large provincial hospital and I can say this much: members of the smaller, strict religious groups are over-represented among the admissions. JWS are not alone, unfortunately. There are several hypotheses about why members of "heterodox" religions are apparently over-represented, and most of them do not involve the simplistic hypothesis that "the religion caused it".

(Previous threads have discussed the assertion that Jehovah's Witnesses have higher rates of mental illness than the general population. However, no research based on sound methodology, including representative sampling has been done. We're stuck with anecdotal report and wishful thinking).

toby888

But still I wonder why Watchtower publications continue to assert that Jehovah's Witnesses are "the happiest people on earth" since there is apparently the same amount of antidepressant use as the general population, in the most conservative case? I would assume that a truly "healthful teaching" could have some statistics to back it up. I know of no Watchtower articles which have featured scientific peer-reviewed studies on the rates of mental illness among Witness adherents. Indeed, such a study would provide a very "good witness" for the skeptical world. I suspect I will never see such data.

luna2

This really shouldn't come as a big of a surprise. It just doesn't stop in the KH almost everybody these days is in some type of medication

This is very true. Anti depressants are very in vogue currently and about half the women I know, both JWs and non-JWs are on them. This just shows that JWs are, again, no different from "worldly" people...they just pretend that they are.

But still I wonder why Watchtower publications continue to assert that Jehovah's Witnesses are "the happiest people on earth"

The WTS tells it like they wish it would be. They are in a state of continuous denial. I guess they think that if they say it often enough, Jehooha will make it so. Certainly many of my witness friends used to repeat the "happiest people on earth" phrase as if it they believed it. Seems to be a good propaganda/brainwashing technique at least.

atypical

Absolutely. I would say the majority is on meds, usually tranq's and antidepressants. And almost everyone drinks like a righteous fish.

Is your congregation on medication?

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