by DesertRat 24 Replies latest jw friends
Welcome! I am so glad you are here, please stay awhile. I'm glad you liked my post as well. I have had anxiety problems for most of my life, so I know about medication and related issues.
I feel you are lucky that you found a support group where you live, I can't seem to find any in the Harrisburg, PA region. I think it would really help me more.
Regards,
Wing Commander
Hi DesertRat!
I am here in Tucson as well- I sent you a pm.
Ain't the thunder and lightning the best tonight though???
I went running in the rain earlier- wooo hooo!
-K
WELCOME DesterRat! Glad you found this place! Thanks for sharing your experience!
welcome
es
WELCOME ABOARD DESERTRAT!
Glad to have you with us.
Welcome to the board Desertrat.......
Welcome, DesertRat. It sounds like the exit group you were involved with before was helpful for a while. It was likely doomed from the start, though. The leaders sound very intense. Even so, it was there when you needed it.
Because of that experience, I think it is important to emphasize that you have no obligation to this discussion board. You can come and leave as you please.
Hi DesertRat, and welcome to the board.
I am so glad that you found us.
Welcome to the board. Glad you found us.
DesertRat, it helped and does help me a lot to communicate with others who experienced life as a JW.
When I was a teenager my family had the DO and his wife for dinner. He asked me what I want to do in the future and I told him I want to study psychology and think all elder should study it. One of my teachers had studied it (others too) and I thought he would make a good elder. Not knowing the WT view on this, I thought I made a good point. And since one of our
When elders came to meet with my father at home to prepare for a shepherding call, I was disturbed because their preparation was just like preparing for a program point at the meetings. They looked up the elder book, WT’s and scriptures to read to the troubled witness. The atmosphere was not ‘how can we help this person?’ but ‘how can we get this job over with and get back home on time?” The fact that they would talk about the case in the living room or kitchen showed that they had no interest in being discreet. Most elders are neither interested nor qualified to handle mental distress. Their main concern is to fulfil the WT guidelines and not to get in trouble with the CO. And them telling us to ‘pray and study more, wait and trust in Jehovah’ gives them an alibi that they have done a good job and are themselves trusting in Jehovah. Thinking back, there were many cases were the elders worsened the situation for the ‘weak publisher’ instead of helping. They passed judgment not encouragement.
I had many fears leaving the organisation. Meeting worldly people and becoming friends was remarkable. Receiving help from complete strangers was a total contradiction to the WT view and teaching.
I am sure you will find many who can relate to you here. To communicate with people who understand what we have been through is wonderful. The experiences are the same no matter what country it is.
Welcome again, freetosee
