I think you need to seperate from what you would like to believe ( a paradise earth that will solve all your problems) and the real truth....that this is the only life there is and it doesn't have to be such a horrible one if you make a conscious effort to be happy in it...please don't wait for an outward force to solve your problems..i assure you this will only lead to desillusionment...when you are depressed it's easy to want someone else to make it all better..I'm sure if you investigate any other religion such as the mormons, adventists, pentecostal, catholics or whatever they will offer you some similar "hope" that basically is the same spiel....the day will come when all your worries will be over...there is no difference between these religions and the Jehovah's witnesses...the more you look into this the more you will realize it..I wish you the best of luck....
Is Being A Jehovah's Witness a Mental Disorder?
by Amber Rose 37 Replies latest watchtower medical
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Madame Quixote
saturdaymorningblues - please put your preaching in smaller chunks. It is indigestible in its current, vomited-up form. thank you.
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educ8self
Trying to be something you're not, or in fact against your nature (like, human nature) will cause great mental disease. That's basically why I left, it isn't a decision that came from a line of reasoning. And yes, I continued to be depressed for years afterward, until I digged deep enough into myself to discover that nature and I haven't been for many years now. I may feel very sad, and have at times since then, (you know, it happens in life) but that's not depression. In fact any feeling even if intense tends to go through the system rather quickly now.
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Hiddenwindow
Very thoughful and relevant question...I would not be surprised if it is eventually determined that the rigorousity with which the Governing Body treats witnesses is the cause of a colective mental disorder. I think it is virtually impossible to apply yourselve to all this nonsense, the unbearable stupidity of being told even what to eat at midday (like when they tell you not to go out of the Assambly Hall to buy food, but take food from home instead), and come out of that mentally healthy.
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Hiddenwindow
I meant YOURSELF, NOT YOURSELVES
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wednesday
saturdaymorningblues - please put your preaching in smaller chunks. It is indigestible in its current, vomited-up form. thank you.
yes I so agree. As I was reading this thread a thought crossed my mind. I am old enough to recall a time in America when being religious was a normal thing. I recall knowing catholic families, many of whom are very attached to the church. They would sit for hours in prayers etc, give money they needed to the church. I worked with one who denied herself the happiness of marriage b/c of the birth control issue. Yes, there are really other people out there who take religion to such extremes. Jws don't own the market that. Catholic's say once a catholic always a Catholic. Jws boast much the same thing, they say you can leave them but you'll never join another religion. I think this may be true for a lot of "born ins" jws. I think that even the very stable jws can lean toward depression and anxiety b/c the unrelenting pressure that they are never good enough and must do more. Its a common belief in a lot of religions that "Christians" do not get depressed or if they do, they do not have God's spirit. I have heard jws say that all my life. the beatings will continue until morale improves. sigh
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Billzfan23
Is Being A Jehovah's Witness a Mental Disorder?
Nope, just a waste of precious time
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startingover
Lots of great replies here. This is a source of irritation for me as I once discovered an email between a good friend and my father where the friend said she thought I had a mental disorder because I no longer wanted to be a JW and was actually questioning the existance of god.
Another way to analyze behavior, is to take it out of context and analyze it out of context. Would the behavior still be okay if the activity was bowling? or gambling? Or is it simply just being justified and rationalized as okay because it's "religious" behavior rather than going to the library, or going shopping?
If a spouse went to the casino 5 days a week for hours and donated family funds to that activity would it be seen as healthy or might there be a problem?Great stuff there Gary! That really puts things in a different light.