How Jehovah's Witnesses Encourage Mental Illness (page 2)

snowbird

Good Grief!
Is it fair to say that Witness teachings aggravate/encourage/amplify/increase/exacerbate
depression? Can I get an Amen?
metatron
Amen and Amen and Amen!!!
I like exacerbate because I, who was always prone to depression, became even more depressed during my 31 years as a JW.
Snowbird

When you paint a negative picture of the world around you, when you dangle an unatainable dream, when you promote suspicion among loved ones, when you constantly ask for more and more, when you are given more but that's not enough... yes, you are promoting an unhealthy and negative view of the world and of self. A fertile breeding ground for mental illness.

changeling

metatron

Well said, changeling.

metatron ( looking for his thesaurus)

poppers

How about putting it this way: JW's provide a fertilizer (manure) that stimulates negative tendencies to sprout more quickly and abundantly.

changeling

I'll drink to that poppers!

changeling

OnTheWayOut

For those that actually are medically depressed, the Jehovah's Witnesses is about the worst place
to be-

Depressed person: I don't feel the love, the friends don't want to work in the ministry with me, I am
not worthy of Jehovah's love.

Elder (giving the standard counsel that everyone gets): Read your Bible daily, prepare for and get to
all the meetings, pray constantly, preach every week or more often if your schedule allows. You will
feel better.

Depressed person: I do those things and I don't feel better. I guess I am not worthy of Jehovah's love.

Elder: No, of course you are. Read MORE OF your Bible daily, prepare MORE for and get to all the
meetings PARTICIPATING MORE IN THEM, pray MORE constantly, preach EVEN MORE THAN YOU
DO NOW. YOU WILL FEEL JEHOVAH'S LOVE.

Depressed person: I've done all that. My doctor thinks the stress to do more of that is what's depressing
me. He thinks I should take a break from meetings and preaching. He says I need to relax more.

Elder: See how warped worldly thinking can be. There is no reason to do less in Jehovah's service. He
will sustain you if you just do MORE MORE MORE.

minimus

Doing more is the Watchtower's solution to feeling better. Be so exhausted that you can't think. That's what they do.

startingover

I went to a funeral this morning for the non-JW mother of a JW friend. It was given by a JW although and mostly attended by JW's as the lady had just moved from an area quite a few hours away. I sat there watching the JW's, bibles in hand thumbing to every scripture that was mentioned. I know they had all heard these scriptures too many times to count, but still they had to look them up and follow along as he read them. My wife didn't have her bible so she had to look on with the person sitting next to her.

I just sat there mentally rolling my eyes.

Yes, Metatron, I think you nailed it too.

metatron

And how about the Watchtower study as an example of weird behavior?

You have people 'studying' a heavily dumbed down article, often covering most of it with yellow

pen. They quote and requote the same scriptures over and over again. Many of them offer pious

comments that wildly contrast with their personal life. Such as the brother who extols a life of

singleness while seated next to his wife and four kids. Or the sister who praises submission while

being anything but.

metatron

mentalclearness

I don't know if people with mental disorders gravitate toward the witnesses..but as a person brought up in the organization I believe that it can cause mental disorders like depression..starting from the fact that you can never do enough..you are always sub standard..there are constant comparisons being done..to elders, pioneers, etc....and of course the best part is the guilt factor..I can't tell you how being inactive has relieved me of so much anxiety because of being able to throw away that burden of guilt..guilt for missing the meetings, guilt for sleeping in on sunday, guilt for not commenting, guilt for not preparing, guilt for not reading the daily text, GUILT, GUILT, GUILT!!!! I can see this same feeling in my active brothers and sisters..to the point that some don't feel worthy of being in the organization...It's ridiculous!!! So I say yes..being raised in the organization can make you nuts!!!!!!!!

How Jehovah's Witnesses Encourage Mental Illness

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