2 Special Pioneers 1 Missionary sick with Chronic fatigue- Quit Ministry!

by Witness 007 33 Replies latest watchtower bible

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  steve2

  My own view on why a host of "vague" physical diseases seems to afflict the JWs is very simple and avoids mumbo-jumbo about psycho-dynamic processes :

  Having a physical disability is about the only "legitimate" way to get out of the rat race of boring witness activities. If your physician diagnoses one of the "newer" physical disabilties, you virtually have a ticket to greater freedom from endless activity.

  Even physically healthy inactive JWs often live in dread of being pressured to do more. At least if you have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome you can convince your local congregation to give you a break. I suppose having a physical disability is the body's own way of protesting against the boring witness treadmill!
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  seek2find

  It's like an alcoholic being told they have a diesese. It give them an emotional excuse for their actions. "I can't help it" "It's not my fault" it's because of my illness. seek2find
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  GoingGoingGone

  Emotional pain can cause a wide variety of physical illnesses, and CFS and Fibromyalgia are just two of them. It is well documented that stress can cause high blood pressure and heart disease, and I've seen so many examples of people getting seriously ill from emotional stress that I don't think it's a coincidence.

  JWs are under a huge amount of stress to do more and many never feel good enough. And they are supposed to be "Jehovah's Happy People!" I think many JWs learn to supress their feelings and emotions so well that it makes them sick.

  And think about the JWs who have figured out that it's all lies, somewhere deep down in their subconscious mind... but they can't bear the reality of losing all their family and friends... supressing that knowledge is unbelievably stressful. I know, I did it for years and years.

  Then when we get out, we have to learn to deal with all the feelings we've shoved out of our minds. That's another whole story.

  GGG
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  daniel-p

  It's sad to see people who are a little more emotionally sensitive than the rest of us be affected so harshly by the high pressure involved in being a Witness. Even when I was pioneering I had chronic diahrea and stomach trouble whenever i was out in service. I dont know whether I was making myself sick to interupt the stressful activity, or if it was the stress itself causing the illness.
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  free2think

  I pioneered for two and a half years, and then i crashed totally. I had chronic fatigue as a child and stupidly decided to pioneer, so it came back full force. That was nearly four years ago, and i still haven't fully recovered.

  I knew this special pioneer couple, Gilead graduates, they were sent to South America. Not long after the wife got ME, so they came home. The husband was very zealous and kept encouraging those that weren't really in a position to pioneer to do it, i.e single parents, older ones, and those who were chronically ill. His wife eventually recovered and they went back on assignment.
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  Roski

  Candida was very common among the sisters at one time - not sure about now.
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  SirNose586

  CFS and Fibromyalgia, yup I know that noise. There's a pioneer mother and daughter in the hall; mom has both. She's in so much pain from going out to knock on doors, but she still pushes on. It's so sad to see them struggle to accomplish a bull**** activity.
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  skeeter1

  The PO in my dad's congregation has a "fear of crowds and public places."

  I think he just turned apostate, and this is his excuse he gives to his wife so she can hold her head up at the meetings.

  Skeeter
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  StAnn

  I've had fibromyalgia since I was nine years old. It's real. Not in my head. If you were afflicted with it, you wouldn't be so quick to pass it off as imaginary. Just because a disease process is not yet well understood doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
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  Save My Soul

  At 16, the PO came to me and said I looked tired. I had auxillary pioneered since 13. I stopped AP then stared as a regular at 17.

  By 19, I was burned out and worked alota OT and got paid.