Were the majority of Witnesses in your Hall somehow sick? Either physically, emotionally or mentally?
Most JWs I knew had some unexplainable ailment or 2. And a number suffered from depression!!!
by minimus 63 Replies latest jw friends
Were the majority of Witnesses in your Hall somehow sick? Either physically, emotionally or mentally?
Most JWs I knew had some unexplainable ailment or 2. And a number suffered from depression!!!
We were fine until 1995, then many of the older ones started taking depression medication.
Many of those have since died, but with all the changes of 2007-2008 we are seeing a spike again of depression and drop in actual FS hours. Within a years time we went from a KH that approved of rounding up a single digit to rounding up to the nearest 10 amoung the most dedicated older pioneers. All proof that the WTS should just rip off the bandaid versus slowly and painfully peeling back the edges.
Before I left, there were soooooo many taking anit-depressant meds. So many had so much drama in their life, I guess they needed something to make them robotic and seem like Jah's happy, smiling, people!
It was either that or booze.
"Half of us go to the Drug Store, the other half go to the Liquor Store."
-LWT
I agree with the physical & mental ailments. I knew many who had these symptoms but most suffered mentally. I seen a lot of depressed ones and they knew it and therefore used it to their advantage.
As far as medication goes many in the KH used meds and alchohol.
JWs like "alternative medicine" too.
I used to sit toward the back of my hall, and start from the front, looking to see what families had sickness of some sort or another. As I worked my way toward the back of the hall, virtually every family had someone with major issues/illnesses. Elders with mates that didn't attend, for various reasons, wives on antidepressants, environmental problems, mental illnesses, plus the normal ailments of aging, etc. I figured that most churchs probably are in the same boat, but it seemed that with the WT "hope," it would not be so concentrated.
A whole heck of a lot of JW's we know are sick with something and more than half take antidepressants. It used to be a constant bit of gossip that so many elders 'flipped' out...meaning they went wonky and had to get some meds. The first time anyone spoke against the 'truth', stepped down or even started to slide - it was assumed immediately that they were suffering from mental illness and needed drugs in order to prop them up and keep them going. They believed it themselves because after all - you had the truth so it couldn't be that you really didn't believe it - the only other answer was mental illness. A lot of overweight JW's too because I think a lot use food as a comfort ...sammieswife.
hearsay and predjudiced, speculative opinion all are welcome on this baited thread.....
lets not mention that depression is one of the biggest growing illnesses in the wealthier countries ooops soz a bit to much reality!