by minimus 90 Replies latest jw friends
Lately, I've come to find out that a more than a few people in the area had killed themselves. Most of the people I know of were in their early twenties or forties. For those loved ones surviving them, it was mostly a SHOCK! The despondent ones SEEMED to be happy but evidently, whatever their demons were, it got to them in a most horrible way.
Did you know of anyone that simply couldn't deal any longer? How did you handle it?
I've known many people, jws and nonjws, who have attempted suicide and failed, fortunately I knew fewer that succeeded. I have worked in support groups for over 30 years as a volunteer and worked for about ten years in a job and spent much time visiting people in psych wards (especially when jws were too afraid to do so...read "elders") and helping friends, family, and people who tried. There is no one size fits all way to handle your grief, guilt, etc.
I worked with someone who committed suicide--not like, in the same office, but same company. It was a huge shock--she was a gorgeous, blond-haired young woman who just had this bubbly personality and a great position in the company. You'd think she was on top of the world! Nothing at all to be sad about. Never forgot that one. Didn't know her well personally, and was still in the Borg at the time. Just...shrugged it off, moved on, like a lot of people do at companies when that happens. But this question brought it back again. Particularly poignant because it could just as easily have been me, if I'd gone through with it the times I tried.
But it certainly makes me think, if there's a way to see that, you don't want to miss the warning signs. Having been in that suicidal headspace myself--even recently--I know what it's like to want to die, to want to give up. Not even sure what makes me keep going, but if there's something in there that does, I'd like to tear it out and give it to a poor soul that might be hanging on the edge as I was.
I knew 2 people who were very close that killed themselves.
Yes... I knew a couple of people pretty well...and a couple more that I know of, but wasnt' that close to.
One that I knew well; his suicide can be directly attributed to the cult of JWs. I'm not going into detail, but because of the pressure to conform to a JW standard that was unattainable (for this person, anyway) it lead to misery, then depression, then suicide.
The attitude of many of the JWs after his death was disheartening, if not downright disgusting.
This religion truly has no love or mercy...
I think some people just snap---and that's it!
Yes, more than few of them.
I knew two young men who committed suicide and I blame it on the organization and it was and still is a heartbreak.
If a JW commits suicide, it's almost as bad as "apostasy".
One brother commited suicide on International Convention 2001 in Rome, Italy. Have you heard for that?
Rome 8/2001: a Spanish boy kills hisself at the Olympic stadium during a gathering of Jehovah Witnesses; he was suffering of depression.
