What about alternative help for substance abuse?

by harleybear 25 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  harleybear

  Nice_Dream:

  Good for that brother and to hell with the BOE. I have yet to meet any and I do mean any elder who had the education, credentials, or experience to offer any constructive advise on substance abuse, mental illness, domestic violence, child abuse, etc.. And to top it off they sure the hell do not have the compasion to offer support and love as a shepard of the flock. I wonder if anyone has sought legal recourse towards the elders advice for lousy "guidence". Would be interesting to find out. Harley Bear and ridin free.
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  KristiKay
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  LV101

  wha happened --- seems there were a lot of lushes when I attended in the Vegas area. Sad. I wondered how so many coped.
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  talesin

  wha,, down east here, alcohol is the self-medication of choice for JWs.

  One of the brothers on my DF committee got dementia in his mid-60s from alcohol. He was the nicest guy, too. Born into a 3rd gen family, as was I, he had little choice but to follow the path that was pre-determined by his family of birth. He was always liberal, kind and a lot of fun. RIP GC,Jr.

  It's all they have to turn to.

  It's been my general experience in life that the people who drink heavily, are often those who find it hardest to deal with the pain and injustices of life because they have tender hearts. Once they get sorted out (ie, sober and working on their issues that caused the self-medicating), the true beauty of their kind natures really shines!

  t
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  harleybear

  Talesin: Your input was great. It is true that many JW's drink to cope. Booze is legal afterall and for a limited time can be hidden. The emotional and spiritual pain drives so much of that abuse but also physical. I have a beloved family member who is no long with us who because of a serious injury drank and did pain meds to deal with the pain. He was a servant and felt he had an image to keep up. He was 38 when he died. My drinking career did not get going until about 11 years ago when my Mom had her first heart attack, she died that November. Dealing with missing her so much would have been tough enough but the horriable abuse she received from the "asshole( my father) who by the way is in good standing in the cong. made me so angery and helpless. She remained IN until she died. Trying to be the "good daughter and JDub" I was fighting an up hill battle. The more I stressed about the shoulds, need to's, hav to's, and pressure from the cong the more I drank. I am not saying AA is the end all be all. I take what I need and leave the rest, but it first helped me quit drinking and second gave me a better understanding of a High Power that ultimatly gave me the courage and strength to leave the cult. I truely thank God everyday for that awakening and know I am loved and cherished by God. And I didn't have to sell one Watchtower!!!
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  LV101

  talesin -- I agree with you about those who imbibe are dealing w/pain/injustices. Some that drank the most were on the surface the most stable --- all a front I guess. What a toll that cult is on human beings.

  harleybear --- From this post I see AA helps more people than what I previously thought. You're one of the fortunate ones who made it out.