Health - has anyone else suffered long lasting health effects from years with the Borg? (page 3)

Former active and now elderly dubs who can't go out "door to door" start to feel useless and are plagued with lots of "guilt and depression for not doing what they use to. Parts from the platform mention the 98 year old sister who still pioneers from her sick bed, making these once active members feel like shit! Very often many long-time Witnesses are left behind, as others don't want to visit the older dubs of fame.

End Result is "guilt, grief, anxiety and fear they did not do enough to deserve more. The fair weather friends leave once they bleed you dry of your resources and energy. The Mags mention "doing all we can before we have not joy left, as our youth flees away, leaving us in our time of darkness waiting from the Grim Reaper.

Below Average Publishers live with the guilt they can do more, even though many of the "below average dubs" field service is equal to "time-card" padding pioneers and over Ten Hour'ers. Guilt and Depression follow and piousneers who would never offer to bring the B.A.D.s out in service, look down on them as weak, not loving Jehovah as much as they do.

"Irregular Publishers" are Not regular publishers of the Watchtower/Congregation and the numbers are read during the Meetings twice a year at least, as elders attempt to "re-activate" these unregular people. Why are they irregular, has anyone asked that question are they assume to be weak, not a normal and glowing Christian enjoying company with fine outstanding Bible illiterate regulars?

Anxiety, Depression, Feelings of Worthlessness, Guilt plague many normal humans associated and dissassociated with the Organization. The damage is not easily undone, many are afraid to take anti-depressants which could balance some chemical making you feel bad. I know many brilliant Witnesses who said "I don't want my mate to take anti-depressants and become a drug addict. So their mates suffers as I see their eventual nervous breakdown or melt-away from the Org and all their stress.

lumper

Not to make lite of all the ills discussed but... my feet still hurt from all the door to door!

LisaRose

I have fibromyalgia, a chronic muscle pain syndrome. I was first diagnosed when I was a JW. The exact cause is unknown but stress is definitely a factor, so I do feel being a JW was a big part of the reason I got this. It is something I will probably have for the rest of my life and it is not fun to live with.

solomon

I know many brilliant Witnesses who said "I don't want my mate to take anti-depressants and become a drug addict.

they may not need the pills. they need to leave the pressure cooker congregation

Chariklo

I suffered hugely from PTSD for the first few weeks. I was looking over my shoulder at every turn, was furiously angry and yet fending off text messages on my phone from all these people who were "missing me" so much!

Once I'd written my letter, which I did about 5 weeks later when I realised it was going to take someting in writing to get rid of them, then things quitened down.

I was still having problems though resulting from the trauma I'd experienced when I suddenly realised that I had made the biggest mistake of my life ever getting involved with them. And then in early summer I had an accident, not directly attributable to them of course, but resulting from the mental exhaustion I was still experiencing.

That accident left me with an injured leg that is still not healed and other things too boring to mention. However, my recommendation to anyone reading this quietly, maybe just lurking from a Google search on Jehovah's Witnesses, which is how I found the site in the first place...my advice to anyone who is at the point of wondering....first, DON'T!!!!

Second, if you have got deeply involved as I did, even if you have been out publishing and returning long field hours, as I did...once you realise you've made a mistake, then get out and write that letter to the elders, telling them you want no further contact, thank you very much! You still have to deal with the deep impression left by all their rules and strictures that you're half way clear of, but getting that letter written as soon as you possibly can is the best thing you can do.

I am definitely left with health problems that have lasted most of the year. I just hope they will eventually, sooner rather than later, be a thing of the past!

Soledad

I had all kinds of different health issues as a child and teen while in the WT. Depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, which in turn provoked menstrual disorders, digestive disorders, substance abuse (alcohol).

I also took a nasty fall on a slippery staircase while out in FS when I was 10 years old. I've had long-term effects on my lumbar spine because of it.

After leaving the WT, I felt immediate relief from SOME of the problems listed above, but over time I realized that the issues were still there, and additional items were tacked onto the list (PTSD mainly).

It took more than a decade of seeking help to find lasting relief and solutions to the issues. I went through it all-psychotherapy, CBT, biofeedback, holistic medicine, chiropractic, traditional medicine, spiritual or faith-based healing-you name it, I did it.

I don't know which one, if any of those, worked the best for me. Maybe a combination of all, I'm not sure. End result is, I now finally found relief from the mental/emotional issues and most of the physical issues (still have back problems but I'm working on it).

I can't honestly say that the WT discouraged me from seeking help while I was in it. My mother has always been a bit of a hypochondriac (which is a problem in it of itself) and had me go to all kinds of doctors and take all kinds of medicines. Ironically, it was when I stopped taking all my meds that I often felt better.

Healthworker

Good thread!

The list of health problems inside are very long! I think I was pretty lucky and came out of everything without a ruined health! I was lucky! Some years were just horrible with to much alcohol and partly depression. Man, education saved my life! I am happy to live!

Love your friend Healthworker

rebel8

I have numerous problems today that were greatly worsened by lack of medical care. Dubs here eschewed traditional medicine and promoted alternative "therapies" that were either harmful in themselves or caused harm by delaying/avoiding real care.

I also did not have health insurance for quite a while, in part due to refusing a good job and other full time work at the direction of the elders. This made health care unaffordable which resulted in further neglect of basic needs. I am still experiencing the consequences of that too.

For many years after I did have the means to get care, I had a legacy of brainwashing against medical care, so I did not comply with recommended treatment regimes.

The best medicine is prevention, and that's what I was deprived of.

likeabird

Many physical and mental health problems are stress related. The mind control you are unconsciously put through as a dub is unrelenting, and enough to trigger any number of health problems - for some this shows itself mentally, for others physically. I know several who would fit this category.

Take this example : Sister Chronic Health Problems has served faithfully for decades as a pioneer, never been able to marry, always had strong opposition from her non-JW family which has caused her constant turmoil and stress all these years. Add to this that she dropped her education when she learnt the truth and decided to pioneer and so has always struggled big time to make ends meet and have adequate accommodation. Nearing retirement and still on a job most people only do for a couple years when they're young, for the past few years her doctor has signed her off work half the time as she can't take the stress levels there. This has resulted in constant physical and health problems which costs alot especially for someone on a part-time minimal wage. All this because she decided to give her life to a publishing company. (Her brothers and sisters don't have these problems.)

Add to this, when you have chronic health problems in the borg, the number of times you are referred to some magic doctor (often some witness who has to be ok as even the Bethel sends people to him or her) who turns out to be an absolute quack, but you go to see anyway as Brother Insistant is convinced Dr Magic is sure to be able to cure you as he did for Brother Supposedly No Longer Sick, and you don't want Brother Y to think you're spir'ly weak as if you get better, then you'll be able to go to meetings again. Oh, and ultimately, these are all doctors that are not covered or recognised by any social security, and so you have to pay out of your pocket. And when you call Brother Supposedly No Longer Sick to check out about Dr Magic, you find out that actually, he didn't get any better. It happens time and time again and is not unique to one part of the world.

Poor Sister Chronic Health Problems went to see several of these doctors and they never had more than a placebo effect on her. Some of the things these doctors say or use as techniques or treatments are completely...well you know.

And to finish, what about those who gave their best to the borg and suffer now from burnout?

Health - has anyone else suffered long lasting health effects from years with the Borg?

Jadeen

ÁrbolesdeArabia