5 stages of dealing with TTATT?

by El_Guapo 23 Replies latest jw friends

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  LongHairGal

  rip van winkle:

  When I learned the Truth about the religion, the first thing I did was make peace with the idea of death. I purged my mind of the living forever fantasy because I felt it was unhealthy (for me, anyway) to nurture a fantasy that cannot be proven. To me, this is just plain cruel to myself to keep believing this.

  Believe it or not, my mind accepted the idea and I often wonder if perhaps I didn't entirely swallow the "living forever" teaching.

  I don't feel despondent over "not" seeing loved ones again because nobody has definitive answers about the "hereafter".
• 

  cofty

  I found it to be a combination of elation and anxiety.
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  whathappened

  It's been two years out for me and I still find myself using limited reasoning that I learned from being in this cult for over 50 years.

  It gets easier and happier everyday that you are out. The farther out you go, the clearer everything becomes.
• 

  Lozhasleft

  I went through the stages. It is a loss, hence the grief. One hell of a journey, but acceptance and freedom is wonderful, and worth it.

  Loz x
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  NeverKnew

  Now I'm wondering if the belief that you'll see your loved ones again after Armageddon makes it easier to take them for granted while they're alive and you're working for the WT.

  If that's the case, and you decide not to accept the possibility of a heavenly hope (which truly is your journey) this would be a horrific realization to deal with...

  LHG - not knowing what you don't know... I could easily see myself finding peace in your construct. :)
• 

  wasblind

  I'm still in the " Kickin my own ass " stage

  It ain't all bad. It prevent's me from sittin' down

  to wait on the kingdom
• 

  dmouse

  Depression was my first and overwhelming emotion - realising that I & my loved ones were NOT going to live forever. Then came anger at those who had deceived me.

  I would also add that I went through a stage of CONFUSION, for the first time in my life, I had to figure out my own beliefs. When someone asked me a question 'what do you think about...' it really meant 'what does the Society say about...' Now I have to figure stuff out for myself - what do I believe? And that ain't always easy, at first, I just couldn't decide what to believe even about the simplest of things because I wasn't used to thinking for myself.
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  tornapart

  It's been about a year for me and been through all those. Still going through a roller coaster of emotions....
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  DesirousOfChange

  Depression was my first and overwhelming emotion - realising that I & my loved ones were NOT going to live forever. Then came anger at those who had deceived me.

  I would also add that I went through a stage of CONFUSION, for the first time in my life, I had to figure out my own beliefs. When someone asked me a question 'what do you think about...' it really meant 'what does the Society say about...' Now I have to figure stuff out for myself - what do I believe?

  DITTO! I could have written that.

  I'm angry at them for being misled.

  I'm angry at me for being so gullible.

  I'm depressed on realizing that I'll die in the not so distant future, having already lost the best years that life gave to me.

  I'm depressed at realizing that I won't rejoin my parents or dead family members in Paradise.

  And I'm really pissed off at how they treat people that they supposedly love after they have found out TTATT. Nothing else has changed -- other than questioning The Truth (TM) . Or, even just not being gung-ho, "whole-souled" about the WT Schedule of meetings, service, assemblies, etc etc. All of a sudden you're a potential threat.

  And, there is the big hole that's left in everything you have founded your life upon for years. If they're wrong about [whatever issue led you to see TTATT], then what else are they wrong about. In fact, what are the RIGHT about? But they've destroyed every other way of belief that is out there, so you can't just go "church shopping". You're left empty-handed.

  Doc
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  LisaRose

  Rip Van Winkle : Except for the bargaining part. I would also say that I didn't go through a depression- it's more like having the blues, compounded with substance abuse- but not depression.

  The blues and substance abuse IS depression. Great name BTW