Hey read this and give your opinion.
Is depression the same or greater for the happiest people on the planet(JW).
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Recommend (0 recommendations so far) Message 1 of 5 in Discussion
From: toddy1967 (Original Message) Sent: 28/04/2002 10:15
Iv'e been doing alot of research and visited many j.w sites and have noticed that depression and other similar illnesses are very high amongst j.w's,much higher than the national average,has any body else noticed this?
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Recommend (0 recommendations so far) Message 2 of 5 in Discussion
From: Reasoningonthescriptures Sent: 28/04/2002 13:27
Well i'm a pharmacist, and i see a lot more people on anti-depressants then should be, people who get lumped in with depression usually aren't "properly" depressed in the clinic sense. I have been to many congregations, and although there are those who seem to suffer from clinical depression, i think many are just going through down stages, as we all do. I do know one thing though, and that's that there is an even greater percentage of truly happy and content people in the organization then the national average.
oh and one other thing, are you a witness?
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Recommend (0 recommendations so far) Message 3 of 5 in Discussion
From: Robert Sent: 28/04/2002 15:26
I have to agree with you Reasoning, You make a good point that the far majority of truly happy peolpe are found among Jehovahs people. Maybe the percentage of lonely bro.s might be higher on the 'net than in actual congragations because this could be an outlet for lonliness. The national statistics for thes disorders is much higher than I have found in the 3 congragations I have been to . I found thes stats. that show some averages-Robert MHIC: Mental Illness and the Family:
Mental Health Statistics
GENERAL PUBLIC
More than 54 million Americans have a mental disorder in any given year, although fewer than 8 million seek treatment (SGRMH, 1999).
Depression and anxiety disorders — the two most common mental illnesses — each affect 19 million American adults annually (NIMH, 1999).
Approximately 12 million women in the United States experience depression every year — roughly twice the rate of men (NIMH, 1999).
One percent of the population (more than 2.5 million Americans) has schizophrenia (Schizophrenia Bulletin, 1998).
Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, affects more than 2 million Americans (NIMH, 2000).
Each year, eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect millions of Americans, 85-90 percent of whom are teens and young adult women (NMHA, 2000).
Depression greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease. People with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack than those with no history of depression (NIMH, 1998).
Approximately 15 percent of all adults who have a mental illness in any given year also experience a co-occurring substance abuse disorder, which complicates treatment (SGRMH, 1999).
Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems (CFHC, 1998).
MINORITIES
Adults Caucasians who have either depression or an anxiety disorder are more likely to receive treatment than adult African Americans with the same disorders even though the disorders occur in both groups at about the same rate, taking into account socioeconomic factors (SGRMH, 1999).
The rate of illicit drug use is 10.6 percent among Native Americans, 7.7 percent among African Americans, 6.8 percent among Hispanics (all races), 6.6 percent among Caucasians, and 3.2 percent among Asian Americans (SAMHSA, 1999)
About twice as many African Americans went without health insurance in 1998 and 1999 than did Caucasians (USCB, 1999).
More than half of all African-Americans and Native Americans are anticipated to use public insurance to pay for inpatient mental health treatment, compared to 34 percent of Caucasians (SAMHSA, 1998).
Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment often occurs in minority communities. Factors that can contribute include a general mistrust of medical health professionals, cultural barriers, co-occurring disorders, socioeconomic factors, and primary reliance on family and the religious community during times of distress (NMHA, 2000).
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
One in five children have a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. And up to one in 10 may suffer from a serious emotional disturbance. Seventy percent of children, however, do not receive mental health services (SGRMH, 1999).
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is one of the most common mental disorders in children, affecting 3 to 5 percent of school-age children (NIMH, 1999).
As many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression (CMHS, 1998).
Once a child experiences an episode of depression, he or she is at risk of having another episode within the next five years (CMHS, 1998).
Teenage girls are more likely to develop depression than teenage boys (NIMH, 2000).
Children and teens who have a chronic illness, endure abuse or neglect, or experience other trauma have an increased risk of depression (NIMH, 2000).
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds and the sixth leading cause of death for 5- to 14-year-olds. The number of attempted suicides is even higher (AACAP, 1997).
Studies have confirmed the short-term efficacy and safety of treatments for depression in youth (NIMH, 2000).
Alcohol, marijuana, inhalants and club drugs are the most frequently used drugs among middle- and high-school youth (SAMHSA, 2000)
Research has shown that use of club drugs such as Ecstasy and GHB can cause serious health problems and, in some cases, death. Used in combination with alcohol, these drugs pose even more danger (NIDA, 1999).
Children and adolescents increasingly believe that regular alcohol and drug use is not dangerous (SAMHSA, 2000).
Among middle- and high-school students, less than 20 percent of young people between the ages of 12 and 17 report using alcohol in the previous month, and less than 4 percent report drinking heavily in the previous month (SAMHSA, 2000).
Young people are beginning to drink at younger ages. This is troubling particularly because young people who begin drinking or using drugs before age 15 are four times more likely to become addicted than those who begin at age 21 (SAMHSA, 2000).
Children of alcohol- and drug-addicted parents are up to four times more likely to develop substance abuse and mental health problems than other children. (NACOA, 1998)
Twenty percent of youths in juvenile justice facilities have a serious emotional disturbance and most have a diagnosable mental disorder. Up to an additional 30 percent of youth in these facilities have substance abuse disorders or co-occurring substance abuse disorders (OJJDP, 2000).
OLDER ADULTS
Late-life depression affects about 6 million adults, but only 10 percent ever receive treatment (NMHA, 1998).
Older Americans are more likely to commit suicide than any other age group. Although they constitute only 13 percent of the U.S. population, individuals age 65 and older account for 20 percent of all suicides (NIMH, 2000).
At least 10 to 20 percent of widows and widowers develop clinically significant depression within one year of their spouse’s death (SGRMH, 1999).
Among adults age 55 and older, 11.4 percent meet the criteria for having an anxiety disorder (SGRMH, 1999).
Alcohol abuse and dependence is four times as prevalent among men over the age of 65 than among women in the same age group (SGRMH, 1999).
Key to Abbreviations
AACAP = American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
CMHS = Center for Mental Health Services
CFHC = Collaborative Family Healthcare Coalition
NACOA = National Association for Children of Alcoholics
NIMH = National Institute of Mental Health
OJJDP = Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
SAMHSA = Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
SGRMH = Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health
USCB = U.S. Census Bureau
USCCYF = U.S. Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families
For further information on these statistics, contact:
National Mental Health Association
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
Phone 703/684-7722
Fax 703/684-5968
Mental Health Information Center 800/969-NMHA
TTY Line 800/433-5959
© 2001 National Mental Health Association
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Recommend (0 recommendations so far) Message 4 of 5 in Discussion
From: Reasoningonthescriptures Sent: 29/04/2002 11:37
Thanks for that info, thats quite interesting actually. Oh and i like the copyright at the end, haha
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Recommend (0 recommendations so far) Message 5 of 5 in Discussion
From: asjiah Sent: 01/05/2002 11:48
Satan is concentrating on Jehovah's people as he knows that his time is very short now. Here is some poem that might help us take comfort.
DEPRESSION...A PAINFUL TEST
If I were to tell you that I'm depressed,
Would you think, to some secret Sin I need to confess.
This need not be the case at all,
Even faithful men, to this disease can fall.
Can you think of an example listed in the Bible?
When it came to being blameless, one man had no rival!
I know for certain you must have heard of Job,
He was a faithful man, Jehovah once told.
A man blameless and upright he was said to be,
But he once got depressed just like me.
Had he committed some secret sin, that he didn't confess?
Why was it that this man who was blameless got depressed?
Why did he give into "wild talk" and appear to lose his sanity?
It was not because he had sinned, NO! He had kept his integrity!
The reason for his depression had to do with him being the Best!
YES it was a Challenge and Satan had authority to put him to the test!
The issue that confronted Job was one of Sovereignty,
Would he obey Jehovah no matter what, and serve faithfully?
Satan went right to work and caused Job much affliction,
He would stop at nothing to break his conviction!
First he caused the loss of Job's great material wealth,
The loss of his children in death must have affected his mental health!What else could Satan use to try to get Job to sin?
Ah I know what will work Satan probably said with a grin!
This tactic will surely work and the issue of sovereignty I will win,
I'll send over Three False Companions who claim to be his friends.
These can do my reasoning and tell him how bad he's been!
Despite all of this Job Still committed no Sin!
When that didn't work Satan caused a pitiful state,
Job's turmoil and Pain must have been great.
You see Satan spread sickness all over his flesh,
To get the pain to stop , Job's was willing to except death!
When this didn't work Satan was at his wits end,
What else could he use, Ah! I'll send over his next of kin.
That's exactly what he did, Satan even used his wife,
Unknowingly She added to his pain, suffering and strife!
So you see my friend why Job was depressed,
It was not because he was bad, no he was the Best!
But what about you and I living in these last days,
Is it possible for us to get depressed and is that okay?
Woe for the earth and for those who there reside,
This statement is true the Bible writer did not lie!
Satan has not stop using all of those tools,
If we believe that then we are the fools.
Now that we know this, one question remains,
How do you help one that is suffering this pain?
Do you know how a depressed soul feels?
If so then you will give them what they need to heal!
They don't need to be told how bad they are,
All that will do is deepen their scar.
We do well to Follow the Apostle Paul's advice,
Console the depressed soul, relieve their suffering and strife.
A depressed person may feel they're at the end of their rope,
They don't see any light, they've lost all their hope.
So what can we do to lighten their load,
One thing is for certain we don't use a goad!
The Bible say's counsel in the heart of a man is as water deep,
In other words what you see on the outside is just a peep.
The man of discernment, this counsel will draw up!
But if you condemn, their mouths you will shut.
The thing that is needed to help them the most,
Is the use of questions and of their value do boast!
Don't be afraid that they will get puffed up with pride,
These feel so bad at times they would like to die.
When they start to speak make sure you Listen,
If you do so their eyes will start to glisten!
You see much of the pain is deep inside,
They may be ashamed and themselves they deride.
They feel bad about themselves and need to be understood,
Many times all that is needed is for them to see their good!
One more thing may be needed as a reminder,
If a depressed one lashes out at us, we must be kinder!
Remind yourself of their faithful service,
This little moment need not disturb us!
Do we question their integrity, and say they are spiritually sick,
If we assume that , then we might as well beat them with a stick!
Don't let Satan use you to accomplish his scheme,
Show love and patience and on Jehovah do lean!
Remember like Job who was put to the test,
A depressed person need not be bad,
.....they may be the BEST!
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