Depressed or suicidal? Do NOT call a doctor!

flower

*** Awake! 1975 August 22 p.25 ***
Is the turning of people from the clergy to the psychiatrists a healthy phenomenon? No, for it really is a case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. They are worse off than they were before... That [psychologists and psychiatrists] are not the ones to go to for help when one is depressed and beset with all manner of problems is to be seen from the fact that suicides among them are twice as frequent as among the population in general... what is needed at such times is not worldly psychiatrists who may wholly ignore the change that the truth and God's holy spirit have made in one's life and who know nothing of their power to help one put on a new Christian personality. Rather, what is needed at such times is a mature Christian in whom one has confidence and who is vitally interested in one's welfare and who will not shrink back from administering needed reproof or counsel so that one may get healed.

Lets see a show of hands..how many here have gone to a 'mature christian' for help when they were distraught? How many felt better?
Anyone? Anyone?

Give me a break.

flower

JeffT

I have gone to a "mature Christian" when I needed help, and he really helped me out.

Oh, sorry I guess the Awake would say he didn't count, as he was the college educated pastor of counseling out our church.

dungbeetle

Translation: If you're feeling fragile and endangered, go to the elders RIGHT NOW so they can figure out the best way and time to GET RID OF YOU before you get to be too much trouble.

Feeeeling the loooove...

BEFORE YOU TRY AND REMOVE THE STICK FROM MY ARSE, REMOVE THE TELEPHONE POLE FROM YOUR OWN ARSE.

Matty

You can understand the WTS standpoint as far as seeing psychiatrists/analysts is concerned. It has always been roundly condemned, and it’s no wonder.

It's very clear what is causing the severe depression that many Jehovah's Witnesses have; it’s their religion! It has certainly been the source of much of the despair that I have had in my life. I’m very sure most professionals would waste no time pointing this out to any witness that sees them!

somebody

worldly psychiatrists

?

What the heck are elders and the "society" considered? "spirit-appointed psychiatrists"?

This made me sick too,flower. I'm sure that many JWs who really needed and could have benefitted by psychologial help did not seek it because of those kinds of views handed down from the wbts ( who considers themselves to have a view from a "higher source" ) back then.

Do you know what the present view/present truth held by the wbts regarding the subject is?

Thank you so much for the post.

Is that your son in your profile?

peace,
somebody....who is passing the barf bucket to flower.

DB

Hi Flower, interesting post. Well, 27 years after this article, what do we see? For one thing, many jws themselves have realized that elders are simply not qualified to handle cases of depression, abuse (both spousal and child), anxiety, anger issues, and many other personal or family situaions. Many jws have realized that simply seeing a doctor or getting counseling is what really helped.

Also, the quote you cite seems to imply that a person who goes to the elders for help could well expect reproof instead, which would do more harm than good, and has been at the core of the child abuse issue that has been lighting of this board lately.

Also, at an elder's school I attended a few years back, we were reminded by the Society that we were not Mental Health practicioners. So even they have come to admit to some degree that elders are just not qualified to handle some issues.

The fact is, as you and most posters here know, when elders have gotten involved in such matters, the results are in many cases disasterous. So many people have been hurt because these men are simply noy equipped to handle such matters, and then when they attempt to do so, often leave the recipient of their counsel feeling bewildered, rejected, and at fault.

tdogg

Counsel and reproof did not save my aunt's life when she was severely depressed. She was even married to a former C.O. He was quite mature yet astonishingly could not cure her many psychological ailments. It does make you go hmmmmm.

Matty

DB, yes, a huge burden has fallen onto the elders while this stance is kept. I doubt if it will be changed.

1st September 1990 Watchtower
(From Depression to Happiness)
...The sister then told her how a knowledge of Bible truth had helped her. She had lost an 18-year-old daughter in death and had gone into a state of deep depression for eight years. Neither psychiatrists nor costly medications helped her to overcome this depression. Several times, she said, she was hospitalized, but no improvement resulted. Her household was taken care of by servants because she herself was not able to take care of anything. She tried to commit suicide because she had lost interest in life. Nothing seemed to help.
Then, she told the lady, one day Jehovah's Witnesses called and left her some Bible literature. That sparked her interest in God's Word, and she began to read the Bible all the way through. Something started to change within her. She began to get up in the morning and take an interest in her household. She finally decided to take care of the house by herself and found she was able to do so. It was as though she had never been sick! This made her feel very happy.
She did not return to the psychiatrist. Her will to live was stimulated by her knowledge of God's Word, and this proved to be the best medicine. She looked for Jehovah's Witnesses, and they started a regular study with her. She also began to attend meetings, and very soon she got baptized. No longer bothered with depression, she now finds joy in serving Jehovah.

Such articles fill poor folk with hope, as if finding the "truth" is a cure-all.

TheStar

Oh my gosh! When I was at one of the worst times in my life and needed some comfort and guidance from an elder he told me my life was bad because I wasn't doing Jehovah's will, it was evident by my field service report he said.

I had enough stress trying to find time to do everything I needed to do but Yeah more field service hours that's the ticket... that will fix everything! [8>]

Fire comes out of my ears just thinking about that elder.

singsongboi

in near 40 years of being a jdub(ious), i don't think i saw the elders 'fix' anyone's depression - as others above have pointed out, maybe the reverse (made it worse).

one sad case springs into my mind.....

a young man (about 20) in our congregation was hospitalised.. i went to see him and i found out from his parents (who were considered 'weak' - (doan u love that term) that his hospitalisation was the result of a suicide attempt... he had swallowed some pills or the other....

more... this was his second attempt! i was concerned that he may try again and succeed.

i spoke to the other elders, and it was decided i should counsel him on the ;sin of suicide....

i did ... but as the words came out of my mouth i knew that i was making a mistake....

this guy really needed proffesional help -- if i remember rightly, the hospital offered, but his parents (like good dubs- even if they were weak) - could not say yes to 'worldly' counselling..

Yes! he did try again, 3 months later - a .303 rifle in his mouth.. so sure this time...!!!

aaahh! yes! worldy wisdom would not have helped would it ???... but neither did divine wisdom!!!... in fact, outside of myself, i don't think anyone in the congregation was really interested in this guy, who existed in that half world of neither fully in or fully out.. (that's his own fault, right???)

oooh! yeah! his book study conductor did not go and see him, but loves being on dfing cases!!!!

Depressed or suicidal? Do NOT call a doctor!

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