Mental illness forget the statistics count who you

by rekless 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  rekless

  Satistics can be flexed to represent anything you want.

  Personally I know of out of a congregation of 89

  my daughter & son in law who is an elder, three elders wives , publishers 4

  another daughter that refused to accept the witness life style.

  My wife just before she died had to be on prozac

  I know of at least three more that was in our sister congregation that was taking prozac.

  So just everybody just count and you will be closed to reality than many surveys.

  lets do it!!!!

  I know of 11 out of 89 which is .12359% 12.36 percent just in one cong.
• 

  Imbue

  rekless: My department has 20 employees and at least 7 of them have taken antidepressants at one time or another. That's about 28% of the people I work with that have taken these medications. Physicians are prescribing antidepressants more readily these days without a psych eval. bytheway... none of these people have ever been Dubs.
• 

  Lady Lee

  My problem with this is that there is no operational definition of mental illness.

  • People who take medications?
  • People who need meds but won't go to the dr.?
  • People who need meds but have been diagnosed but refuse to take their meds?
  • People whose behavior we define as odd/unacceptable?

  I was depressed the whole time I was a JW. No one knew. I never went to a Dr. I was never prescribed medication. But I was so sick and hid it very well. People were shocked when I told them after 20 years of knowing some of them.
• 

  bikerchic

  Geeze, lets take a poll of how many suffer from shingles, incontenance, diabetes or name your infirment. Yeah it's true that a lot of people in today's world suffer from mental illness but no more than many other illness......I just feel bad for those who are looking for the "New Order" to take care of all their pain, what a crock of crap that is! Almost as bad as believing that there is a "loving gawd" that cares for you!

  This isn't a nice poll, mental illness isn't a nice desease and no one who suffers from it would wish it on their worste enemy.

  humpt!

  bc
• 

  rekless

  if you want to take a a survey of shingles take them...all I can go by are the ones I know that talked

  to my family and was diagnosed with depression... I am not making fun of any body... what I am saying is this ...if this is suppose to be the spiritual paridise that it is claimed to be then why in the hell do so many JW as the other post below me is highlighting can't deal with paradise.

  I spent 35 years in the organization and dealt with those that was taking prozac because they could not handle the pressure of the "truth," and it has taken the body of elders also. So don't come off so hoilier than thou with me.

  All I said was count the brothers and sisters that had to take any depressants to make it through the spiritual paradise, Hell, I had a son that died of leukimea and a wife that just passed away so don't act like I'm trying to belittle any one. This is all while I was a witness .

  Most of you asses have belittle the witnesses far more than I have , all I am doing is stating a fact.

  If you have been given an anti-depressant and you are in the "truth" then maybe you need to examine the "truth" it may be the depressant that you need to get rid of.
• 

  rekless

  hey dude or dudette, look I'm only talking about witness that you know. The witness are talking about a wonderful spiritual paradise all I'm am suggesting is count the bro and sisters that are using that excuse not to go in service and meeting and are depressed because of all the bs that they have to put up with.
• 

  Golden Girl

  Well...I was a witness for 25 years and I never heard of prozac. BUT! I know a lot of "sisters" took nerve pills or diet pills!(Diet pills helped them Spring Clean...)

  The only time my Dr would give me a anti-depressant was when I quit smoking. He gave me Wellbutrim. It worked...He only gave it to me for 3 months. After I quit smoking he said..OK no more of them..I Looked sad!:( Almost started smoking again!

  Hey...I said "Almost"

  Now when I get depressed..I yell at hubby! Or on these boards.

  Sometimes it works!

  Golden Girl....

  Edited by - Golden Girl on 8 August 2002 1:41:53
• 

  BeautifulGarbage

  Hey Rekless,

  I can only compare my witness family with my nonwitness family. Especially my on Mom's side. HER mother had schizophrenia. She had five kids. She raised them all as witnesses. Two are still active JWs. Now, I will say that BOTH sides have struggled with emotional issues. Now they had kids (my generation) and the JW side is LOADED with bipolar disorder, depression, and fibromylagia (sp?). My aunt, a zealot JW in her 60s, has started taking antidepressants. I feel bad for her. She retired, didn't save enough (New order was suppose to be here by now) and now has to go back to work.

  My Non JW side has had it's problems, believe me! but none of us are currently on meds for depression. Several of my JW relatives are.

  Now, this isn't to knock witnesses personally. But, for the most part, life of a JW is DEPRESSING! I used to say if it's fun, JWs can't do it. The constantly having to watch your back. People not wanting to hear your sales pitch. Lots of slammed doors slammed in your face. The isolation. Never able to live up to expectations. Expectantly waiting for most of the worlds population to die. For the women, have to show submission to A BOY.

  And that is only to name a few.

  Now, why would that depress anyone?!

  Andee

  Edited by - BeautifulGarbage on 8 August 2002 1:55:40
• 

  Dizzy Cat

  rekless

  From my own experience a few years back:

  I suffered with OCD & depression when I entered the truth and I ended up mixing with two brothers in the same cong' who both had "mental health issues". Outside of my imediate circle, there were at least 3 others in the same cong' who had severe problems with their health. Depression / anxiety & insomnia.

  I would say, hand-on-heart, that the "truth" was of no help whatsoever for me personally. When I became aware of Christian values and searched for the true God, I was full of love and understanding for my fellow man. This in a way helped to start lifting my negativity and the general fears that were crippling my life, I saw life through different eyes (more positive eyes). I was happy to read the *Plain Truth* magazine and look into the Bible for myself and transorm my attitude towards others and put in place moral standards.

  I eventually sort out JWs who I felt had a good understanding of the Bible and displayed a sound attitude by preaching their faith in earnest to others. So, I got involved with the org' ...

  After studying for a while my vision of Christ & truth began to twist slowly, but surely. I started to see the world full of hidden dangers, full of demons and overlooked by a vengeful God of war. The world became dark again and my mentality latched on to this darkness. Afterall I was accustomed due to depression to seeing life through a darkened veil. The society slapped this veil over my head and my vision became surreal and I would say now - TWISTED.

  Coupled with the guilt burden of having to go and knock doors and attend meetings and try and answer up and take the lead at groups and pressured to study every issue of the WT etc etc ..... well, this got too much for me.

  I believe that a combination of fear & guilt, that are constant factors in org' life, eventually take their toll on any man.

  I know that others who never had these health problems, after a while serving the org' ..... fell! I knew one sister (and still do) who had a breakdown and eventually DA'd herself. She was always the centre of attention in the cong' and took the lead. Eventually the pressure got too great and she snapped. It was amazing to see how the brothers walked away from her. I would have expected them to be banging on her door night and day to offer support. She had a couple of sisters chase after her, but the only real help they had to offer was - Jah will help you if you have faith & go out into the ministry, this will strengthen you. She is not bitter about this, but I feel that the body of the "truth" failed to see what was happening, before it was too late!

  The burden placed by the org' is crippling in many cases and to my way of thinking - wrong!

  Anyway rekless - there are many people in the world who suffer mental health problems (as you know), but I do believe that within the org' there are a vast quantity of brothers & sisters who are not properly cared for.

  Afterall, I was told by a sister (a respected sister) that to seek help outside the org' was to put my mind in Satan's hands. That was really useful ;o)

  / Diz

  Edited by - Dizzy Cat on 8 August 2002 6:43:21
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  Sirona

  Hi

  I think that if there are more instances of mental health problems within JWs than in general society then it is down to reasons such as:

  1. Jehovah's witnesses discourage individuals from seeking professional help. There have been many watchtower articles counselling people to avoid worldly psychologists.

  2. If a JW in desperation does seek outside help, or if they are forced to get help (whilst in hospital for instance) they will still demonstrate a profound mistrust of the professional who is attempting to help them. The professional is seen as "worldly" who will shipwreck their faith if they're not careful. How can someone recover mentally when they can't trust others?

  3. The environment within the JW religion is one that causes much stress and mental tension. JWs are pushed to "do more" when they might be at their limit. I saw one JW elder giving 150% for years, until eventually he cracked and got himself DF'd. I really think that his problem was that he was trying so hard to "do more" all the time he just burned out.

  Sirona