M.E illness amongst jehovahs witnesses? (page 3)

ISP

LOL.....there were loads in our cong with 'M.E'......It was known by one of the GPs as the Witness disease!

ISP

minimus

BALLISTIC, I typed onto google search Alzheimer's brain. It said that only an autopsy verifies the diease.(by looking at the brain).

ballistic

thanks minimus, I appreciate you looking into this.

Scully

ballistic:

I apologize if I offended you with my "in vogue" remark. It was not meant to diminish your suffering.

If I may explain myself: I had severe postpartum depression following the birth of my youngest child, and I can still remember the overwhelming fatigue, completely "blah" feeling that greeted me every morning when I woke up. I can remember the feeling that it would be better for everyone if I just went to sleep and never woke up again. Yet, the people who should have been supportive and loving toward me - which, incidentally, would have hastened my recovery - made snide remarks, treated me as though I was demon-possessed, and told me to my face that I was "looking for attention" and using a "pretend" illness as a "crutch" to get out of my responsibilities as a JW. At the same time, there were people in the congregation who had CFS/ME and fibromyalgia, who were treated with the utmost courtesy, given love and support while I was left flailing like a torn sail.

The fatigue and weariness of depression are no less debilitating than people who are diagnosed with CFS. However, physical ailments are generally more readily accepted and their sufferers better supported by JWs than people who have mental illnesses, despite the fact that in many cases the pharmaceutical treatments are the same: antidepressants. Hence, the "in vogue" remark.

Again, I apologize for any offense. I hope I've clarified what I was trying to convey.

Love, Scully

freedom96

Lets not forget how tiring and stressful it can be doing things you don't want to do. Going to those meetings, pretending we loved being there, and all the duties of a good witness. That without question can affect people mentally. Whatever anyone wants to call it, it cannot be a healthy enviorment if ones body knows that it isn't right, and it is physically affecting the body. Of course there will be people who allow it to affect them more than perhaps others. I managed to go for years, though I did not like it at all. However, there are others I know who ultimately physically could not go.

Big Tex

In my limited circle of friends, my wife and I know of two people who are on anti-depressants (they are still active JWs) JUST to make it to the meetings. We know of two others who have had a nervous breakdown. Then there are at least dozen (or more) that we know who have struggled with depression and/or sought counseling. I guess I missed the part in Exodus where Moses took his Prozac in order to handle his meeting with God to get those 10 commandmants.

"Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am mild-tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls. For my yoke is kindly and my load is light." -- Mt. 11:28-30.

Mimilly

Ok, this thread rattled me.

metatron - multiple personalities aka multiple personality disorder aka disociative identity disorder is NOT a malady nor can be it be contracted in adulthood (i know - you didn't say that last part) It is also NOT your body's way of saying 'Stop!'. It is a survival mechanism from early and sustained childhood abuse.

m.e. / chronic fatigue and pain / fibromyalgia is NOT more common in JWs than the population. (one poster suggested) This is a ridiculas assumption and nothing more. I ended up with these conditions after a severe case of mono - well after I was out of the borg. I've no doubt many dubs have it. There are more non-dubs than dubs so I fail to see a connection to the borg on this one.

I find the way this non-fatal yet life altering to the point of severe disabling condition is being treated in this thread critically lacking in knowledge and research AND compassion for the reality of it.

They are looking into possible enviornmental/stress/nervous system explanations for the condition.

And if 'you' were in pain and unable to get dressed without needing sleep nearly 24/7, you would get depressed and need antidepressants as well. Then you get people who think you're faking or just plain lazy or a drug addict etc. It's a nasty blow to one's self esteem on top of everything else.

Mimilly - who has been diagnosed by the proper specialists, deals with this daily now (it ruined my medical career), and has done extensive reading on because I have to work my life around IT.

Edited by - Mimilly on 26 August 2002 23:28:39

WildHorses

The woman who conducted my Bible study also claimed to have M.E.

Mulan

Mimilly is right. The virus that causes Mononucleosis is Epstein Barr. I had mono in high school in the early 60's. In the early 90's I was sick all the time, trying to pioneer, and finally went to the doctor, something I rarely do. He ran a huge battery of tests on me, heart, diabetes, and more. When I went back for the results he explained to me about Epstein Barr and how it stays in your body, forever, after an outbreak of mono, and can reactivate during stressful times, or other illnesses. The reactivation was being called CFS or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, or Epstein Barr disease, or Yuppie Flu. By the way YUPPIE was an acronym for "Young Urban Professional something something something". My Epstein Barr was active, and rising, so I was getting worse. He gave me anti depressants, but said it really had to just go away, and there were no drugs he could give me to help that to happen. He recommened I eliminate the stress in my life................yeah, right. I was an elder's wife, attending 5 meetings a week, I was a regular pioneer, with several Bible studies and we had a young son at home. My mother in law had a serious heart condition and was dying. They needed my help at their home, so I drove 40 miles one day, every week to help them too. Eliminate stress?

The anti depressants elevated my moods, but I gained an awful lot of weight, which made me very unhappy. He wouldn't renew the prescription after 3 months, so I started looking for alternatives to help me. That got me into herbs and other things. That worked! I have been free of this awful disease for about 8 years now. I had to boost my immune system to suppress the virus. I learned a lot about how the body works and what mine needed to get well.

It is insulting to me and everyone who is afflicted with it, for someone to say it isn't a real disease or that it's "put on" to get out of things. I didn't want to get out of anything..............but I was very ill, and so tired I couldn't sleep. Terrible insomnia, fevers, and sore throats, and I had swollen lymph glands all over my body. My legs hurt so bad I couldn't go up and down the stairs to do the laundry without crying. I cooked dinner sitting on a stool, with my head on my arms on the counter, many times.

Not all chronic fatigue syndrome is caused by Epstein Barr, but mine was.

Edited by - mulan on 27 August 2002 0:18:26

M.E illness amongst jehovahs witnesses?

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