Why so much mental illness among JW's?

by cherjcd 41 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  outoftheorg

  Why so much mental illness in jw's.

  Several years ago my next to oldest son asked me why things were as they were in his childhood. I did not at that time have the knowledge I do now on this subject. So he and I talked and as I listened to him and myself it occured to me that what he was describing sounded insane, it also sounded insane to me.

  We talked for a time and left it off there. I pondered this for some time and then I wrote him a letter to try and describe all the causes I felt influenced the family and me at that time in his life. I knew that this would not satisfy him because it did not satisfy me. It did not really explain the situation.

  In the last paragraph of my letter I made one last attempt to give him a logical explanation. It just flowed out of my brain to the keyboard, that "I think there was a level of insanity involved"

  I recently listened to a presentation from a Mr.Penton? "I think that was the name" a psychiatrist. He described all the mental problems caused by the jw cult. Distortion of the ego-the need and lack of true friends- and labeled the results as a form of insanity. So I assume that somewhere in my subconscious I knew this all along.

  My problem now is. Do I contact my son and reaffirm this? Or do I let it be unless he brings it up again?

  Outoftheorg
• 

  kenpodragon

  I have no mental illness and neither does the rest of me. ;)
• 

  Faraon

  FARAON, If you equate giving up your freedom to think with having mental problems,are you saying that ALL JW's have mental problems?

  In a NUTshell, yes.

  They live in a fantasy world. They know they have been lied to, and still cling to their organization.

  They separate themselves from the REAL world and cannot relate to others.

  They are willing to die and let others, including their close relatives, die without deeply investigating the blood issue. That means they are willingly giving the power of life and death over themselves to other men. If they really don't believe in eating blood they should be vegetarians. For a long time they banned vaccines, which have less blood than that in a steak!

  They shun the very people who gave them life or gave life to, shutting down their own natural love feelings because they are under the power of an ever changing doctrinal policies of a publishing company.

  They refuse to listen to other points of view when they are contrary to their mother organization, yet they expect people from other organizations to listen to them.

  I could go on and on, but I think this will suffice for now.

  Kenpondragon,

  I have no mental illness and neither does the rest of me. ;)

  Then how come all of you are plotting to kill me?
• 

  hurt

  It may be true that the JW religion attracts those with 'problems' (we all have them!) int he first place. It may be true. But I have also found quite a great number of mentally healthy, emotionally sound, and intellectually okay people being attracted to the JW religion. If the JW religion attracts a disproportionate number of emotionally challenged people, there are probably no numbers to prove that. Or are there? But one thing seems to be clear: people experience a change with their JW experience, it is like a slow death, a change so subtle that it goes unnoticed until it has reched its fullest potential. Most JWs gradually withdraw from the rest of the world, their seclusion becomes a shield for others recognizing the problems. When the problems are recognized, people are quick to attribute it to just the religion; there's a more profound rot going on on the inside.

  Until they tear themselves away from the meetings, field service, do-more-all-the-time routine, they'll never see the light. A first step will be the recognition that they might have a problem. They don't see it. Many who left didn't either. Until they left.
• 

  MikeMusto

  did he say wire rim classes were banned at one time?

  has anyone heard of this in their own cong?
• 

  minimus

  Mental problems is not the same as mental illness.
• 

  mamashel

  I know from personal experience, that i have had depression, anxiety, fear and every other emotion that you could possibly go through after leaving. It is from all the things beat into your head, and the mental confusion that you are doing the wrong thing by leaving or not conforming to their way of life that you are doing some deadly wrong thing that can cause you to feel like you are crazy. I have known many people that felt like they were loosing it in the beginning when they left, but the majority of them, like myself, have never been happier.

  shelley
• 

  MikeMusto

  Hi all,

  I am pretty critical of the Society myself. But this cat called Jerry Bergan cant be taken seriously,

  He certainly has some good points, by listenting to this my scholarly conclusion is that this guy

  exaggerates a bit to much and tries to pass it off as input from expert and certain experiences as a quality of

  all witnesses..silly....
• 

  DJ

  Hi Outoftheorg,

  I can't see any reason why you wouldn't want to talk with your son about it. I think he'd welcome your love and concern. I think that it would be a tremendous help to talk with you about it again, especially since you never felt quite right about the way it was left. Yes, go hug your son and tell him it's ok and you undestand and that the WT is an insane cult who attacks the minds of innocent children. Let him know that he probably he be completely different (healthy-minded) if it wasn't for them.

  All I know is that if I raised my children in this cult.......I would beg for their forgiveness. luv, dj
• 

  outoftheorg

  Thanks for your reply.-DJ

  I was not quite clear in my post. Although my sons being raised in the jw cult has undoubtably had negative effects on him, when I referred to the crazyness or insanity, it was on the part of me and his step mother, not him.

  When I was in the cult it caused in me a lot of confusion and anger. The conflict between what I inherently knew at one mental level was correct and the imposed behavior from the wbts being exercised at another mental level caused a lot of confusion and conflict in the family. This one son was the "identified" problem and recieved discipline in the form of abuse. When in fact he was not in any way "the problem". I and his step mother along with the wbts was the problem.

  This has been very hard to admit to myself let alone others. I see on this thread that it is difficult for others to address this problem also. Until we acknowledge out own actions it is almost impossible to attain a level of mental health and get on with a happy life. Since I left the borg I see in myself, a great change from a strict dominering man "father" to a more accepting loving person that recognizes he is also in need of acceptance and love. We only get that from others and our family if we are willing to give it to them.

  I have apologized to all my children and especially to this one son. But all the apologies in the world can not erase the pain and bitterness that I see in this son. I expect to take the grief and shame over this to my grave.

  Outoftheorg

  Edited by - outoftheorg on 16 September 2002 13:10:35