Suicide Prevention Counseling

by MrCellophane 18 Replies latest watchtower medical

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  umbertoecho

  I can. An elders daughter is supposed to be bi polar...Lucky her, she has two ways of being....Not to digress..........In the late 1990s suddenly, embracingly, the society in Australia started to change their views on psychiatry. There was so much going against the society for it's prior stand againts such help, that here in this country, there had to be a change. Suddenly, from the Head Quarters and endorsed by the GB there were
  " sudden changes" in attitudes toward those who would need psychiatric help. It took a few suicides to achieve this.....I know for a clear fact though, that as recent as last year, the unofficial response is still a secret "negative'. Interestingly, I found out that a lot of women worked in the counselling industry..This was highly disturbing to me. These people could scroll through records and whatever.....

  The official public view is that young ones and old ones are being put under pressure by Satan's system. Therefore you can medicate up to the eyeballs if you want...but, the atmosphere surrounding those who do such things is somewhat suspicious...This is from personal experiences with a 28 year old who only wanted to have her babies and fulfill a great need in her....
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  MrCellophane

  Thank you all for your comments, insights, counsel and references. Thank you Defender-of-the-truth for the video link. Since JWs are reported to have a higher than average incidence of suicides, you'd think that the matter would receive weightier consideration by the Society. Very sad and, in itself, depressing.
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  steve2

  Since JWs are reported to have a higher than average incidence of suicides, you'd think that the matter would receive weightier consideration by the Society.

  Be aware that there is little sound research to back up your assertion, despite lots being written about it. Jerry Bergman's work in this area is highly anecdotal and in my view simplistic in its view of causal factors.

  The topic of religiosity and suicidality is a tricky one. Having worked in the mental health field for a number of years, I would say that no religious group can escape the conclusion that there is an uneasy correlation between religiosity and mental health disorders, including suicidality.
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  adjusted knowledge

  If suicidal

  1 Attend Meeting

  2 More Field Service

  3 Donate

  Repeat for all other issues
  
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  LisaRose

  This is a subject near to my heart. I knew quite a few JWs who committed suicide, my own daughter attempted twice.

  I agree with Steve that it's impossible to know for a fact if the JWs have a higher suicide rate, but I think I can say from experience that their teachings and practices are often not helpful to those going through mental health issues. I can't blame the religion for my daughter's issues entirely, she probably would have had some issues no matter what religion she belonged to. But I also think it did contribute to her problems. I feel we were lucky to have made it through those years alive.

  The religion engages in black and white thinking, they use guilt to manipulate people and their shunning practices are harsh. The elders might mean well, but seeing everything as a spiritual issue is not helpful to people who are suffering from depression. They are trained to determine repentance when dealing with issues of sin, when someone having mental issues might not express repentance in the way they expect, or might be too depressed to say what the elders want to hear. Some people take things to heart more than others, being disfellowshipped might be the end of the world to them, especially if they lose their entire support system because of it.

  Someone who is a minister or counselor in a church would be expected to have a four year degree and advanced training or go to seminary, because it's important to know how to talk to those undergoing problems, the last thing you want to do is make The situation worse. The Watchtower is more interested in determining guilt and getting rid of those they deem unrepentant, they don't really seem can concerned about the impact this has on the individual.
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  Rebecca 619

  When my son was dfd a few years ago , he was so depressed , as it was he was still dealing with the judicial committee asking him all kinds of questions , my son is gay, he had just turned 18, been in the same cong.since he was 4, most of the elders saw him grow up, one night he was so down he called suicide hot line , I said to myself I'm going to let this elder know, he was always very nice and loving but I don't know, I cried at kh so helpless pleading with him if he can come over not as an elder but a friend , (my son liked him too because he was good friends with his kids) he never came , or followed up with me or anything , I was soo sad I spoke to my Dr about my son she said if there was a pastor at my church that can guide him if she only knew,to make a long story short the love and support I received was here my dear friends I met wonderful people who had struggled and are doing better, their advice, love compassion to someone they never met, my son is doing better now he still some bad days but I remind him Jehovahs loves him and He has the final say not the elders.
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  Aprostate Exam

  I am looking for charts or any statistical study done to prove that suicide within the JW's is high comparatively to other groups. Has anyone done this statistical analysis? It would really come in handy during conversation. Does anyone have a Megastat for this? Thx

  One of my childhood friends became very suicidal after he got DF'd. I kept on talking to him. I was always getting pulled into the back room (cuartito) to tell me to stop talking to DF'd folks. I was adamant in treating all people fairly. I don't know how I didn't get in more trouble for contesting sh#t, but hell, I always pissed them elders off anyway. I hate self-righteous crap.......
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  DwainBowman

  Back when I tried to do it. None of the so called elders really even want to listen to my concerns, all they want was for me to go pick up the long since x-monster, that drove me to that point and bring her home! At the time I was still so suicidal, I hardly ever slept at home. Some close friends gave me their door key, and many nights I slept on the couch in their living room! It's been nearly twenty years since then, and I can't tell you how often, the suicidal thought's wash over me, driving home in the pouring rain today, the thought of just running off the road and hitting a bridge, just kept popping into my mind. Sadly I truly wish, I had made it back when I tried! I feel so useless, and am just so tried of everything!

  I am still stuck pretending to be a good little pee-on, I would NEVER EVER talk to a so called elder, about how I feel inside, or anything else for that matter!!!!

  Dwain
  
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  steve2

  Apostrate Exam, it is notoriously difficult to establish the prevalence of mental health disorders in a specified religious group for a number of reasons. The main ones include genetic predispositions towards specified disorders, whether born in or joined later in life, which mental health disorders are you referring to? Mood disorders? Anxiety Disorders? Psychotic Disorders etc?

  Even if there is a correlation between identifying as a Witness and having a formally disgnosed disorder, it does not settle the question of causality. People who are already suffering from mental health disorders may be more inclined to find the prospect of God bringing an end to wickedness and suffering very appealing and subsequently study and get baptized. Moreover, the stress of belonging to a religious organization that is treated unfairly by one's wider secular community may leave the individual susceptible to an Anxiety or Mood Disorder.

  Moreover, no religious group is free from members who have mental health issues - the interesting question is around whether a particular religious group's practices increase the likelihood that vulnerable individuals will either develop disorders or experience relapse. My educated guess is in line with much of what Lisa Rose posted.

  In the kind of work I do, I have observed that people of all religious persuasions and non-religious outlooks can experience mental health difficulties. It would be unjudtified to propose that Witnesses' overall mental health is worse than that found in other religious group.