XJW's and Mental Health Disorders (page 3)

Sirius Dogma

Yeah, same here I was diagnosed with depression and ADD made two trips to the psych ward and have multiple suicide attempts under my belt. What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger. Thanks to the witnesses influence on my life I will be stronger and harder than diamonds before I die.

Actually last trip to the psych ward I starting reading ray franz's crisis of conscience and that really was a breakthrough for me, before that I never really put 2 and 2 together and realized the witness indoctrination and teachings were the root of my depression.

I strongly believe in freedom of religion or non-religion in my case, but thinking so many more children will go through what I already went through makes me so angry.

orangefatcat

Hooray SirisDogma.

And here is a big hug and squeeze from me to thee.

LoveOrangefatcat.

this is u know who

Eyebrow2

I do think that it is a religion that seems more accepting at first to those who may have mental illness already, or a predisposition to such.

I am NOT saying that no one could say that JW teachings and treatment do not cause problems, but I think that more often than not it just makes it worse, not necessarily is the only cause. Of course, the many decades of warning witnesses to stay away from mental health professionals does not help. Many are changing their thinking on that, but it still has a sigma. I think JWS with mental health issues born before the 1970s suffered a great deal. That people are NOT getting treatment because they think praying and talking to the elders cures all makes things soooo much worse

Elders, as a group, really do not understand mental illness at .all. It is a sad thing...

larc

I am very touched by the personal and heartfelt stories that people here have written. Have any of you read Jerry Bergman's book on the subject of JW's and Mental Illness? While I do disagree with some things he wrote, I think he brought an important subject to the fore front. I did a survey here once regarding mental health symptoms before and after leaving the religion. The symptoms were very high while a member, and the symptoms dropped dramaticly after leaving. I do hope that life does get better for all of you over time.

seattleniceguy

Certainly, there are mental disorders with genetic factors, but environment can definitely exacerbate these. And there are other disorders that are caused almost exclusively by environment. For example, people with character flaws (people who refuse to take proper responsibility for one's environment), neurotics (people who take responsibility for things that are either totally out of their control or which or not their responsibility), and character neurotics (people who do some of both) are products of certain environments.

I don't think it is outrageous to posit that a worldview like WTism would create many character neurotics. It builds fear and guilt in people about their standing with God, and the standing of their minor children and relatives. How about the concept of bloodguilt for not preaching enough? It makes people feel responsible for the salvation of the world. And on the character flaw side, it discourages people from taking responsibility for things that are truly in their control and proper, such as community involvement, local politics, etc, so that Witnesses constantly complain about the state of "the world" while never actually taking responsibility to change it.

SNG

Gordy

When after I had attempted suicide and admitted to a pyschiatric hospita in April 1996,later diagnosed as having "acute clinical depression". When the pyschiatrist found out I was a JW, his reaction was "Not another one" seems I was the fourth one since January. He said "What do they do to people so they end up here."

Sirona

I agree with seattleniceguy

and as I said in my first post on this thread, disorders such as bipolar and schizophrenia have a genetic basis, but this can be "brought on" by environmental factors.

That is why studies of monozygotic twins separated at birth show that one twin might develop schizophrenia and the other may not (despite being genetically identical). The one who did develop it had a more stressful environment in childhood.

So whilst you can't say "JW=mental illness" you CAN say that genetic predisposition plus JWism increases your chances of developing the symptoms of the illness.

Sirona

Hunyadi

Maybe it's just me, but the JW church leaves you screwed up in the head after you leave.

No. it is not you, friend. Leaving the org can be utterly devastating to your psyche. You are brainwashed and neurotic while inside to begin with, and when you try and break from the hallucination of the org there is tremendous conflict. Anti-depressants, for some, are a good idea for a while until you get through it. But you are not alone.

As a teen, I tried suicide and only one person ever came to see me and express concern. Everyone abandoned me. While under the influence of her mother and stepdad, my teen daughter attempted suicide too in recent years. The elders then sat her down and told her what she needed to do in order to contribute to the peace of the household. (vomits) Her mother and stepfather were blaming her for all that was wrong with their lives and marriage and it was killing her.

Keep going to therapy and keep talking about it because it helps.

Hunyadi

Yerusalyim

This is a topic of great interest to me as my wife is bipolar and suffers from a dissociative disorder as well.

Joysome said,

It sounds genetic. Depression is genetic it isn't something that is connected with the religion you are in. It's a disease. You can't catch a disease from religion.

I agree, you can't catch it from a religion, but some religions seem to attract those who suffer from MO more than others. I wish there were some stats (accurate) kept on the number of JW's who are on meds for mental health, and how many attempted suicides there are. From the anecdotal evidence I've seen, I'd say the rate is significantly higher than the general population.

I think the reason we see former dubs in counseling is because that support system is ripped out from under them with the DF/DA. Those with a strong support system outside the Borg fare better is my guess.

wednesday

I am bi-polar and so were several members of my family. This is most definitely genetic. But u know jws did at one time discourge meds and therapy.(and in some backward areas still do) also, when people with mental illness make mistakes(or screw up if u will) instead of being treated kindly and helped to get proper treatment, they are often DF them..Then u have a very sick person who isn't in treatment and is ripe for all sorts of things happening to them, including suicide.

The same holds true for persons who have problems with alochol, instead of helping them, they DF them.

This is a personal sore spot for me and I get very mad just thinking about the ignorant "cheese and cracker " men who are playing the role of psychiatrists, and psychologists to very sick people who need real help. When will they get a clue. They don't believe in faith healing (not offically anyhow) but with mental illness, it seems your faith is called into question.

XJW's and Mental Health Disorders

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