((( Sentinel)))
You are exactly right in all your thoughts and I hope that you will find the relief you need. Professional help is vital for many and it is not a weakness to go for it!
Wishing the best for you -
4JWY
JW Mental Health
by Evesapple 25 Replies latest jw experiences
-
-
sf
evesapple,
Here is another thread on this topic from back in April:
-
Jerry Bergman
For about the 100th time, Bergman is not very credible.
Pure name calling lacking evidence?
His degree has nothing to do with psychology or psychiatryAn absolute lie. I have 3 degrees in this area (and a total of 9 degrees) and many years experience working for various psychological clinics.
and he's been thrown out of the expert witness business .
Also not true. I am frequently called by attorneys to testify. I will no longer testify, though, because I am tired of death threats and related problems. If anyone wants to testify in court, good luck.
You can take a hike 4JWY. I don't need your permission to comment, Bergman is an obsessed little jerk .
Why such hatred? You have never even met me!
-
Jerry Bergman
Of interest:
Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness
by Jerry BergmanAvailability: Usually ships within 1-2 business days
1 used & new from $24.95
Edition: PaperbackSee more product details Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
Based on 9 reviews.
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.Show:
Note: When sorting by newest reviews first, Spotlight Reviews will be displayed before regular reviews. 1-9 of 93 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Must Reading, January 21, 2004
This book was written when Dr. Bergman was an active Jehovah Witness in order to help those Witnesses who became mentally ill or developed emotional problems (no small number). As he mentioned in the book, when he worked at Arlington Psychological Associates and other clinics as a therapist he noted that many people reared as Witnesses had emotional problems. From his clinical experience he spent many years trying to understand why and what could be done to help these people. The result was this book. Nowhere in this book does Dr. Bergman claim that being a certain faith, like Jehovah's Witnesses, causes mental illness, but only that certain beliefs and practices can influence the development of mental problems. If the environment has nothing to do with mental illness or emotional health, why should we bother to rear our children in a certain way? Just ignore them and, if they will go bad, they will regardless of what we do anyway. We all recognize that the environment has a profound effect on the child and try to insure that the child has the best up bringing possible. This book tries to look at the environment of the Witnesses and determine some of the reasons why so many develop emotional problems. Also, the author never even implies that because someone is one of Jehovah's Witnesses that they are mentally ill. It was written to help unhappy Witnesses and is must reading for the troubled Witness.Reviewer: A reader from Ann Arbor
Was this review helpful to you?3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Prozac Congregations, December 20, 2003
All JW's should do a survey in their congregations and see how many of the friends are on medication for any type of mental/emotional difficulties including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, social anxiety, schizophrenia, manic depression etc. Then, open your eyes to the reasons that so many are afflicted - these reasons are spelled out in Jerry Bergman's book. Although he is somewhat repetitive in his findings and thoughts, (he learned that in his years as a JW - "Repetition for Emphasis")... he clearly has an accurate understanding of the problems people face as JW's. With suicide in my JW family, due to "failed missions", ie: not being able to convert the world, or even 1 person in one's lifetime, and living under the mind and thought control for over 40 years with emphasis on the death and destruction of all who don't agree with your thoughts - finding this book has been a monumental aid in helping my family understand just what is going on within this organization. If JW's are not currently "mentally ill" - they are well on the way. The religion also can cause one to mimic symptoms of mental illness and somatic illnesses. This book is another of the "read it if you dare to be enlightened" books out there.Reviewer: A reader from United States
A sister suffering from severe depression and anxiety admitted herself to the mental ward - we visited her and she encouraged us to "run" from a certain congregation - her next words were that we should come to her NEW congregation where "EVERYONE is on meds,EVEN the elders!" At this point in time she hadn't realized the connection between BEING in the mental ward, and WHAT PUT HER THERE! May she find Jerry Bergman's book and RUN with it right out of the organization as we did!
Was this review helpful to you?6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
MOST SCHOLARLY BOOK AVAILABLE ON JW PSYCHOLOGY, August 5, 2003
Dr. Jerry Bergman currently holds seven college/university degrees, including two Ph.D.s, in Human Biology and in Evaluation & Research. He is now working on a third Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. Bergman has earned two Masters degrees, in Psychology and in Sociology. His undergraduate degrees are in Psychology. Dr. Bergman is now a Professor of Science at Northwest College in Ohio. He has authored or co-authored over forty books and textbooks, monographs and book chapters, has published over 400 articles in professional journals and other publications. He has served as a consultant for over 20 science textbooks. His work has been published in six languages. Dr. Bergman has presented over 100 scientific papers at professional and other meetings in the United States, Canada and Europe. He has been a featured speaker on many college campuses throughout the United States and Europe, and his research has made the front page in newspapers throughout the country. He is a frequent guest on radio and television programs. He has been featured by the Paul Harvey Show several times, and has been discussed by David Brinkley and other nationally known commentators on national television. His other work experience includes over 10 years experience at various Mental Health/Psychology clinics as a licensed professional clinical counselor and three years full time corrections research for a large county circuit court in Michigan and inside the walls of Jackson Prison, the largest walled prison in the world. He has also served as a consultant for CBS News, ABC News, Reader's Digest, Amnesty International, several government agencies and for two Nobel Prize winners. In the past decade he has consulted or has testified as an expert witness or consultant in almost 100 court cases. A Fellow of the American Scientific Association, member of The National Association for the Advancement of Science, member of MENSA, and many other professional associations, he is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the Midwest and in Who's Who in Science and Religion. In my opinion, this book is one of the MOST INFORMATIVE BOOKS AVAILABLE ABOUT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES AND THE WATCHTOWER SOCIETY. Unfortunately, some Jehovah's Witnesses and even some former Jehovah's Witnesses have joined hands to slander and defame Dr. Bergman and his work due to his Christian (particularly Creationist) beliefs.The following is excerpted from this book's "Preface", which itself was authored by Dr. Carl Thornton, Ph.D. (Doctor of Psychology), who, like the book's author, was also reared in the Jehovah's Witnesses faith: "I have observed among J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s a relentless striving to reach an impossible, "perfect" standard of performance. This often leads to a sense of lowered self-worth ... . It also can lead to psychosomatic illness, a breakdown of the body's resistance to illness, and even premature death. The sense of guilt, ..., the threat of eminent doom ..., result in continual pushing of oneself beyond normal limits. These factors all combine to produce illnesses such as ulcers, migraine headaches, heart attacks, and various and sundry other health problems. ... "Another problem that I believe may be very significant among J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s is that of chronic depression and suicide. ... J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s have a strong inclination, too, towards self-doubt and self-blame, the basic ingredients for depression. When one takes a rather fragile ego structure and adds the devastating effects of J[ehovah's] W[itness] disfellowshipping, which includes a total shunning by all friends and relatives, the results are often more than most people can withstand. I suspect that the incidence of suicide is very high among J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s. Hopefully, Dr. Bergman's book will create an awareness of this significant social problem. ... "He (Bergman) stresses more the environmental impact of the J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s culture in precipitating mental problems. ... "Dr. Bergman and I share the hope that his extensive research, analysis, and recommendations can serve several useful purposes. It can provide the helping profession with an improved understanding of their J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s and ex- (former) J[ehovah's] W[itnesse]s clients, and therefore allow them to develop a better treatment program. ... ."Some of the 16 Chapters include: "The Rate of Mental Illness Among Jehovah's Witnesses" "Factors Influencing the High Mental Illness Rate" "The Disfellowshipping Problem and the Elders" "Elders as Therapists" "Life As a Witness" "The Problem of Suicide" "The Witness Family" "Witnesses and Crime" "Do Watchtower Beliefs Attract People with Psychological Problems?"Reviewer: A reader
Was this review helpful to you?1 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
This is a great piece religious and psychological nonsense, August 31, 2002 Reviewer: Michelle Sutherland from Clintondale, New York United States I love to read, and I am very open minded about very many subjects including the one of religion. I ran across this book at my library and it seemed insteresting. Thats where the interesting part ends. This person is obviously carrying on some vendetta against this religious organization. It is truly sad that anyone is responsibly allowing this author to print this sloppy redundant psychological piece of work if you can call it that. The only redeeming quality to this book is that it allowed me a chance to catch up with my sleep.
Was this review helpful to you?9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
Vital information!, February 16, 2002 Reviewer: Diane Wilson from USA Jehovah's Witnesses have been thoroughly indoctrinated to believe they are the happiest people on Earth. Thus, when confronted with research that points to mental health problems among them, the Witnesses typically refuse to acknowledge the validity of this information. They are in denial. To be otherwise would cause their world to crumble.
I was a one of Jehovah's Witnesses for 25 years. In my new book, "Awakening of a Jehovah's Witness: Escape From the Watchtower Society", I expose the havoc the Watchtower Society's teachings cause in Witnesses lives. I have personally known Witnesses who, out of fear of dying at God's hands, drove themselves mercilessly into a mental breakdown trying to obey the dictates of the Watchtower Society. I once knew a Witness woman who denied herself time for personal grooming because of guilt about taking time away from serving Jehovah to care for such matters. In their fervor, many Witnesses become mentally unbalanced.
In "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Problem of Mental Illness", Jerry Bergman does an excellent job of presenting how specific Watchtower teachings contribute to mental problems in Jehovah's Witnesses, and how the Witnesses' belief system can cause mental problems for them while living in a society that operates under different premises. Dr. Bergman is to be commended for speaking out in this important arena that few have the courage to take on.
Was this review helpful to you?7 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
How dare he!!, September 28, 2000 Reviewer: A reader from United States I ran across this book by pure coincidence. What kind of audacity this author must have to assume that just because someone is a Jehovah's Witness that he or she is mentally ill!! Mental illness strikes people of all races, cultural, economical, AND RELIGIOUS backgrounds. As a Jehovah's Witness myself, I can attest to the fact that I AM NOT, REPEAT, AM NOT mentally ill. I am mentally sound and feel confident that I have made the right decision in choosing to become a Witness. The author of this atrocious publication should tuck his tail between his legs and head back to the writing table.
Was this review helpful to you?11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
This is something people need to know!, September 7, 2000 Reviewer: A reader from USA Studies have been done to prove that the mental stress put on Jehovah's Winesses cause illnesses such as anxiety and depression, just to name a few. Why could it be so hard to believe? They teach you to be paranoid about everyone around you. They tell you not to trust anyone because they might lead you astray from the society when in fact they are afraid that people will learn the truth about everything that they've tried so hard to hide and keep secret. They use guilt and fear to control people. This book tells the truth and should be read with an open mind and some common sense before assuming what you have never been a part of, never experienced, and never researched above and beyond the bounderies of what you've been taught.
Was this review helpful to you?7 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
Wow, how sad!, August 8, 2000 Reviewer: A reader from Brooklyn, NY Very sad that the author thinks that because someone is one of Jehovah's Witnesses that they are mentally ill. When someone has that much love for God and Jesus and neighbor they are not mentally ill. They are strong in faith.
Mentally ill is putting yourself as a religious leader, misleading the flock,having sex with all the women of the congregation, barricading yourselves against the FBI and killing everyone inside. That is mental illness.
Was this review helpful to you?6 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
Total misguidence!, May 22, 2000 Reviewer: A reader from new York I read your book and I cannot help but disagree entirely of how being of a certain faith, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, can cause any mental illness. I was laughing in disbelief. I think you should wright about possitive things and not twist things around so as to make something you personally detest, bad.
-
Brummie
I'd highly recommend Bergmans audio tape and book on the subject, they helped many people I know,
Brummie
-
Evesapple
Thanks so much for info....I would very much like to read what you have wrote.
Based on 9 reviews. 
Must Reading, January 21, 2004 
Prozac Congregations, December 20, 2003 
This is a great piece religious and psychological nonsense, August 31, 2002