How Many JWs or ExJWs Have Some Type of Mental Problems?

minimus

Do you think they are more succeptible to illness than others??

Pole

Oh, you can't be serious........

*** Awake! 1960 March 8 p.27 ***
As a rule, for a Christian to go to a worldly psychiatrist is an admission of defeat, it amounts to 'going down to Egypt for help.' ?Isaiah 31:1.
Often when a Witness of Jehovah goes to a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist will try to persuade him that his troubles are caused by his religion, entirely overlooking the fact that the Christian witnesses of Jehovah are the best-oriented, happiest and most contented group of people on the face of the earth. They have the least need for psychiatrists. Also, more and more psychiatrists are resorting to hypnosis, which is a demonic form of worldly wisdom.

MelbaToast

I believe that having a mental illness makes one more succeptible to the WTBTS teaching....eg..."get to the emotionally weakest ones first"

My mother has been a JW since 72. She has since then been admitted twice to a hospital for suicidal, abusive thoughts (they told me she was on a vacation) I do also believe it is definately hereditary, sorry to say for me...She is unmedicated, and will not take pills because "they make you act different, like your someone else" I wish that she could see through her own lies.

My sister is also diagnosed wit PTSD and Bipolar Disorder and has been hospitalized several times.

Me, you couldnt get me to check myself in. Too many crazies out on the street for me to be locked up!

Melba of the "gimmie my prozac and xanax" class

minimus

That 1960 gem is something mental health professionals show see when treating a JW or ex.

Lady Lee

Do you think they are more succeptible to illness than others??

Yup Those with problems are more at risk of getting trapped but I think the JW lifestyle creates a lot of problems too, mostly stress-related. if you add in the psychosomatic health problems I think the numbers skyrocket. As a mental health professional who looks back to the people I knew, there weren't very many in our cong that were not affected negatively in some form.

christopherrobin

The ratio is much higher--especially for married women w/ kids.

The repression of feminine presence and the overall control methods of the organization affect and worsen any predisposition towards depression and mental problems.

That--and the fact that if you have a problem, you are told

1.go in service more.

2.pray more

3.don't miss meetings

4.don't get professional help--they are agents of this system---hey, if they cause you to become self-aware--you might have the ability to detect their controlling methods

5.just wait for the new system to fix your problems

4JWY

Unfortunately, a high percentage.

DanTheMan

There was a KM article that came out sometime in the late 90's or early 00's, I can't remember exactly when. The article instructed congregations to direct any students or academic types wishing to conduct a survey of the local JW's to the elders, who would in turn direct them to the Society.

The intent of the article was probably lost on most dubs, but it was pretty jarring for me, as I was quite certain that the surveys that they were, in effect, instructing congregations not to take part in would be ones designed to gather sociological or mental health statistics. It was one of those "aha!" moments for me, because my accumulated experience with JW's unfortunately made it no mystery to me why they would be so leery of outside scrutiny by intelligent people.

DaCheech

I had this "psycho" sister that was 25 years older than me fall in love with me because I was "nice" to

her at the literature counter. She wrote letters to me constantly, when I told her I was dating, she said that my

girlfriend could never treat me like she could "also making comments to sex drive", well after that she kept

on handing me letters (4 of them) I had to ask the elders to help me. After she left my congr. she got df'd from

another congr. and she's in a psycho ward now!

4JWY

We all know the elders have no professional training in dealing with or counseling those struggling with mental illness.

I can't advise enough that anyone facing the problems of mental illness, become educated about their condition and seek outside professional assistance.

How Many JWs or ExJWs Have Some Type of Mental Problems?

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