AWAKE! says JWs are "mentally ill" September 8,2004

by apocalypse 16 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • apocalypse
    apocalypse

    That's right folks. The AWAKE September 8,2004 on page 21 has a box.

    Some Warning Signs of Mental Disorders

    If someone you love has any of the following symptoms, he or she may need to consult a medical or mental healt professional.
    • Prolonged Sadness or irritability
    • Social withdrawal
    • Extreme emotional highs and lows
    • Excessive anger
    • Violent behavior
    • Substance abuse
    • Excessive fears, worries and anxieties
    • Abnormal fear of weight gain
    • Significant change in eating or sleeping habits
    • Persistant nightmares
    • Confused thinking
    • Delusions or hallucinations
    • Thoughts of death or suicide
    • Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
    • Denial of obvious problems
    • Numerous unexplained physical ailments

    Seems to me, that just based on a few of these, the majority of my congregation should be seeing a shrink.

    Some already are.

    How's your congo?

  • minimus
    minimus

    Add social withdrawal, confused thinking, and inability to cope with problems and daily activities.

  • peacefulpete
    peacefulpete

    I'm absolutely amazed they printed that! What a step forward. Unless of course the box is only for public consumption and members are really only expected to study more and talk to the Elders.

  • ezekiel3
    ezekiel3

    Don't forget the footnote to this paragraph in the article (Awake! 8 Sep 2004, pg 21): Red text mine.

    Persue treatment. Despite the long-term nature of some mental disorders, with appropriate (only WTS would insert "appropriate") treatment many sufferers can have stable, productive lives. Unfortunately, many languish for years without getting help (because they went to the elders like you told them to). Just as a serious heart condition requires a heart specialist, mental illness need the attention of those who know how to treat such conditions. Psychiatrists, for example, can prescribe medicine that when taken consistantly can help control mood, ease anxiety, and straighten out distorted thinking patterns.* (No mention of psycologists or counselors, eh?)
    *Potenial benefits should be considered along with possible side effects. Awake! does not endorse any paticular medical treatment. Christains should be sure that any treatment they persue does not conflict with Bible principles.

    Because JWs have been warned about of psycology and counseling (mental health or marriage), they are going in hordes to the druggist for their prescription medication (PM). Most JWs I know who are on meds do not have chronic mental illness (bi-polar, schizophrenia). But they will not treat the cause of their illness with psycology or counseling.

    Any mental health professional who wants to cure a JW with mental illness is going to look long and hard at their conception of reality and the impact of their social dynamic. "Possible side effects" include pricking the JW bubble with the needle of logical thinking. Even realizing that "The Truth" is part of the stress will send a JW running for a refill.

    The only place many JWs are finding spiritual paradise is underneath a child-proof cap.

  • A Paduan
    A Paduan

  • Prolonged Sadness or irritability (not doing enough for 'jehovah')
  • Social withdrawal (into jwland)
  • Extreme emotional highs and lows (I'm going to paradise be killed paradise)
  • Excessive anger (the "bad ones" deserve to DIE)
  • Violent behavior (some)
  • Substance abuse (some)
  • Excessive fears, worries and anxieties (the world is ending, someone's judging from the sky)
  • Abnormal fear of weight gain (fat people are marginalised)
  • Significant change in eating or sleeping habits
  • Persistant nightmares (see "jw armageddon")
  • Confused thinking (needs no edification)
  • Delusions or hallucinations (needs no edification)
  • Thoughts of death or suicide (needs no edification)
  • Inability to cope with problems and daily activities (wait upon 'jehovah')
  • Denial of obvious problems (needs no edification)
  • Numerous unexplained physical ailments (ie. unexplained by medicine - must be demons)

    • On average a >80% score but it doesn't matter - the article may as well say "YOU !" - they'd still think it must be about someone else (good = me, bad = someone else)

    As a general rule jws have what is known in mental health as "delusions", "poor insight", and other stuff I won't mention in the interest of avoiding perceived insult.

  • dh
    dh

    that's definitely something, maybe they will slowly bring this in if they do go mainstream, but as long as there's an interdepartmental power struggle going on there will be differences in what is printed and what's passed down verbally, so who knows. definitely a lot of jw's are mentally ill though.

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    Just to throw in a wobbler:

    >>>>>>>?

    Would it be necessary for a psychiatrist to change his profession before he would be eligible for baptism and recognition as one of Jehovah?s witnesses??R. W., United States.

    No, it does not seem that this would be necessary. The fact that the Watch Tower publications have discouraged dedicated Christians consulting worldly psychiatrists except in extreme cases does not mean that a psychiatrist cannot and does not help those who consult him. Whether a psychiatrist continued to practice his profession upon dedication or not would be entirely his decision to make. It is possible that he could be a far better psychiatrist by reason of his now understanding and appreciating Bible principles, and especially because of his faith in Jehovah God and his dedication to do God?s will. See "Scriptural Aspect of Psychosomatic Medicine," in The Watchtower, April 15, 1954, pages 232-236.<<<<<<<

    Englishman.

  • wannaexit
    wannaexit
    definitely a lot of jw's are mentally ill

    I have to agree that there are many jw who are mentally ill.

    I grew up with a family member who is mentally ill and was a CONGREGATION ELDER. As a child I would always wonder why people in the cong would come to him for advice and why Jehovah would allow a mentally ill person to run the cong.

    Of course no one talked about it and going for some help was out of the question because going to get some sort of help would be "great shame on Jehovah's name".

    I beleive that this org breeds mental illness at an alarming rate. I hate this organization for what it has done to people.

  • apocalypse
    apocalypse

    "The only place many JWs are finding spiritual paradise is underneath a child-proof cap."

    Now THAT is funny!

  • patio34
    patio34

    Maybe this is a case where they defuse the charge by bringing it up themselves and framing it in an acceptable way. Lawyers do that in court: bring up the negative first and putting a better spin on it. And the WTBS does have a considerable legal staff.

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