Alcoholics and alcoholism in the congregations (page 2)

Doubtfully Yours

???!!! BIG TIME PROBLEM!!!

1 out of 3 has a problem.

DY

candidlynuts

we had more women hooked on xanex than we had people hooked on liquor.

Fleur

huge problem in every congregation I ever attended.

We had one elder in the family who used to get drunk and start talking about judicial committee matters at family dinners...needless to say I left the table to help in the kitchen. A lot.

~essie

I do not know whether there were problems with that in the congregations I attended or not. From reading what you all wrote though, I imagine there is. I do know though, that the one Witness I am really close with is an alcoholic.

**edited because I'm having problems making some of my text show up, and because I suck at spelling today.

Bubbamar

It was no problem at all for them to DF me for the decisions I made while I was drunk and loaded. They never once suggested I get some professional help. I was just a throwaway, promiscuous, drunk teenager to them.

I think overall though, in the congregation, physical and sexual abuse was a much bigger problem.

Mastodon

My ex-best friend and his dad, a ministerial servant and elder respectively, where filthy drunks. Of course, when the son got called-out about it, the dad defended him tooth and nail. They went as far as convincing the cong. president that being 'drunk' and 'intoxicated' was not the same thing. They haven't done anything to either of them. And it doesn't surpirse me one bit.

fleaman uk

I think overall though, in the congregation, physical and sexual abuse was a much bigger problem.

You are joking right?How on Earth can you justify that sweeping statement?

Apart from our PO who liked a Pint or Three,i never knew of any Alcohol problems in my old Cong.

blondie

Alcoholism is one of those hidden things. I studied with some recovering alcoholics who had been associated with AA for over 20 years. They came to the KH one Sunday and picked out 8 people that were alcoholics or on the edge.

Alcohol on the breath at 9:00 on a Sunday morning was a big giveaway.

Based on the comments from elders and COs, alcohol problems are big in this area, the midwest.

Thechickennest

Sadly the alchohol is all they have. The boredom, the same old nonsense pumped out year after year from the bottomless well of BS in New York leads to all the self medication. The liquer is "food" you know..."a little wine"...."Timothy's tummy", badump, badump, badump..I think Timothy was seeking to justify an addiction. After the fact of addiction, professional help is not an option, nor is taking medication from a Dr.before the addiction, or at least sharing the knowledge that medication is being used. And, please don't think about a support group with all that "bad association". We can be thankful the witnesses can medicate themselves. Just imagine living in world with thousands of them more stressed out than they already are! It is simply astonishing the number of JW's with huge drinking issues. Looking back on it now objectively years later, just seeing this religious group drink like lushes should have been a red flag in itself to me. My ambitious ex-brother-in-law soon to be elder at the time was always plastered. He was soon appointed by the holy spirit to be a elder....I really think being able to put away a few bottles of wine every evening is an unwritten requirement for appointment by the "holy spirits"

Gill

From my own knowledge of the congregation we used to go to and family, I'd say it's a big problem. It surprises me how openly some talk of NEEDING quite a few drinks on non-meeting nights and after meetings just to be able to relax a bit. Since not attending any more I've lost quite a few of my stress habits, though drinking was not one of them, I appreciate the stress that they are all under with such unfulfilled, and despite what they claim, hopeless lives.

Alcoholics and alcoholism in the congregations