by seattleniceguy 35 Replies latest watchtower medical
Seattledude, that's a very good piece of information, I've thought about it before but never see any information about it. It looks like fertile ground for doing a follow-up study. If only the tower would cooperate, which they won't.
Also I wonder what percentage of new recruits already experience psychological problems before becoming jw. I think this number probably is much higher than in the general population.
Bas
Right what Bas said. I think they all want so badly to make a convert an get their merit badge (yes they do believe they are saving them of course as well) that they will study with anyone who will study. So someone mentally ill *might* be less likely to have a job, need extra support, be low in self esteem, be willing to hope that the new system will cure them.
And of course they can become Elders there.
SNG Do you think this could be the reason most of my family are on meds for depression, including me? LMAO
I appreciate Jerry Bergman's work, but I would like to see a better study. Most of his data comes from selected populations like prisoners, where the religious affiliation is known. A sample of the regular population is harder to study, since they are instructed not to cooperate with researchers.
I would suspect that the incidence of inherited disorders, such as Schizoprhenia, is no higher than the general population. Depression, however, could certainly be brought on by the JW lifestyle, in my opinion.
pardon me.........have any of you folks found my tinfoil hat ?
~Hill
I personally think one of the main reasons is the social paranoia in the dubland.
Many Jehovah's Witnesses with mental problems are much like the most difficult cases of paranoia: even when they decide on a therapy they think and/or they are reaffirmed by their spiritual leaders that they know better than their therapist.
When the therapist suggests the problem may stem from the truth, she/he is instantly perceived as part of the evil Satan's conspiracy. Tell me how it's different from severe paranoia.
Pole
My sister in law, a hardcore dub tried to take her own life several years ago. She has gotten no counseling other than what she was forced to recieve in the psych ward in the hospital. The advice from the hall was to pray, that secular therapists could not help her as their "worldly views" had no bearing on a "true" christian's life. Several of her children have frank mental problems as well and they are recieving no help or medication. Not to beat a dead horse cliche' but a couple of brothers (one a truck driver and the other who mows lawns) are working with the kid. I will be the first to say there is nothing wrong with earning an honest living and just because I am educated I do not feel superior to manual laborers, but as I have also said, if I need my appendix taken out I'm not going to an auto mechanic. I have heard over and over from my family what a waste psychologist/psychiatrit's are. My mother was forced to do some testing recently and scored a 15 out of 15 on a depression test which the psychologist told me they had only seen once or twice before in their practice.
In my twenties I was lucky enough to go to an excellent therapist who made one interesting comment, he said typically he totally stays away from religion, whatever gives a patient comfort was fine with him, though he said in my case he was going to make an exception and told me the worst possible thing in his professional opinion that I could do was return to the kingdom hall. He was preaching to the choir with that one. My siblings and extended family are so incredibly disfunctional that is just saddens me deeply, and it is no mystery to me where the disfunction comes from.
Great thread SNG. Thanks for posting the link. This is the kind of serious information we need and it's good that references are included.
My mental health definitely deteriorated in the Org and I used to wonder what on earth I'd done wrong for Jehovah not to answer my consistent heart-felt prayers for help! Once I'd exited I knew why and my mental health improved drastically. Unfortunately, the stress caused through being in the cult - always feeling that whatever I did was never enough - has brought on my present physical illness. However, now that my mental condition is totally free of Borg indoctrination I am confident I can overcome the malady. The Borg's mental subjugation of people brings on many physical illnesses. For example, there are more JWs suffering from M.E. than anyone else I know.
Much has been posted here on suicides in the Borg and I feel that a serious study would show it is higher among JWs than is the norm. Just going off JWs in my own area who have committed or attempted suicide is proof to me that Jerry Bergman's study should be seriously considered.
Also of note is that two homeopaths I have consulted regarding my physical condition told me that they have treated many Jehovah's Witnesses for conditions related to stress. OK, everyone is subject to stress, but it was obvious what my homeopaths were implying!
Best wishes,Ian
Hi SNG. On the one hand, the WBTS., asserts that the witnesses are among the healthiest of persons from a psychological standpoint while, on the other, some psychologists and psychiatrists claim that they suffer from a disproportionately high degree of mental illness.
Some causes of mental illness among the witnesses are: Zealous pioneering sacrificing both physical and mental health out of a spirit of devotion. Elders and publishers giving of themselves to the point of exhaustion. Attitudes of super - pietism, also has a detrimental effect on some of the persons manifesting them or, additionally, on a number of those who are objects of their 'over - righteousness'.
From Penton's, "Apocalypse Delayed", pages 288,289.Witness Lawyers, physicians, and other professionals have had closed door meetings with the Governing Body to discuss the legal and medical questions relating to the faith.The GB. seems content to ignore the problems of witness mental health.
SNG. This is a good topic to continue to bring up for all of us and the lurkers that might be suffering silently.
Thanks Blueblades
One Elder told me that one should never see a psychiatrist because the first thing the shrink would say is stop being a Jehovah's Witness and you will feel better.
