Depression and JW's (page 2)

greendawn

All this shows that the leaders of the jws ie the elders are doing a butcer's job on the dubs emotional needs and world. It's scandalous that they have no training at all in dealing with such dselicate situations and they should get some training in psychology.

DannyBloem

I feel so bad to read what you have been trough.

I did not had any of these problems, but just to be the outsider when I was a kid, did make me feel very depressed. As a JW I was mostly ignored by others in my school, and had not many friends.
life just wasn't fun and thought of suicide a lot.

Later after middle-school, it went a bit better when I did not tell them my religion any more (and also I changes a bit, so did the kids/people around me as everybody became older).

I noticed however that lot of jdubs feel depressed as you never do enough.

Danny

greendawn

Being a dub is so stressful you alienate yourself from the rest of the world and then the jw society can't or is not willing to provide you with the things you left behind. Every day you need to fight against moral failure and eternal death.

damselfly

I've often wondered why they didn't encourage some JW's to get trained as counselors or therapists. If they did that then they could really keep the organizational problems closer to them instead of having JW's go to "wordly" ones. Just think of the brainwashing opportunities available during the counseling sessions.

Damselfly

greendawn

Apparently it doesn't suit their purposes to get properly trained counselors they just want to expel people they don't like.

JT

one of the pub in my bookstudy was a single black sister who is a Dr. she is a society expert witness as well, her practice was here in DC- we used to talk all the time since we knew the same bethelites-

99% of her patients were jw refered by CO's all around the dc area, md, va and dc-

and she would discuss no one case in particualr, but how so many cases revolved around feelings of worthlessness, depression, bipolar and chronic fatigue-

and just how many friends in our hall as well as surrounding halls were on medication

looking back it never dawn on me how this truly is sad, that the "Happiest People on Earth" suffer so much from mental issues then other folks

so sad but so true

anewme

Thankyou for bringing up this topic Damselfly. Depression was a big issue for me three years before I walked out. I tried Field Service, praying for Bible Studies, reading all the publications, vitamins,
anti-allergy diets. Finally I sought counseling at Kaiser. They were not certain I needed any medications although I asked for some of the meds the sisters said they were on.
I wanted something to take that would make me compliant and obedient and dull and sexless so I could continue to be a good Witness. For two years I saw a counselor off and on and she convinced me my troubles were not physical. She said my depression was caused by a helpless lack of control over my life and severe enmeshment involving my husband and the org and the Bible. She noted that everything I said to her I had to qualify whether my husband approved the thought or whether it was an allowed viewpoint.
She said for me to improve I would have to make great changes in my life.
She talked about choices, that we all have a choice about how we spend our lives.

Well, that was the beginning.

I left my husband and the truth and subsequently all the family and friends I formerly had.
But now after 4 years and a new life and new town and new handsome husband I am pretty much free of depression without any medication.

We focus on love and kindness and compassion and laughter.

I quit!

Damselfly I cant pretend that anything near as bad happened to me, but when I was depressed I was told to pioneer!

That is too funny! When I went to an elder and told him I was depressed he gave me similar solid advise. I was told I need to read more watchtower publications and to get out in service more. Nothing like getting help from a well trained professional. The depression went away when I left the watchtower......how odd.

lisavegas420

I was told the same thing, that I was guilty of something. That if I prayed more and spent more time in field service...*sigh*...I wanted to die. But I didn't want any JW's getting my children, expecially my parents. I could not let them raise my children the way they raised me. From the age of 19 to the age of 40 I wan on different anti-depressants some time 3 or four different kinds of medication at a time......... Then I found this forum, I started to feel better............ Then I met some of you all in real life and I got much better. Now I have been drug free for well over a year....yeah me!!!! And thank you all....(((JWD)))

Lisa

Ellie

I don't know much about depression but I have noticed that a lot of witnesses have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or atleast obsessive tendencies.

I heared a talk about what they called 'habits' which was getting at OCD, and they basically said to put more trust in Jehovah to help overcome this mental illness - utter codswallop!

Depression and JW's

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