Can you help us????

by chuckyy 12 Replies latest jw friends

  • chuckyy
    chuckyy

    Hi

    MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEE DISASSOCIATED NOW FOR 10 MONTHS.HOWEVER, WE ARE BOTH STRUGGLING PSYCHOLOGICALLY. WE BOTH HAVE NO SELF WORTH AND ARE ON MEDICATION FOR DEPRESSION.IT KILLS US THAT AT OUR AGE WE NO LONGER HAVE ANY FRIENDS.OUR DAUGHTER WILL SOON NEED OPEN HEART SURGERY AND WE FEEL WE HAVE NO ONE TO SUPPORT US. WE HAVE TO SEE WITNESSES EVERY DAY AT THE SCHOOL WHERE THEY SHUN US. MY WIFE IN PARTICULAR IS SUFFERING FROM EMOTIONAL OUTBURSTS, RECURRING DREAMS WHERE SHE HAS NO FRIENDS, OVER DEPENDENCE ON ALCOHOL AND THOUGHTS OF SELF-HARM. SHE SEEMS TO HAVE AN UNCONTROLLABLE ANGER INSIDE HER. ALL OF THIS IN THE LAST YEAR.PLEASE IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN OFFER ADVICE.EXPERIENCE?? I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT COUNSELLING, PERHAPS CULT-COUNSELLING. WHAT DO YOU THINK???

    CHUKKY

  • kwintestal
    kwintestal

    I think that counselling is a very good idea. Have you though of joining some sort of club or something like that to meet people?

    Kwin

  • Crumpet
    Crumpet

    Hi Chucky and Mrs Chucky!

    So sorry to hear of yoru problems. You are loving parents of a sick daughter and there is absolutely no reason why you should think yourself unworthy. Unlike many millions of JWs you are out by your own volition. They are still trapped and don't know it. Maybe ignorance is bliss for some, but you have taken the decision which has been incredibly hard to leave everything you know so that you can live. You should be very very proud of yourselves for taking that step.

    I too have suffered nightmares for years - mainly of rejection. Very paranoid dreams which encroached on real life and I took with me from the JW religion all the suspicions of outsiders, world people you are brainwashed too have. The greatest thing that has helped me now after 14 years that I know the real TRUTH is relaxing my guard and opening up to other people. 90% of the people you meet are genuine kind people unlike the much smaller pwercentage you will find in the hall. It might be difficult at first to trust, but just get out theer and meet people. Join some sort of local sports club. Chat to other parents at the swimming pool. Make friends with other parents at the hospital where your daughter is about to have open heart surgery. Smile at people. Make friends at work. Its gradual at first - you can;t expect to be Mr and Mrs Popularity at first but people will like you as soon as you let yoruselves be receptive to the possibility and know that you are very worthy. It can be a bit awkward at first, but isn;t everything thats worth the effort in the end worth making the effort for. Get to know your neighbours. Volunteer to do little things in the local community. Chat to parents at the school gates. Act positive and eventually it wil come naturally to you.

    Open your hearts and minds to all the lovely peopel out there. It is never too late to make new friends. Never. Kindred souls are hovering everywhere. And there's lots of them here!

    Of course counselling is a must to help you both with your deep seated depression. See your doctor now and explain that you want to take postive steps to help you out of this.

    I wish you lots of joy and the courage to carry on with your journey to mental and physical and emotional freedom. Hugs to you both.

    crumpet xx

  • AK - Jeff
    AK - Jeff

    So sorry to hear of your plight. We all have to heal after the exit from the LIE.

    I continue personally to deal with some of what you are dealing with, although your situation seems more severe than mine at the moment.

    I think some immediate counselling would be in order - and I hope someone in your part of the world can give you info on where to find the help you need in dealing with the exit. I wish you lived close by, I would love to have your family over for a meal and to get to know one another.

    The lack of support is tough to deal with in family problems like you are dealing with. Our daughter is in prison and we are raising our g-children, and as far as I know the local witnesses that professed to be our friends for the better part of 40 years, could give a rat's ass about supporting or even noticing.

    Please know we think of you.

    Jeff

  • rebel8
    rebel8

    You have a PM.

  • OldSoul
    OldSoul

    (((CHUKKY)))

    Counseling is definitely indicated for anyone who is entertaining ideas of self-harm. Also, she will need a safe place to vent. I felt very silly when I first discovered the truth about this organization, there was a deep sense of having wasted a large chunk of my life. But I found that if I focus on that I make it worse. She will have a lot of conflicting emotions bottled up, as is likely the case for you to.

    Counseling will help you both develop coping skills for being normal everyday humans that you never acquired as Witnesses. You will also learn techniques for directing your thoughts toward positive and constructive things. You no longer have this midgefly buzzing in your ear every week telling you which things are positive and constructive to focus on, and it is likely that neither of you have learned how to find those outlooks for yourselves yet.

    The other note is that you've always had "proper" behavior modeled for you. Once that peer pressure to be what someone else expects is removed, many exiting Witnesses find out that they are very different than they imagined themselves while in. That can be a big disappointment as the facade falls away and we are left with ourselves being ourselves. If there is no one to impress with how "good" we are, the worst of ourselves that was lying dormant has an opportunity to come out. That's the bad news. The good news is we finally have an opportunity to put it right. Counseling can also help with this.

    Crumpet's advice above is excellent. Clubs may not be your thing, but if you could picture it being something you guys might be able to happily do, Kwin's suggestion would be right on target as well. I am so pained for you both, I hope something we say here will be helpful.

    Respectfully,
    OldSoul

  • garybuss
    garybuss

    It sounds like you need to get your wife evaluated by a psychiatrist today.
    Post exit counseling is good but it needs to come after crisis management.

  • AlmostAtheist
    AlmostAtheist

    Agree with all of the above, particularly Gary's excellent point that your wife (and you?) need immediate care.

    I'm sorry you and your wife are finding your exit so painful. Do you need to work where you do? Could you find jobs that don't bring you in contact with those that shun you?

    Get help for yourself and your wife, Chucky. You are not that old, there's plenty of great living to do yet. And lots of great people to live it with, that will be friends with you because of who YOU are, and not who you choose to worship.

    Dave

  • anglise
    anglise

    Chucky

    I have PM'd you.

    (((hugs)))

    Anglise

  • Jordan
    Jordan

    I was a mild self harmer and attempted suicide once. I don't often tell people that, because then I'd have to tell them why, the reason was the bOrg (obviously). But I found my thoughts subsided so quickly, after leaving the dubs, the change I felt inside me was unbelievable. I didn't go for counselling when I was in the organisation, it just didn't appear to be an option, because when you're a kid, you do as you're told.

    Go for counselling, I didn't go, I think I'm doing well without it, but if you think you or your wife needs it, go and don't hesitate.

    Good Luck Chukky, and Mrs Chukky...

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