Wild_Thing

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Posts by Wild_Thing

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  19

  If the governing body members all had children, would they deny them blood?

  by hubert in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  if they any of them had or have children that needed a blood transfusion to live, i wonder if they would deny their children blood and watch them die for the watchtower society?.

  or would you see a quick change of doctrine?

  ie: new light?.

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  Wild_Thing

  Nope! Don't think so! I think they would let them die in a heartbeat! So sad, but I think they would.

  Crazy old bastards ...
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  LOL @ Valis! Come on! Tell us! What do you know about Dr. P?
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  Sounds like that whacked out JW doctor down in Houston: Dr. Riggle. He diagnosed everyone as paranoid schizophrenic, put them on Mellaril, read them Bible scriptures and had them buy fifty different jars of Bronson vitamins (cheap grocery store variety) at jacked up prices!

  Actually, I don't think Dr. P was that whacked. He was never a JW and he never prescribed pills, though I think he worked closely with psychiatrists who did. Anyway, he was just a psychologist who served more as a counselor, for good or bad, as you have heard already!

  How sad they put you in the care of a JW whacko! I think it's kinda funny that everyone was diagnosed as schizophrenic, though! LOL! I have been in some congregations where I would not be surprised!

  Seriously, I am glad you got out of that mess! A JW doctor practicing psychiatry is like ... well I don't what its like.... but its not right! LOL! Like a butcher performing heart surgery, maybe?
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  It does sound familiar to me, but not from Dr Picchioni... I think you'll find that breakdown in just about any book on codependency. I don't know who it's originally credited to.

  Right! This is definitely not from Dr. Picchioni. He just relayed this model to his patients. I thought this was the model that Bradshaw came up with, but I could be wrong. I think it is nothing short of a miracle that witnesses were allowed to hear about it at all. After all, there is no such thing as a dysfunctional JW family, is there?

  I'm glad Dr P brought it to Witnesses, however. Too many Witnesses with mental illnesses seem to be looking for anti-depressants to cure everything, and not looking at actually making changes in their lives.

  I believe when this program was in existence, the society was just loosening up about obtaining mental health care. I see the opposite happening again now, where it is strongly discouraged, but oddly enough it is okay to medicate it! What is the message? It is okay to drug the problem, but not okay to deal with it!
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  35

  Jehovah's Witnesses and mental illness

  by seattleniceguy in

  1. watchtower
  2. medical

  i just read an excellent article on the issue of mental illness and jehovah's witnesses by psychologist named jerry bergman.

  the link is:.

  http://www.premier1.net/~raines/mental.html.

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  Wild_Thing

  Reading this thread got me thinking about a psychologist in Texas that catered to the witnesses and had a "witness program" for a while. I started a separate thread about it here if you are interested:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/87256/1.ashx

  But I thought I would add over here that I think it would be interesting for the Doctor in Texas (Dr. Picchioni) to publish his experiences when working with witnesses. I would think it would be far less biased than Jerry Bergman's since Dr. P was never a witness.

  I have read a lot of Jerry Bergman's stuff, though, and I think he is right on the money! I just think it would be great to have it also published by a non-witness. Being raised as one can make you so bitter!

  Wild_Thing (of the "still bitter" class)
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  LOL! You're welcome for the refresher course! Isn't it sad I remember that?!? I remember it making so much sense at the time and I guess it just sorta stuck!
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  Yes, Dr. P was a big John Bradshaw fan. I am sure this is where your friend heard it. He was also very big in educating people about "co-dependent" relationships. This is what I remember of the dysfunctional family roles:

  There is the victim, who ironically is the one with the problem (or is the abuser).

  The enabler, the one who stays in the situation and allows the victim to continue on with the abuse (or whatever).

  The kids roles are typically either the scapegoat, the overachiever, the peacemaker (i think is what they called it), or the lost child.

  Any of this sound familiar to anyone?

  I do not remember Re-decision Therapy, but it doesn't necessarily mean he didn't use it. Maybe someone else can answer.
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  I knew there would be some of you out there that knew him! I don't care if your experience was good or bad, personally, I would like to here them anyway (BigTex and Valis)! I have heard it all too, but it has been a very long time! No psychologist or therapist is good for everyone, so I am glad to hear that he is still helping JWs. They are a very under-served group (of their own doing). I have never heard about the lawsuit. That is very sad! I think I was still around when the program started to fall apart. I heard about the conflicts that were being discussed over patient confidentiality and elder issues, since David was an elder. I think he wanted to respect the confidential relationship, but was feeling pressure not to. I also heard of Dr. Pichionni's high divorce rate of his patients. Personally, if his patients were anything like my parents, I say yeah to him! (He did not counsel them for marriage, though, he told my mother to flat out leave him!)
  

  I was just a kid when I was in the middle of all that "fiasco", as someone called it. (I was 16.) My mom and I ended up calling Grapevine our home. Pichionni dealt more with my mother than me, so I cannot speak much as to how "good" he was, but his program (for better or worse) was instrumental in getting my mother out of a 30 year abusive relationship with my dad (who was an elder for years!) Maybe I can tell the whole story when I am up to it, but I have often wondered about some of the people that I met there and wondered where they are.

  Personally, I did get the help I needed, but not from Dr. P. He was just the catalyst that brought us to the facility, I guess. I am sure he was in it for the money (most professionals are, to some extent), but I respect him for trying to work with such a large population of whacked out people. I remember his "Sunday Aftercare Program". Anybody could come, whether you had ever been a patient of his or not. I did learn a lot about family dynamics and the roles in "dysfunctional" families.

  I was so young (and admitted pretty traumatized) during part of that time, that I may not remember your name, but who knows! I may have been sitting right next to you!

  Did anybody know the Neeces? Amy and Mike? I know they are divorced now, but I would love to get in contact (if they will talk to me!) I was also good friends with Terri, but I can't remember her last name. I think she is still a full blown JW living in Minnesota. :(

  Edited to add: It's Wild THING, not Wild FIRE!
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

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  Wild_Thing

  I know Sublet, and megadude can tell you alot about Picchioni, I believe. Actually, I have a friend (who I believe is an elder) who will is willing to share his thoughts on Picchioni (or at least he was before I was df'd, not sure if he'll talk to me now or not).

  Thanks SixofNine. Is David still an elder or witness? Is he still in that line of work? I would love to swap stories with some others. Do you know the story on the shutdown?
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  40

  Dr. Picchioni .... In Texas

  by Wild_Thing in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  anybody ever heard of him?

  how about david sublet?

  just wondering ....

  1. 
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  Wild_Thing

  No ... his name is Anthony (or Tony) Picchioni.

  He is a psychologist who "catered" to witnesses in the 90s. People traveled from all over the states to Texas to be treated by him. His staff included an elder, David Sublett (sp?), another sister named Karla (don't remember last name.) He had a pretty big clientele, with all the mentally unstable and abused witnesses. He was touted among some witnesses as being safe to go to because he respected your religious beliefs, etc. At some point, the society big dogs got word of it and effectively shut him down, I think. I am not exactly sure, but I would love to know the story. I would also like to know what happened to the staff that was working for him, like if David is stall an elder or even a witness. This was all in the Dallas area, by the way.