I began counseling in the early 90's against the advice of the elders. it was the best thing i ever did for myself. i didn't go when i first was diagnosed with depression because i was afraid i was crazy. but the person whom i counseled with was soooooo underdstanding and kind. he helped me heal from child abuse issues, helped me end a stupid marriage and leave jw's. he never told me to do any of those things, just helped me to think and make decisions for myself. the hardest thing about therapy was ending it. really miss having someone to listen for an hour without judgement, or changing the subject but always feel stronger when i work things out on my own.
Posts by V1710
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17How Many Are...Or Have Been Going To Therapy?
by new boy ini only went twice right before i left in 2001.. my then jw wife.... thought in would be a good idea.
she thought all "my angry issuses" were against my dead nazis jw mother.....they were really about me living a lie for over 10 years... so anyway...i went to this dr. and in just 2 visits, told him my whole life story,begining to end.
he did't really say very much.. at the end of the whole thing i said "well doc...you can see that i'm pretty much screwed no matter what i do...if i stay in the cult i'm screwed...and if i leave i'm screwed!.
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13
GONNA GET CORNERED TONIGHT
by BIG D inhow yall doin?.
all my relatives are in town tday,from south texas, at my moms, fixin to get some dinner, and they will all come at me, where have you been?, not at the hall?.
and i took my kids trick or treating last nite, i know they wont shutup, the little ones are 9,im just gonna keep asking for more pie!!!!.
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V1710
Instead of you squirming, make them squirm. Have the children dress up in their costumes, ring the bell and when the relatives come to the door say "trick or treat" and then "November (April) Fools!!! At the supper table talk about how hungry you are for turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. That should break the ice for everyone
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If You Dressed Up on Halloween- Who Would You Dress Up As ?
by flipper inthought i'd do another one on halloween!
i'm in the spirit!
no pun intended !
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V1710
my five year old grandaughter is dressing up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz.
She suggested I dress up as the Wicked Witch of the West and come to her class party, so I am.
Had fun finding the costume, wig, gray and black striped socks. Can't wait for tomorrow.
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Why I dont go along with the "happiness" crowd
by Junction-Guy inthe old saying "happiness is the best revenge", to me that is the most rubbing statement i can ever hear right now.. .
someone mentioned that jw's dont think anyone can have true happiness outside of their religion, i dont necessarily buy this.. .
when someone is happy inside the borg, they say its jehovah's blessing, when someone is happy outside the borg they say that satan is blessing them.
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V1710
sounds like martydom.
i've been both places and happiness is the better choice.
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New to Board
by Happy_Apostate ini visited the site a number of years ago.
just returned.. i'm a former jw.
i disassociated myself in 1988 at the age of 18. my mother had divorced my non-believing father and hooked up with one of her jw pioneer sisters brothers and she ended up disfellowshipped.
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V1710
welcome and enjoy the ride
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My Emotional Rollercoaster
by Princess Daisy Boo inwhat a week this has been!.
linda died.
although i am still a relative newbie to this board and can't say i had the honour of knowing her, i am so touched at the outpouring of love that i have seen - and priviledged that i can be a member of this community!
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V1710
"Stay on the sunny side, stay on the sunny side, stay on the sunny side of life"
Jeanette
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A Course In Miracles #4 ~ coping with obsessive thoughts, very helpful
by V1710 inthe previous lessons were directed toward letting go of thoughts about concrete objects.
this lesson helps one let go of obsessive thinking.
i find it very useful when my thoughts get annoyingly repeptive.. these thoughts do not mean anything.
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V1710
The previous lessons were directed toward letting go of thoughts about concrete objects. This lesson helps one let go of obsessive thinking. I find it very useful when my thoughts get annoyingly repeptive.
These thoughts do not mean anything. They are like the things I see in the room (on this street, from this window, in this place)
1. Unlike the preceding ones, these exercises do not begin with the idea for the day. In these practice periods, begin with noting the thoughts that are crossing your mind for about a minute. Then apply the idea to them. If you are already aware of unhappy thoughts, use them as subjects for the idea. Do not, however, select only the thoughts you think are "bad" You will find if you train yourself to look at your thoughts, that they represent such a mixture that, in a sense, none of them can be called "good" or "bad" This is why they do nbot mean anything.
2. In selecting the subjects for the application of today's idea, the usual specificity is required. Do not be afraid to use "good" thoughts as well as "bad." None of them represents your real thoughts, which are being covered up by them. The "good" ones are but shadows of what lies beyond, and shadows make sight difficult. The "bad" ones are blocks to sight, and make seeing impossible. You do not want either.
3. This is a major exercise, and will be repeated from time to time in somewhat different from. The aim here is to train you in the first steps toward the goal of separating the meaningless from the meaingingful. It is a first attempt in the long-range purpose of leaerning to see the meaningless as outside you, and meaningful within. It is also the beginning of training your midnd to recognize what is the same and what is different.
4. In using your thoughts for application of the idea for today identify each thought by the central figure or event it contains; for example:
This thought about ______does not mean anything. It is like the things I see in this room (on this street and so on)
5. You can also use the idea for a particular thought that you recogonize as harmful. This practice is useful, but is not a substitute for more random procedures to be followed for the exercises. Do not, however, examine your mind for more than a minute or so. You are to inexperienced as yet to avoid a tendency to become pointlessly preoccupied.
6. Further, since these exercises are the first of their kind, you may find the suspension of judgement in connections with thoughts paritcularly difficult. Do not repeat these exercises more than three or four times during the day. We will return to them later.
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You are all a great group...
by oppgirl63 ini don't post very often, but i read every day.
i don't know if this trevor and linda thing is a hoax or not, but if it is i hope it doesn't cause people to leave the board.
don't let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch, because you all are a great bunch of folks.
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V1710
Thanks Your part of the group so that make you great also Jeanette
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first seeds of doubt
by confused and lost injust before this weeks book study i happened to say to my wife ,(in a matter of fact sort of way),"that judge rutherford was not a very likable character".i then "dropped in" 1925 and the foretold resurrection of the prophets aswell as some other stuff i had learned about rutherford.i then casually alluded to other dates such as 1799,1874 and 1975.her response was that "they were a fickle bunch".she then said in all seriousness "do you think its right ?
",meaning did i think that we are in the "truth"i had to curb my enthusiasm to tell her exactly what i thought,figuring that a- little- at- a- time approach would be best suited to my purpose.hence the first seeds of doubt have been sown.
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V1710
Confused and Lost,
I bet it was hard for you to contain the excitement. I'm so happy for you.
Your response was perfect. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Jeanette
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43
Do YOU Hate Jehovah's Witnesses?
by minimus ini don't hate the people.
i feel bad for many of them.
i don't like the religion because it is a cult.
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V1710
doubting brother...ouch.
please don't hate yourself. we were misled (very cleverly I must say), our trust was broken. it's like an baby elephant that is chained to a stake. As the elephant grows it certainly could break free from the small chain that holds it but it doesn't because of it's early training. If one was born into jw's we need to be extra kind to ourselves and if we were adults we have to remind ourselves that we were lonely, searching and misled.
there's a saying about walking down the street and falling into a hole because you didn't see it...it's not your fault. The second time you walk down the street, see the hole and fall into it shame on you. The third time you walk down the street, see the hole and walk around it, give yourself a pat on the back.
Give yourself credit for getting out of the mind trap.
Jeanette