Posts by TastingFreedom

18

For those still trapped in the cult, be careful with your sanity

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i relate to your pain and suffering.

you remind me of the struggle i had for over a year, where i was pushing myself to go the meetings and even gave public talks because of friends and family, even when i knew it was all bullshit.

i was so sick to my stomach, that i literally felt like puking during the meetings.

If You Had To Have A Religion Which Would You Not Mind Belonging To?

by minimus in

jw
friends

if you were even born into a religion, would you feel that you had to get out?

( the only religion that i know of where people get out and often never go to any other religion is the jw religion)..

TastingFreedom

Unitarian Universalists! No doctrines, God is optional, just values and principles that give you inner-peace

18

For those still trapped in the cult, be careful with your sanity

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i relate to your pain and suffering.

you remind me of the struggle i had for over a year, where i was pushing myself to go the meetings and even gave public talks because of friends and family, even when i knew it was all bullshit.

i was so sick to my stomach, that i literally felt like puking during the meetings.

@Hopscotch: Thanks for adding more insight, great points. As an elder I saw this many times. The more desperate you get knowing that something is wrong, the more you think it has to do with you. The more uncomfortable you get (or spiritually sick), the more you try to do for Jehovah by serving as a pioneer, elder, MS, etc... Then you go to the Kingdom hall and you see all the happy faces, and you wonder:"what is wrong with me?". Of course, you don't think it's fake, you think everybody else is truly happy; unless you're an elder, then you know what happens behind the curtains, it's only a f açade, or a front for everybody, but you know how miserable and hypocritical they are.

I thought your comments also go a long way to explain the number of cases of depression, nervous breakdowns, alcoholism, paranoia disorders etc that seem to be rampant within the congregations of JWs. I have personally witnessed many cases of mental health breakdowns in the congregations I was in for the last 10/15 years or so as a JW - including some in my own JW family.

And what I feel adds even more to these mental health problems is constantly being told that JWs are the 'happiest people on earth' and that they are in a 'spiritual paradise'. So when someone does start to feel depressed their cult training leads them to believe that it is they who have a problem and that maybe they are not doing enough. So this guilt and the stress caused by trying to do more only adds to this downward spiral into fullblown depression/breakdown/alcoholism.

The people that are trapped will develop double personality disorders, the cult identity and the real identity, but will have trouble reconciling the two identities. They may start having a secret life as a way to cope with the anxiety, basically not being true to themselves, but this affects their self-steem and sense of integrity about themselves.

The people that manage to get out of the Jehovah's Witnesses or get DF'ed reached the breaking point of sanity, whether they realize it or not. They could no longer continue with the lie, or got fed up with it, and could no longer cope with something that felt unnatural and unhealthy. It may get to the point, where active members will subconsciously sin to get kicked out on purpose, as way of self-survival mechanism because of the constant suffering and misery experienced.

Many still trapped inside could develop obsessive compulsive disorders as a way to cope with the constant stress.

That's why I say, the sooner you get out, the better you are. You cut your losses short and move on, rather than keep losing with no hope in store.

108

I WAS CAUGHT emailing a pdf copy of the New Elders Book

by Smoky in

jw
friends

i sent a .pdf to a few friends and one of them betrayed me and forward it to a elder i know, along with the emails of the recipients.

i cant believe i was so naive to think that i can trust someone..stupid.

i have not talked to the "benedict arnold" yet, but hopefully soon.

TastingFreedom

Smoky, I just hope those elders don't call the WTS headquarters, because they are likely to get further instructions to get to the bottom of this, possibly even get their legal department involved with that source that sent you the book.

Keep playing dumb. Don't sound defiant.. They are likely to meet with you, and will command you to keep silent about this whole incident.

51

Has there, or are there any normal pro-WT members on this forum? As in mentally stable, anybody?

by miseryloveselders in

jw
friends

first off, forgive me if i'm guilty of being judgemental.

i got my own fair share of mental problems.

it goes without saying that a bunch of us on this forum are misfits and freaks.

TastingFreedom

respectful_observer, I assume you are part of the councious class, right? You have doubts but feel like you're stuck, right?

18

For those still trapped in the cult, be careful with your sanity

by TastingFreedom in

jw
friends

i relate to your pain and suffering.

you remind me of the struggle i had for over a year, where i was pushing myself to go the meetings and even gave public talks because of friends and family, even when i knew it was all bullshit.

i was so sick to my stomach, that i literally felt like puking during the meetings.

TastingFreedom

I relate to your pain and suffering. You remind me of the struggle I had for over a year, where I was pushing myself to go the meetings and even gave public talks because of friends and family, even when I knew it was all bullshit. I was so sick to my stomach, that I literally felt like puking during the meetings. But see, that's exactly what the cult programming and the mental triggers do, make you feel guilty and fearful. They want you to believe that your entire world will collapse, and make you believe that you are going to be miserable without them. But the reality is, even if you lose some people (conditional friends), you can make a new life that is decent, and honorable life without them. You will fill the void with other things that may be even better than what you have now. There will be no armageddon; they are simply not god's people, as simple as that!! You are a victim of a cult.

The emotions you are experiencing can be like a volcano, waiting to erupt. There is so much anger and frustration, that it can be dangerous to your health. The sense of loss and the feelings of being stuck or trapped can cause a lot emotions, including anxiety and depression. You need to deal with it, confront it, because it can lead to dangerous ways of coping such as addictive behaviors. The cognitive dissonance can become intolerable and start to affect your overall perspective of life. In advance, I apologize if this sounds too scary, but the implications of being caught in something that you don't want to do, but keep doing it against your will are pretty big. You need to embrace yourself, and find peace within, pursue your life.

The best strategy to get out of a cult is to prepare yourself emotionally, become a person who relies on logic and critical thinking, not so much on emotions (e.g. fear, guilt). Due the best you can in trying to help the closest people that you care about, your wife, give your self time, and define a roadmap out of the cult, set a date as a goal, if you can't reach that goal then I would say start preparing to assume your losses (collateral damage), to pursue the things that are more important to you (e.g. your freedom, your identity). I have found that the help of a professional (e.g. Psychologist) can be a big source of guidance through this process.

You're probably experiencing anticipated separation anxiety just thinking about it, but you will gain the courage once you feel comfortable with new friends, and convince yourself that it's going to be OK. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck in your journey to freedom!

45

Video of Public Talk

by Pig in

for those interested in jehovahs witnesses or those wanting to return to the kindom hall, this video is to give you a realistic look at what goes on at the meetings.

enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxmjm0muvvs.

TastingFreedom

This is hillarious... sharing it in facebook. They will enjoy it and will get an idea of what hell we lived through!

108

I WAS CAUGHT emailing a pdf copy of the New Elders Book

by Smoky in

jw
friends

i sent a .pdf to a few friends and one of them betrayed me and forward it to a elder i know, along with the emails of the recipients.

i cant believe i was so naive to think that i can trust someone..stupid.

i have not talked to the "benedict arnold" yet, but hopefully soon.

TastingFreedom

First of all when you send emails like that you want to add the recipients in the BCC line, so that nobody knows who else it's going to.

Second, witnesses are never trustworthy... EVER!!! The guilt and the programming will kick in, no one is above the law.

Sorry to hear what's happened. Unfortunately I'm afraid that you are in deep shit. Not sure what legitimate excuse you can give for having a PDF.

I would probably just DA if they try to make a Judicial Committee!!

193

Are you afraid of the Ouija board still?

by cyberjesus in

do you think it has superpowers?

who controlls it?

satan?

TastingFreedom

it was fun watching the video, so i take it nothing strange has happened yet. Good luck with your devilish games. i'm glad you're having fun with your sexy witch.

cyberJesus, you're welcome to come to my house for my Halloween party. My sexy witch is also ready to read your future with the domino and coffee leftover.

13

Met Randy Watters

by xelder in

so last week, i was in la.. i had e-mailed randy...then called and he invited me over.

we got to chat for a couple hours and it was a great time....i want to meet more of you.

i'm santa barbara, ca area.

TastingFreedom

I'm in the Pasadena area, if you are in the area and want to meet, let me know (PM me)