looking back on my two decades as a jehovah’s witness, i’ve come to realize how the constant theme of endurance is playing a detrimental role on the individual's psyche.. jehovah’s witnesses have become far too good at keeping going.
they’re experts at surrendering to the demands of the watchtower, living up to what’s expected of them, and getting on with the priorities that those in power have defined and imposed upon them.
they keep showing up, presenting themselves a dutiful pioneer or ministerial servant.
Another great thread from Wake-me!
As I posted on another thread:
"To be able to feel sadness and pain without either being consumed or incapacitated by it is in itself an achievement. It is—I have learned—a measure of our progress and growth. A marker along the pathway to healing." - jp1692
in the months or years since leaving the organization, how do you think you have progressed as a person?.
(or if you have regressed too i guess?).
what aspects of personal development are you happy with?.
"To be able to feel sadness and pain without either being consumed or incapacitated by it is in itself an achievement. It is—I have learned—a measure of our progress and growth. A marker along the pathway to healing." - jp1692
this is bigger than christmas and birthdays wrap into one.
thanks to the australian royal commission our youngest son has woke up.
we received a e-mail from him tonight where he apologized to us for shunning us all these years, how bad he felt for doing this.
Thanks for the update. Get some rest, you’ll need it!
not quite a week ago, @lost in the fog created a thread entitled: do you have this illness?.
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5187824140681216/do-you-have-this-illness.
in my year of being on this forum, i have browsed many a disillusioned thread of ex-jehovah’s witnesses expressing similar symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder when detailing their awakening - my own story included.
ATJ, great post. Really, really thoughtful.
I too, many years ago, have had the experience of an indoctrinated phobia paralyzing me when I returned to a KH after thinking I'd got it all worked out.
The trauma that the cult experience wreaks on our psyche is profound. It seems that it is worse for some of us than others, but it is never good.
Thank you for your encouragement to seek professional help if we aren't coping on our own. From my own experience and the anecdotal accounts of the few that have shared with me theirs, it doesn't seem like we need a long, protracted series of therapy sessions that never end. But most of us need something more than we can do on our own.
I have always appreciate your posts and (in case I've never said it before) you were one of the ones that helped me when I began posting here years ago.
jp
not quite a week ago, @lost in the fog created a thread entitled: do you have this illness?.
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/5187824140681216/do-you-have-this-illness.
in my year of being on this forum, i have browsed many a disillusioned thread of ex-jehovah’s witnesses expressing similar symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder when detailing their awakening - my own story included.
Wake-me: Thank you, senei.
You're welcome! But in all honesty, I merely saw in you what was always there, and I just helped you see it for yourself.
BTW, I'm really loving the way you're "paying it forward" of late. This is how it should be done.
What is that picture from? It looks like Rachel McAdams, but I can't place it.
jp
hillary is very supportive of doing whatever it takes to undermine trump.
would you be happy if she were your president?.
Who invaded Iraq and sparked movements like Isis. I seem to recall that was George W. Bush.
The Gulf War (2 August 1990 – 28 February 1991), codenamed Operation Desert Shield (2 August 1990 – 17 January 1991) for operations leading to the buildup of troops and defense of Saudi Arabia and Operation Desert Storm (17 January 1991 – 28 February 1991) in its combat phase, was a war waged by coalition forces from 35 nations led by the United States against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.
This was during the administration of George H. W. Bush.
Sins of the father, not the son.
this is bigger than christmas and birthdays wrap into one.
thanks to the australian royal commission our youngest son has woke up.
we received a e-mail from him tonight where he apologized to us for shunning us all these years, how bad he felt for doing this.
We will mark June 28, 2018 on our calendar as the day we have have one of our sons back.
^^^ THIS ^^^
hillary is very supportive of doing whatever it takes to undermine trump.
would you be happy if she were your president?.
No, I do not.
Why do you assume that if someone doesn’t like Trump they must like Hillary?
It’s wrong and it’s weird.
Binary, Black & White, either/or, this or that thinking is not healthy and rarely—if ever—does it reflect actual reality.
Cults like to create false dichotomies like this to manipulate our thInking.
Life is filled with ambiguities and shades of gray. There are often any number of choices available to us; seldom is there only one or two.
It’s important for us as individuals and as members of society to learn this.
I don’t like Trump. He is a horrible person. I detest Hillary. She is corrupt.
At the last election I voted for every office, measure, initiative, et cetera EXCEPT President.
There wasn’t a single candidate that represents my core values. Not one.
so, this week on the clm there was an interesting comment at our kh.. under the "apply yourself to the field ministry" portion this week, there was the bible study assignment based on the publication: who are doing jehovah’s will today?
published in 2016. the material was from lesson 28 "what can be found on our website?
there is a footnote at the bottom that reads: .
Wow.
It won't be long now before that chairman is no longer attending meetings ...
He may already be lurking and/or posting here!
