Swan

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Posts by Swan

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  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

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  Swan

  Dear Celtic;

  You poor dear!

  Not only did I firmly believe that I was born in the wrong sexual gender, thinking for many years that some genetic mutation had taken place, a woman trapped in a mans body but also just to double whammy the situation I also thought I should have been born a black man and not a white man. When I first told the therapists this, I was so sure that they would think I was completely cracked and like you, believed that at any moment, a concern I raised with the counsellor, that they would cart me off to the nearest mental institution to section me, straightjacket an all.

  It must have been a very confusing time for you. It is hard to trust a therapist with your innermost feelings and thoughts. There are many people with gender conflicts, birth abnormalities, etc. that the JWs dismiss without any regard to medical science. Fortunately there are many good and patient therapists and counselors out there who will listen to us as we talk about our feelings, respect them, validate them, and then help us sort them out.

  Good luck to you!

  Tammy
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  35

  worst JW introductions

  by sleepy in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  what were the worst introductions you remmeber people using on the ministry?

  "hello my friend and i....." .

  "hello we've been talking to your neighbours, do you think we can ever see a peaceful world?

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  Swan

  LOL @ Englishman
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  6

  False end times predictions

  by seedy3 in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  i'm not sure where the best place for this is but it looked good in this section and i think most of you will get a kick out of it.

  check out the wts mentioned here, and this isn't even an apostate sight, and they sure make fun of the jdubs.. .

  i just loved this site lmao.. seedy

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  Swan

  Hey! I didn't see anything about Chicken Little!
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  25

  How Do You Unwind?

  by Scully in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  lately, i've found listening to my "simpsons" cds while i'm driving home from work to be very helpful in de-stressing.

  they always make me laugh, and it's far less depressing than listening to the news on the radio while i'm driving.. i've also been known to have bubble baths by candle light with a good relaxing cd playing (i have one that's of thunderstorms which is one of my favorites).

  glass of wine optional.

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  Swan

  I read or I play computer games. (My favorites are Rollercoaster Tycoon and The Sims). In the winter I like to bake. I also take my poodle for a walk when the weather is nice. Word puzzles are a fun release too.
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  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Swan

  Dear Rachel,

  I know what you mean! And what gets me is that most people I know think JWs are another religion, with a few strange quirks. They look at you incredulously when you describe it as a cult. I think they think of a cult as the Bagwan, or Jim Jones, or the Branch Davidians. They totally miss the point that more JWs have died from refusing blood transfusions, organ transplants, and vaccinations than have died from drinking Jones Kool-aid. They never stop to think that JW's have given up more valuables and careers to pioneer and go to Bethel than ever followed the Bagwan.

  That's why the Steve Hassan book was so good for me way back when I first read it shortly after leaving the JWs. It helped me realize that they were a cult. It just hasn't really sunk in till lately that they are as just as screwy as the followers of the Bagwan, Jim Jones, Hale Bopp, Branch Davidians, etc.

  Tammy <=== still shaking her head in disbelief
• 
  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
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  Swan

  Good point larc. He may not be an exit counselor, but he is getting me to look at one situation in a very healthy manner. Thanks again.
• 
  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Swan

  larc wrote:

  U.D., your therapist may be a cognitive behaviorist. They believe that it is more important to spend time on the present and make a plan for where you are going in the future. That could explain why he is not encouraging you to delve into the past.

  He does seem to talk about that; and working on me and how I will relate to the situation. I will ask him if he is a cognitive behaviorist. Thanks for explaining that.

  Tammy
• 
  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Swan

  Patio,

  It just hit me that I WAS RAISED IN A RELIGIOUS CULT. I have known that for quite some time, especially after reading Steven Hassan's Combatting Cult Mind Control. But even knowing that, it still sometimes hits me that I WAS RAISED IN A RELIGIOUS CULT! I just have to stop and shake my head. It all seems like some weird dream, yet it was my whole life! Did you ever just have days like that where the realization just hits you all at once like that.

  WOW!

  Tammy <=== Still shaking her head
• 
  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Swan

  You Know wrote,

  Why should your shrink think that's crazy? Actually millions of young men have left home, some voluntarily, others conscripted, they have shaved their heads and have gone through months of tortuous boot camp, just to learn how to go kill other people in far away lands. For low pay I might add. In spite of how dangerous and crazy the military experience seems, there are those who have strong convictions that their country is right and that they are willing to kill and to be killed for their country. Jehovah's Witnesses have similar convictions in our faith, only we direct our efforts into more peaceful pursuits. Too, other young people join the Peace Corp and are willing to live in poverty in some 3rd world nation in order to do what they feel is right. What's so crazy about that? / You Know

  I have often thought that the military was very cult-like in it's approach too. I think You Know has a very good point in showing the parallels between the military's cult tactics and the JW ones.

  Tammy
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  32

  My Therapist Must Think I'm Absolutely Nuts!

  by Swan in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  every week i go in and tell my therapist these fantastic stories about the religion i was raised in!

  i think he believes me, but then when i think about it, it sounds too fantastic to be true.

  he must think i'm absolutely insane.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  Swan

  Yes Joy,

  I talked to him about what you said (at the Apostafest) to me.

  I am still evaluating him and wondering seriously if he ever will catch up. I have one more appointment scheduled, but if we don't make any serious headway, it will be the last. He believes that it is better for him to not know anything about JWs and thus provide me with validation and a fresh perspective about my experiences. I have my doubts.

  I voiced my concern yesterday to my MD that he doesn't seem to be very up on exit counseling issues. She agreed to send me elsewhere if it doesn't work out.

  Tammy