Posts by dismal bliss

84

How do I as a future "Therapist" help ex-jws that won't move on from the WT?

by booker-t in

i am halfway through my master's program in psychology/sociology and plan on being a therapist/sounselor.

i left jw's in 1988 and i have never looked back.

i enjoy my life so much after getting my aa degree, then my ba degree, and now i will soon get my ma degree.

Need advice

by dismal bliss in

so i recently returned to the truth.

i was raised by an elder and jw family.

25 years later i am a new unbaptized publisher.. i have a problem i hope you all can give advice.

dismal bliss

So I recently returned to the Truth. I was raised by an Elder and JW family. 25 years later I am a new unbaptized publisher.

I have a problem I hope you all can give advice. I struggle with making minor mistakes that I know are wrong. Then I'm ashamed, I feel I can't pray, and the problem perpetuates.

I feel like I lose Jehovah's Spirit when this happens. Last night, I stumbled. Instantly I felt like my mind was in a fog. I feel like I became a different person, my old self. It was really weird. I've been working on a strained relationship with my worldly wife, and things have been going smoother lately, but after my mistake, I instantly started instigating problems with her. I don't want to sound spooky, but it feels like I wasn't in control. Like I couldn't stop myself from being hurtful to her. Now she "hates" me again. And I made myself walk away and I thought to myself "why am I acting this way?", "why can't I control myself?" and I still couldn't control myself. Am I really experiencing something here? Am I losing Jehovah's Spirit? Or am I just paranoid and have a guilty concious? I feel like I am starting all over again each time I commit this wrongdoing, but I can't be perfect! So how can this balance out? Yes, I know what I did was wrong, and I keep telling myself "no", but I did it anyway....

For a simple example--if you know it is wrong to say a curse word, yet you say it anyway, how do you justify yourself being "righteous"? And if this causes you to be "unrighteous", how can you ever attain "righteous"? b/c people certainly repeat wrongdoing. Perhaps this is "willful" sin versus "unintentional" sin? I guess my wrongdoing was willful since I told myself "no" behorehand yet proceeded anyway. Am I doomed? Is there a difference between knowingly sinning due to a lack of self control, and intentionally sinning? I would say I have a lack of self-control. I'm not sinning for the intentional purpose of sinning, I sinned b/c Im selfish and cant control myself I guess?

sorry for the rambling, i tried to explain it clearly. Please advise....