Mental Illness with Jehovah's Witnesses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrBXTvuAT1g

Oh how I could wish this person was just making a parody.  I have a feeling they are not though.  It makes me sad.    (Not because I think "jeohvah is wathcing you ryt now" and that I'll "be sorry in armagedon".)

- Lime

PS: You'd think that at the very least they would learn how to spell their God's name correctly.  Isn't it supposed to be holy and/or important?  Not only are both spellings wrong, they're not even consistent.

My mother had a breakdown over all this JW crap. She still is in a constant state of anxiety, depression and deep sadness. She was hospitalized for a couple of weeks, but didn't improve. She was told by an elder not to mention the JW stance on shunning family members who don't believe the WT teachings.

Very sad. The solution to her problems are obvious, but neither she, nor my father can see it.

I hate that cult!

Here is the link to the paper written on it.

http://www.seanet.com/~raines/mental.html

Awesome Purple sofa, I was trying to google written proof and references last night but could not come up with it...

I may be crazy but I ain't no fool!!

 She was told by an elder not to mention the JW stance on shunning family members who don't believe the WT teachings. 

This says that their stance is not principled.  If you cannot speak openly about it, it is wrong.

Depression is/was a major problem with at least 3 JWs in my family.  You cannot be happy when your focus is on bad.  It's that simple. 

"What You Focus On Expands"

This is basically the #1 Law of the Universe.  You attract into your life that which you focus on.  So focus on the positive... on the good.

Every time I read WTS literature, there is always the big "But" in the writing.  After that, it's all bad.  Even my father said there's too much doom and gloom.  One more reason I am not interested in joining.    

For comparison here is a study regarding the link between poverty and mental illness.

http://www.masspsy.com/leading/0506_ne_cover_study.html

Also I'd like to compare Jerry Bergman's findings with any studies that may have been done regarding mental illness in fundamentalist religions.

However I can agree that awakening from JW "truths" is fraught with emotional difficutly but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

edit:  And also the pressures that the JW way of life exerts on one, particularly children and teenagers is diabolical

Bergman's presentation opens a line of questioning in my mind. If medication is so helpful, it must be that depression is a chemical imbalance rather than an environmental complication. The subjects of these studies may have already had the predisposition for depression and their experience in the organization may have only served as  a trigger for episodes of the disorder. Who can say with certainty that the subjects would not have experienced the same condition lacking the exposure to one particular religious structure?

Berean, your social environment can impact your brain chemistry. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a good example. You're most likely dealing with two sets of persons. Those who had a predisposition to depression like you mentioned and those who do not under normal circumstances but who would get depressed under the unnatural stress and strain of the JWs.

By the way, those who would be already predisposed to depression may their problem aggravated by being in the JW religion.

villabolo

  HOPE 4 OTHERS- Very good U-tube ! Thanks for posting it ! This is a problem in the Jehovah's Witness cult that too many of them bury their heads in the sand about like ostriches . It's too bad that more don't seek psychiatric help inside the cult - too bad for the individual, and too bad for the people around them that they drive insane with their manic depression or psychotic behavior ! But the leaders of the WT society have done a good job of dissing professional counselors so much so - that most witnesses think it's evil to seek " worldly wisdom " as they call it to get help they need. Somehow they've been convinced that the elders are also psychiatric counselors - and it just ain't so ! They are NOT professionally trained to handle these issues in people's lives .  A sad state of affairs in the witness organization. Peaceout, Mr. Flipper

If you think about it unless your born into the org you are depressed when they get ya hooked.......if your not they will try to make you depressed, for instance you can be having the best day of your life like this poor bstd;

Hello: JW

Hi: poor bstd

what a lovely little boy:JW

We are so happy, I never thought a child could bring so much joy to our lives: poor bstd

NOW BRACE YOURSELF CAUSE HERE IT COMES

Have you ever wondered what the future holds for him, I mean with wars and crime and poverty, rape, murder, drugs, children bringing guns to school? :JW (They somehow keep a smile)

You have in effect taken one of the happiest days of a persons life, a positive moment and took a big piss on it! And if this person does'nt just say "Go away" and listens to this crap he has started a long journey into the negative world view of the WTS.........

Back in the 90s there was this wave of JW women being diagnosed, or diagnosing themselves, with Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). It was like all the sudden everyone was realizing they had been molested or abused in the past, and they were caught up in discovering suppressed memories.

I think it was a perfect storm situation, where the witnesses, who are statistically more likely to exhibit mental illness, being extra vulnerable to various trend methods of secular therapy.

Any thoughts on this?

If medication is so helpful, it must be that depression is a chemical imbalance rather than an environmental complication.

Not always. Believe it or not, some popular drugs are only as effective as placebo.

Dr. Jerry Bergman on the conference call.  http://www.sixscreensofthewatchtower.com/conferencecall-2-28-09.html

I can vouch for depression happening solely because of exposure to a nasty environment. It does a number on a person's brain. I was in a constant state of depression while in the JW's. But once out, I gradually got better and better so that I don't have even a hint of it now. All the time I had depression (sometimes deep) I fought it because it was not inherent in my make-up. My family has a ton of depression genes floating around in our gene pool, but I didn't inherit it. I know that because it took really bad experiences on a constant basis to get me depressed. Now, I get sad at stuff, but can bounce back every time.

My mother a jw spent most of my childhood severly depressed and as a result I ended up severly neglected alot of the time .but she would still manage to throw things together to drag herself and me to the meeting(my father worked away from home) and keep up appearances .The fact that no-one noticed we both lost an extreme amount of weight and could hardly communicate with our former "friends" went unoticed.Its one of the things i resent the most about the org.The lack of support they give people as long as you make it to the meeting it doesnt seem to matter that there at home in bed crying the rest of the time with their kids raising themselves.

villabolo: Interesting thought about environmental consequences.

 I guess I always believed that you can't run from your problems.  If your suggestion is correct, then perhaps one can. Therefore any who remain, for instance, in bad marriages, jobs, or under the rule of corrupt governments may not have an equal chance to improve their lot unless and until they sever. Wow, I'll have to think about that ...

I just have to say that even though the WT literature recommends counseling to a person who needs it, a witness is so afraid of ending up with a counselor that will "discourage" them spiritually OR they are so afraid of bringing reproach on Jehovah's name by revealing that they have problems as a witness OR they are afraid something they say will make the organization look bad and they will be bloodguilty for stumbling a potential sheep that most will not go to counseling, no matter how badly they need it. 

those who would be already predisposed to depression may their problem aggravated by being in the JW religion.

I certainly agree that this can be the case. Chemical imbalances, family history of depression, eating disorders and so forth can all come into play.

Many young couples I knew and associated with one of them often suffered depression. Raising a family, making a living, trying to keep up with study preparation, meetings, service and the stress of talks often had its toll. Some people are good at juggling but for others the multi tasking becomes a burden and stressful.

So many suffer in silence for fear of the stigmatisim that becomes attached to such ones. Many years ago you did not openly talk about depression, you would get the you need to get out in service more or pray more. God will fix it in the new system.

Elders are not psychologist's not therapists they have no qualifications in these area's. What good does reading you a couple of scriptures do? People need real support and understanding its a long haul and their feelings are real.