How stressed were you as a JW?

by JH 25 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  JH

  I don't know about you guys, but It stressed me alot to be a JW.

  I never did like talking in public, in front of a group, or going door to door.

  Gee, I hated the TMS meeting. The moment I knew that I had a talk, I became nervous and often I had a hard time sleeping. Just knowing that I had to talk for 5 minutes in front of the whole congrgation got me nervous weeks ahead of time. Once I finished my talk, I was so relieved, but not for long....until I got a slip for my next talk.

  Also at the book study, it was my turn to read once every 4 or 5 weeks. I used to read the chapter about 10 times out loud at home just to practise, because sometimes there were so many tongue twisters to read.

  But what freaked me out the most, was when i knew it wasnt my turn to read, but then brother who was supposed to read didnt show up at meeting, and I HAD to read at the last moment without any warning. My pulse went from 70 to 110 right away.

  So, then I learned to wait in front of the book study outside in my car.....just waiting for that brother who was supposed to read, to arrive. If he didn't show up at the book study, I left and went home, so that I wouldnt be the one to read without sufficient practise.

  It got me so nervous to read in front of a group, that sometimes my pulse was way up, and I was almost hyper ventilating....

  The JW way of life wasn't good for me at all.
• 

  Jamelle

  I was very stressed during the final years of my time in the borg! Mild panic attacks were common occurences for me while at the meetings. I spent most of the time in the ladies restroom sitting in the area of nursing mothers.

  They had a hook up in there so that you could hear the speaker - and there was a volume control. I always turned it way down. I remember one time I had done this and an elder's wife came in and turned it all the way up without asking or saying a word to me, then left. She was a royal b*&^* by the way. I turned the sound right back down again!

  I was always nervous when giving a talk in front of the hall. Compared to that, speaking in school was a piece of cake. Maybe because I was less afraid of my worldly classmates than my "brothers and sisters" at the hall?

  As a sister I was never expected to do "readings" of paragraphs...women can't read that well you know...so I missed the opportunity to be nervous about that one.

  I was always very nervous while working in field service. I hated that moment between knocking/ringing the bell and when someone would answer. I was always praying that no one was home. My stomach was always in knots. I felt like such a fool.
• 

  JH

  I also knew a brother who was also quite stressed, and he had to arrive at the hall way before the others just to be sure he had the seat where he felt most comfortable in, sowhere in the back next to the aisle...

  He didnt want to arrive when many had already had arrived. For some reason he felt uncomfortable entering the KH when many had already arrived.
• 

  JH

  I spent most of the time in the ladies restroom sitting in the area of nursing mothers.

  They had a hook up in there so that you could hear the speaker - and there was a volume control. I always turned it way down. I remember one time I had done this and an elder's wife came in and turned it all the way up without asking or saying a word to me, then left.

  Maybe she wanted lots of sound in the restroom so that she could fart un noticed.
• 

  kls

  Maybe she wanted lots of sound in the restroom so that she could fart un noticed.

  ROTFL,,,,,,,,,Sorry could not pass this up
• 

  joelbear

  i didnt mind reading, i frequently read the watchtower paragraphs on sunday, do they still do that?

  i did not like giving the prayer. it totally freaked me out.

  i did not like going door to door, it almost totally freaked me out.

  there was stress associated with being teased at school.

  most of the stress came from my parents who put a lot of pressure on me to perform spiritually.
• 

  Why Georgia

  I was not a JW but just trying to act like one to make hubby happy. It was incredibly stressful to me to try and be so perfect and happy all the time.

  Not to mention 3 meetings a week with a brand new baby and the damn sisters popping in all the time when they were out in field service when I was trying to rest or the baby finally went to sleep.

  Plus if we missed a meeting we got 20 phone calls at least and usually a visit the next day.

  Lord help me if I had a single thought for myself without all those good JW's there to think it for me first!

  Chrystal
• 

  JH

  i did not like giving the prayer. it totally freaked me out

  Me too, because we didnt know ahead of time at the book study who would give it.

  "Our father who fart in heaven..........."
• 

  Genesis

  Being interviewed by 700,1400 and 7000 brothers and sisters stressed me a lot but after i was feeling glorious cause of the congratulations (please Lord forgive me lol). I didnt feeled stressed that much since i have inner skills for giving talks and reading. But what stressed me was to show a good impression for the sisters so I would be viewed as a good future husband. We (bachelors brothers) were calling that "making points"....
• 

  skyman

  
  I was the epiphany of stressed. I had to prepare for hour talks and my Book study group. I hated this part of my life. Towards the end I was stressed so badly I felt like puking before meetings. I was removed, I know you here this all the time, I was unjustly removed and my head spun as my heart broke in pieces, never knowing if the feeling would ever leave. Six months later the CO came and apologized to me in front the Elders that where responsible, he said, he was sorry for his part in it and said Br. .XXX you were removed unjustly. This did not help my ever growing doubts, as time went on, and I was not reappointed, I became so stressed that some one would find out about my doubts. I prayed for a way out. I felt that if I thought too loudly some how they would know and expose my fraud. I had to keep the information I was finding out to myself and pray that my wife did not catch me doing my research. It was horrible, at the meeting when I heard brain washed comments from the Drones I would almost climb out of my skin. It was like being trapped inside an un-breakable grass dome that anyone that wanted to see in could, as hard as I tried to break free I was afraid that the falling glass from the glass dome would slice me with a fatal wound and I would die while the Borg smiled approvingly of my fate as an example for all to see.

  I have moved beyond all of this now and live a stress free life.