A Connection Between Sickness and JW Lifestyle

by choosing life 22 Replies latest jw friends

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  lovelylil

  I have both FMS and chronic fatigue syndrome and was diagnosed after seeing a specialist and a neurologist. It is NOT a phsyco symathic illness that is made up in someones head. If it was the medical establishment would not call it a legit. illness.

  That being said - I do believe that the stress of being a Witness may have been the catalyst to the disease rearing its head when it did. And I do find personally that stress will agravate my illness. But I have been out 3 years now and I am not any better than before. I had a virus first about six months prior to my strange symptoms appearing and I kept trying to go to as many meetings as possible so people would not talk. I pushed myself and winded up sick for two months with a fever. Then I later developed FMS.

  I also agree with the person (blondie I think) that said that the JWs tend to self diagnose and go along with the current trend of others and what they believe in the KH. I think many are just depressed and do not have this illness at all. You have to have tests done to rule out other things. It took over three years in my case. Lilly
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  Warlock

  Just for your info, FMS can be triggered by some sort of traumatic event that causes extreme stress to that individual. An auto accident, death of a loved one, childbirth. Those are just some.

  Also, the symtoms may not occur immediately after the event. They may be delayed. There are also cases where there does not seem to be a catalyst.

  Warlock
• 

  Gill

  Before leaving the bOrg, I was seeing four different hospital consultants for autoimmune disorders affecting different parts of my body. On leaving the bOrg, I saw one counsellor and then one psychiatrist for a total of nearly a year. My physical problems disappeared, I KID YOU NOT! I had counselling for my stress and anxiety and agoraphobia that had developed. I accepted their advice that I was in a CULT and to leave. I haven't been to a doctor for nearly 2 and a half years. I recently went back because my anxiety problem had resurfaced but that seems to be part of my character and is back under control now after a few weeks 'revision'. So, is there a connection? In my view there is. I have never felt so well or so happy and so relieved to have been wrong for so many years as a JW. I'm making up for nearly forty years of misery and now I have my health back and accept life as it is and try to take each day as it comes. I no longer live in terror of an evil war God, or a book publishing company in New York!
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  Wordly Andre

  OMG my mom has this, is this a JW sickness
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  Warlock

  FMS is not exclusive to J.W.'s.

  Warlock
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  metatron

  My physical health and immunity in particular have improved since I gave up being a Witness.

  If there is any link between body and mind ( and there is!), how can anyone absorb that weekly dose of negativity, uncritical pessimism,

  and outright boredom - that goes with being a Witness - and not get sick?

  metatron
• 

  Quandry

  A poster on another thread mentioned that he used to go to the "five weekly beatings." I thought that was an accurate summation of the meetings.

  I didn't suffer actual ill health, but was constantly tired because of the pace of job, study, perfect meeting attendance, field service, elder's wife clean house, car, etc. Makes me exhausted just thinking about it.

  I was also stressed because I wasn't a pioneer, I made mistakes, my talks weren't to my satisfaction, I could never manage to study for every meeting,I hated field service, and the low paying job I have, because, of course, no higher education.

  One reason I think I feel better now is that on Saturday mornings, my husband and I work in the yard, and afterward sit in the back with a cold drink and watch the lizards and hummingbirds and our cats lounging on the porch. We can talk and relax. It takes some of the stress out of the job.

  Come to think of it, I feel better now.
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  Virgochik

  Many at the Hall had chronic illnesses, including me. Mine was from the stress of trying to set the perfect example, and pretend to believe in what I strongly disagreed with! It was acceptable to be sick and blame it on "this old system." This awful old system of things causes so much suffering. I would think, "This awful old meeting causes so much suffering!"

  Now that I'm away from all the rules and "suggestions" I feel really great!
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  parakeet

  Everyone has potential health weaknesses, physical or mental. I think the stress of trying to be a perfect JW will eventually find that weakness, and the seam will blow. For me, it was depression and stomach troubles.
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  Reefton Jack

  I know that I have said this before on another post, but I think it is relevant to this discussion, also.

  When I was with the JWs, it was known that 5% of the circuit suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. (Incidently, this went through a succession of different names; starting with the total misnomer "Tapanui Flu", then "ME" or "Myalgic Encephalitis", followed by "CFS / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome" - and for all I know they may now have yet another name for the illness!)

  The interesting point that I find is that, in the 12 years since I broke with the JWs, I have yet to meet one person who suffers from this illness.

  5% of the JW population versus 0% of everybody else that I know - what does that tell you?

  Jack.