by Hope4Others 67 Replies latest watchtower medical
hi justme7
I agree with you on this, there is no proof that any religion promotes depresion i'm sure studies that are unbiased will show the mental illness happens and the person projects it onto their life around them whatever the elements it holds.
Reniaa
I have to agree with both justme7 and Reniaa on this issue. No scientific study has found higher rates of mental illness among Jws compared with the general population.
The literature often quoted is based on anecdotal evidence and even then, the question of causality is contentious. Even if it were borne out that JWs have a higher incidence of mental illness, causality is by no means clearcut. The obvious - but often over-looked questions are - Does the religion cause mental illness or does it attract people who are already mentally ill? There is a third hypothesis that is seldom discussed by anti-JWs: Membership in a marginal religious group can often be accompanied by mistreatment by the dominant groups in society; according to this hypothesis, the stress of belonging to a marginalised group can lead to members being more stressed not because of what happens inside the group - but because of the outsiders treat them. Personally, it is all opinion and the most annoying aspect are people's attempts to dress it all up in the language of scientific research when none has been conducted.
And a large thanks for the nice welcome.
As far as schizophrenia is concerned, you are right that it is part environmental stressors and part GENETIC. That's the key. Anyone without the genetics will not be bothered by the stressors that would set of a schizophrenic episode. There is NO PROOF whatsoever that schizophrenia is found in greater numbers among JWs than the rest of the world. Again, I will not believe anecdotal evidence as it is the bastion of the ignorant and biased! The only studies worth looking at are scientifically conducted double blind supervised studies, and I don't think that has been done.
I am not an apologist for the WT Society, I have a heavy scientific background and know how to sniff out fraud and outright lies, no matter WHERE it comes from.
I have served as an elder for many years and have not seen anything like was described above. I have personally stopped judicial committee meetings and have had reasoned with the others that what we are dealing with does not warrant us as a committee. They agreed and we invited the adolecent girl back in, but not as a committee but as concerned men. We decided it was enough to explain that while her conscience was disturbed, what had happened didn't need to helped by committee but by concerned friends. To this day, she still comes to us and gives us a big hug.
Just Me said:
we invited the adolecent girl back in, but not as a committee but as concerned men. We decided it was enough to explain that while her conscience was disturbed, what had happened didn't need to helped by committee but by concerned friends. To this day, she still comes to us and gives us a big hug.
That is lovely. You sound like a truly loving man. Thank you for sharing that experience.
Almost everybody I knew in the JWs was on or taking SOME kind of medication! Seriously...anti depressives, weird ass blood disorder self medications, Vitamins and minerals and tree bark or ground pig teeth or whatever. Because they were just trying to COPE and they couldnt say they were depressed or feeling downtrodden or hopeless because that would be admitting they were SPIRITUALLY WEAK and JEHOVAH HAD LEFT THEM...so they just made up a bunch of weird body dysfunctions and took massive amounts of homeopathic remedies to try to cure it. The reality was they were on an endless treadmill like a hampster in a wheel with no future, no hope, no happiness and had to SMILE to everyone and pretend it wasnt so...and all those smiles coming BACK at them were also on hampster wheels.
The way this religion treats its rank and file is indefensible.
Good points Mr. Flipper. The only cure for depression when you are a JW is very simple:
1.Do more preaching
2.Meetings
3.Personal Study
4.Read only WT publications....
They are so sick my God...
Many of us have gone through severe depression in that cult(including my self). My best friend killed her self due to that cult, not to mention all the pain if you are disfellowshiped. Bergman did an excellent job
Reniaa the classic JW blind follower....
When your "religion" tells you that the end is close and you will not grow old in this system, and suddenly you find your self OLD with white hair and you have put all your eggs to the basket called 'ARMAGEDDON" and did nothing for your future then we can talk about it again...
WT failed in every single subject. They promised us we will not grow old and we will see the end but we are getting old. They promise us a GENERATION THAT will NOT PASS AWAY, but the generation DID pass away. They are LIARS that lead many people to commit suicide and others to seek medication for mentall illness
Wow! What a slippery slope indeed.
First of all, I agree that in the organization, especially at the congregation level, I have seen the so called "Miracle" cure many times over! I myself have had numerous ones of my "friends" tell me how if I take this or that (usually homeopathic), that I would not need my meds. It typically goes something like this, "Hey, my friend! I heard you were sick, If you were to start using certain juices in combination, Why! That would fix you right up." This is usually said by the person that just so happens to be selling the ONLY machine in the world that could make the juices "without" destroying them (or something to that effect). For myself, I am NOT a believer in "homeopathic" or "Holistic" medicine. In my personal opinion, there are many cases where it get's positively dangerous! (just a little side point, when people approach me about these things I direct them to Quackwatch.com)
There are 2 main reasons this happens and it is not at all exclusive to JWs. 1. They have been "sucked or suckered" into what some call MLM or Multi Level Marketing, a euphemism for a "Get Rich Quick Scheme" based on a questionable business model, "the pyramid or Ponzi" scheme". This type of marketing ENCOURAGES getting your friends and families first to join you. Usually the only "customers" are people who "buy into" the scheme. 2. There is not a single one of us that will go through life WITHOUT aches and pains or anything else that "mainline" medicine can not help completely. This sets up a situation that is perfect for those who want their "youth" back, to become willing subjects of multiple questionable "cures" along with the promise of MONEY! (again, Quackwatch.com) These schemes rely on the "placebo" effect and without it, the scheme colapses.
As far as it goes, you may be surprised that a majority of the "Schemes" originate in Utah! About that, nuf said.
A little footnote, and this goes for anyone telling someone who is taking meds for a true, clinical, mental health problem. If you succede in getting the patient OFF their meds and on your "miracle" cure, Makes YOU responsible for anything that results from what you (a lay person) are prescribing.
me too - I agree with Reniaa and justme7 on this one, although there are huge pressures in being a witness
A little footnote, and this goes for anyone telling someone who is taking meds for a true, clinical, mental health problem. If you succede in getting the patient OFF their meds and on your "miracle" cure, Makes YOU responsible for anything that results from what you (a lay person) are prescribing.
I agree justme7. There is a local case currently before the Psychologists Board involving a registered psychologist who "persuaded" a client to discontinue her antidepressants against medical advice. The client dutifully stopped the anitdepressants, experienced debilitating "discontinuation effects" (i.e., withjdrawal) and made a serious self-harm attempt resulting in hospitalization. Anyone with a ounce of knowledge about antidepressants knows the hazards of sudden cessation).
It is one thing to have one's own beliefs about medication; it is quite another thing to actively persuade another person to follow your view. Huge accountability issues, to say nothing of the risks.
