by youngbro 91 Replies latest jw friends
Youngbro, I don't know if you saw this apostate joke, but it's very funny and something you can think about at the meeting in the morning. Of course if you aren't feeling well--that's a very valid reason to skip it!
http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/213582/1/Apostate-jokes
youngbro - hang in there
a friend of mine reacts very badly to medication and after about 6 months into whatever meds he has been prescribed he often has to go back to the doc for a change of medication. For him it is a trial and error thing at the moment. Medication is supposed to make one feel better and if it does not then perhaps under advice form your doc it needs adjusting/changing. I'm not sure if this applies to you but thought I'd mention it anyway just in case.
You really need to get out of the cult ASAP!
I agree that getting out in the fresh air can help. A walk can help to raise endorphin levels. Seeking medical advice when the thoughts become too black is essential.
I would take a break from the meeting today and get out in the open. Don't feel guilty this is essential for your well being. The meetings encourage feelings of guilt and inadequacy and magnify existing feelings of depression and sadness. Today is the day to think of yourself.
yes I also have come to realise that there is a huge outer element to depression and it my be possible to explore changing your environment and association if you can. Fresh air, different people - it all helps.
The last two posts are excellent advice . . . it's not anti-meeting . . . it's pro-you. And don't feel guilty about it!
oh (((( youngbro )))) .... giving you a cyber hug here. My heart goes out to you. I am so sorry you are down right now. Many of us on here know exactly how you're feeling as we've all suffered from depression. Most of us still do from time to time. There is no one answer... there are a multitude of things that go into this issue.
Except for vistor-with-the-numbers (is that God Drools back by any chance? ), good advice given all around. For me personally, since I am a woman and the female brain is hyperactive, chewing up seratonin like a starving Ethiopian, I found taking a soy protein supplement daily (sometimes twice a day on my bad days) was key. I had to start focusing on positive things as well. I am a visual person so I began to view things that made me smile and laugh. Listening to music that uplifts you is good, watching comedy, and having a good diet, and doing exercise are all part of the healing journey. Talking to a counsellor may be a good idea if you can.
I am serious when I posted on your other thread to read Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Focus on what you love in life; the things that give you joy and satisfaction. Start nurturing your creativity; whatever that is for you.
For every 1 negative thought you have, it takes at least 12 positive thoughts to negate the pathway in the brain that the 1 negative thought has forged. This is a physiological fact and one you CAN deal with. You can try to reduce the negative thoughts for starters but force yourself to think about positive things. Start practicing this right now. Keep on practicing and it will become something you do automatically. Your brain can be trained and it is very important to keep it healthy because your body cannot live without your mind.
I usually start out with thinking about positive or humourous experiences I've had and things that make me smile and laugh. I think of yummy foods like Jamoca Almond Fudge Ice Cream from Baskin and Robbins or sushi. I think of comedy shows and jokes that make me chuckle. Whatever these things are for you, start filling your brain with these thoughts to crowd out the negative ones. You CAN train your brain.
To help you start , here are a couple of images to try to give you a smile and a lift:
Things really do turn around when you quit the indoctrination sessions.
visitor525
i know some might not agree with this but i believe this:depression is not from God it is from the devil it is not a medical disease it is a demonic spirit.meds can help the symptoms but not cure the problem
You are full of shit. How DARE you contradict a medical diagnosis with 2000 year old superstitions? Do you have ANY idea how reckless and dangerous it is to tell a depressed person that they are possessed by demons??? Do you want to be responsible for someone's suicide??
My advice to you is to keep your bullshit opinions to yourself. You aren't helping, not one bit.
Eighty percent of my panic attacks happened at a Kindom Hall or a convention. The environment is toxic.
First is the mind numbing repitition that forces the brain to shut down. A doctor once told me that inmates experience a high rate of depression NOT because they are locked up but because of the monotony. The same scedule, the same food, the same walls--no changes. Perhaps they have a job, but it only takes up an hour or two and it's always the same. So there is one thing.
But I think another issue is how the WT pushes for so much self reflection. I have come to believe that too much of this is a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, we all have to look within to be better people and make corrections, but it has to be balanced. This religion forces a person to look at every bad tendency, pluck it out, hold it up to the light, look at it in all its facets, find the fault. It never encourages one to look within and find the GOOD things! No you have to question every motive, evey action, every word. Analyze it. What weakness does it point to? How are you lacking?
I go to a Unitarian Universalist church, and every Sunday the pastor asks everyone to relax and absorb the quiet. She asks us to breathe and think about the good things in our life. To take a moment and reflect, not on our sins, but on our strengths. It felt very foreign to me at first. Wasn't all self reflection meant to find the evil and rip it out by the roots? I very much enjoy these moments now. I actually need the reminder that there are good things inside---decades of indoctrination doesn't end after we walk away.
They celebrate the wonderful things people do, read works by humans, allow people to play music or sing songs for the congregation if they wish. They have a portion every day directed specifically at children. One morning a member who also reads stories at the library sat in front with the children gathered around her wearing a silly interactive hat and telling them a competely secular story. That was in the middle of the sermon. Those kids felt good and special and that story teller got to use her gifts to uplift them. They weren't asked to look inside and find what was bad---they were celebrated.
At the hall I was surrounded by anxious worried people. At UU everyone is relaxed and happy. Their anxiety doesn't push them to love bomb--they know if you like it there you'll be back. I'm sure some struggle with anxiety and depression--it's everywhere. So when the pastor took a break, we came to church and a psychiatrist had arranged all of the seats in a circle. She talked to us about anxiety and stress and ways to deal with it. She was gentle and encouraging. Would a dub even understand such a set up?
I haven't had a panic attack since I left the hall. I don't examine my weaknesses until they grow so large in my head I can't see around them. I still have a lot of failings, but I now have permission to accept the good things about me too. It's much more balance. The KH will drive you crazy!
NC
