Are the Governing Body Members Mentally Ill?

by Oubliette 43 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  fukitol

  They're just friggen brainwashed, man, in the same way that any religious leader of any church is. Stupid to tarnish them with the same 'mentally diseased' crap as they do to us. Don't descend to their level.
  
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  Oubliette

  fukitol: They're just friggen brainwashed, man, in the same way that any religious leader of any church is. Stupid to tarnish them with the same 'mentally diseased' crap as they do to us. Don't descend to their level.

  You're missing several important points. First, I'm not "descending to their level" at all. Unlike them, I support my assertions with facts and evidence. This is profoundly different.

  Also, you contradict yourself when you say, "They're just friggen brainwashed" because that actually proves my point. The GB members exhibit (among other things) belief induced delusions which they in turn induce in others.

  Finally, I am convinced that the WT leaderships use of the "mentally diseased" label is in fact a psychological projection of their own deep-seated fears concerning their own sanity. But again, note that when they use the term disparagingly of "apostates" they fail to provide anything remotely resembling evidence or reasons for their abusive ad hominem attacks on those that disagree with them.

  That being said, there is clearly evidence that the WT leaders suffer from a suite of personality disorders. I just focused on a few of the big ones.
• 

  Oubliette

  Calebs Airplane: They all suffer from varying degrees of NPD (narcissistic personality disorder)...

  Agreed. These guys clearly have issues. Their issues have issues!

  My analysis was not intended to be comprehensive.
  
• 

  Oubliette

  Paranoia Agent: I don’t think anyone here understand what is being mentally ill

  You can't possibly know that. You're certainly able to think it, but you can't know it and in fact you are wrong.

  Paranoia Agent: so before any mention of who is mentally ill allow me to explain that nobody has mental disorders or illnesses.

  OK, you just lost all credibility in this discussion.

  Pretty ironic statement considering your JWN Username.

  BTW, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!
  
  
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  Oubliette

  DarioKehl: Not sure on mental illness since I'm not a psychologist or psychiatrist, but in my opinion, it appears that Lett and Morris in particular have personality disorders

  I get that, but consider this: do you have to be a doctor to know when you have a cold? A broken bone? Or some other undiagnosed malady or ailment? No of course not!

  Doctors have special training in diagnosis and healing, but even the average, ordinary person can tell when someone is physically sick. Merely recognizing obvious mental disorders does not necessarily require a degree in psychology.
  
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  millie210

  I am new to this discussion but I cant help but think of the parallel that exists all throughout history between religious fervor and mental imbalance.

  It becomes somewhat of a chicken or the egg paradox.

  Are people drawn to religion because of a mental frailty or does the being drawn to religion cause it?

  If that theory has merit, IF, then the more steeped in religious thinking and behavoir, the greater the likelihood that mental fissures in the human psyche would seem inevitable.
• 

  GrreatTeacher

  Delusions are given some leeway in diagnosis if it's a sincerely held religious belief.

  For example, believing a loved one is watching over one from heaven.

  Don't know if this would apply to the belief of living forever or not.
• 

  Oubliette

  Hi Millie!

  Your raise a really good question, one that has been examined and studied, but--at least as far as I have been able to determine--has resisted a definitive answer.

  That being said, it's nonetheless very clear that the two factors create a powerful negative synergy. And while some delusions maybe somewhat benign (see GreatTeacher's post above), many are clearly malignant, destructive and very dangerous.

  Still, a delusion is a delusion. Why would anyone want to believe in things that aren't true? Reality isn't always pretty, but it's always real.

  That's what I'm all about: keeping it real.
  
• 

  Brokeback Watchtower

  I doubt that they any psychosis(as in a complete break or loss touch with reality), probably a more milder form of neurosis.

  I think that with all the stress they are facing to keep their delusions of greatness alive that they may be prone to psychosis as their situation gets worse and worse they may experience a complete or more profound break with reality.

  http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/psychosis

  Psychosis is a symptom or feature of mental illness typically characterized by radical changes in personality, impaired functioning, and adistorted or nonexistent sense of objective reality.

  Description

  Patients suffering from psychosis have impaired reality testing; that is, they are unable to distinguish personal subjective experience from thereality of the external world. They experience hallucinations and/or delusions that they believe are real, and may behave and communicate inan inappropriate and incoherent fashion. Psychosis may appear as a symptom of a number of mental disorders, including mood andpersonality disorders. It is also the defining feature of schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder, delusionaldisorder, and the psychotic disorders (i.e., brief psychotic disorder, shared psychotic disorder, psychotic disorder due to a general medicalcondition, and substance-induced psychotic disorder).

  Causes and symptoms

  Psychosis may be caused by the interaction of biological and psychosocial factors depending on the disorder in which it presents; psychosiscan also be caused by purely social factors, with no biological component.

  Biological factors that are regarded as contributing to the development of psychosis include genetic abnormalities and substance use. Withregard to chromosomal abnormalities, studies indicate that 30% of patients diagnosed with a psychotic disorder have a microdeletion atchromosome 22q11. Another group of researchers has identified the gene G72/G30 at chromosome 13q33.2 as a susceptibility gene for child-hood-onset schizophrenia and psychosis not otherwise specified.

  With regard to substance abuse, several different research groups reported in 2004 that cannabis (marijuana) use is a risk factor for the onsetof psychosis.

  Migration is a social factor that influences people's susceptibility to psychotic disorders. Psychiatrists in Europe have noted the increasing rateof schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders among immigrants to almost all Western European countries. Black immigrants from Africa orthe Caribbean appear to be especially vulnerable. The stresses involved in migration include family breakup, the need to adjust to living in largeurban areas, and social inequalities in the new country.

  Schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, and schizoaffective disorder

  Psychosis in schizophrenia and perhaps schizophreniform disorder appears to be related to abnormalities in the structure and chemistry of thebrain, and appears to have strong genetic links; but its course and severity can be altered by social factors such as stress or a lack of supportwithin the family. The cause of schizoaffective disorder is less clear cut, but biological factors are also suspected.

  Delusional disorder

  The exact cause of delusional disorder has not been conclusively determined, but potential causes include heredity, neurological abnormalities,and changes in brain chemistry. Some studies have indicated that delusions are generated by abnormalities in the limbic system, the portion ofthe brain on the inner edge of the cerebral cortex that is believed to regulate emotions. Delusional disorder is also more likely to develop inpersons who are isolated from others in their society by language difficulties and/or cultural differences.

  Brief psychotic disorder

  Trauma and stress can cause a short-term psychosis (less than a month's duration) known as brief psychotic disorder. Major life-changingevents such as the death of a family member or a natural disaster have been known to stimulate brief psychotic disorder in patients with noprior history of mental illness.

  Psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition

  Psychosis may also be triggered by an organic cause, termed a psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition. Organic sources ofpsychosis include neurological conditions (for example, epilepsy and cerebrovascular disease), metabolic conditions (for example, porphyria),endocrine conditions (for example, hyper- or hypothyroidism), renal failure, electrolyte imbalance, or autoimmune disorders.

  Substance-induced psychotic disorder

  Psychosis is also a known side effect of the use, abuse, and withdrawal from certain drugs. So-called recreational drugs, such ashallucinogenics, PCP, amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol, may cause a psychotic reaction during use or withdrawal. Certainprescription medications such as steroids, anticonvulsants, chemotherapeutic agents, and antiparkinsonian medications may also inducepsychotic symptoms. Toxic substances such as carbon monoxide have also been reported to cause substance-induced psychotic disorder.

  Shared psychotic disorder

  Shared psychotic disorder, also known as folie à deux or psychosis by association, is a relatively rare delusional disorder involving two (ormore) people with close emotional ties. In the West, shared psychosis most commonly develops between two sisters or between husband andwife, while in Japan the most common form involves a parent and a son or daughter. Shared psychosis occasionally involves an entire nuclearfamily.

  Psychosis is characterized by the following symptoms:

  • Delusions. Those delusions that occur in schizophrenia and its related forms are typically bizarre (i.e., they could not occur in real life).Delusions occurring in delusional disorder are more plausible, but still patently untrue. In some cases, delusions may be accompanied byfeelings of paranoia.

  • Hallucinations. Psychotic patients see, hear, smell, taste, or feel things that aren't there. Schizophrenic hallucinations are typically auditoryor, less commonly, visual; but psychotic hallucinations can involve any of the five senses.
  • Disorganized speech. Psychotic patients, especially those with schizophrenia, often ramble on in incoherent, nonsensical speech patterns.
  • Disorganized or catatonic behavior. The catatonic patient reacts inappropriately to his/her environment by either remaining rigid and immobileor by engaging in excessive motor activity. Disorganized behavior is behavior or activity that is inappropriate for the situation, orunpredictable.

  Diagnosis

  Patients with psychotic symptoms should undergo a thorough physical examination and history to rule out such possible organic causes asseizures, delirium, or alcohol withdrawal, and such other psychiatric conditions as dissociation or panic attacks. If a psychiatric cause such asschizophrenia is suspected, a mental health professional will typically conduct an interview with the patient and administer one of severalclinical inventories, or tests, to evaluate mental status. This assessment takes place in either an out-patient or hospital setting.

  Psychotic symptoms and behaviors are considered psychiatric emergencies, and persons showing signs of psychosis are frequently taken byfamily, friends, or the police to a hospital emergency room. A person diagnosed as psychotic can be legally hospitalized against his or her will,particularly if he or she is violent, threatening to commit suicide, or threatening to harm another person. A psychotic person may also behospitalized if he or she has become malnourished or ill as a result of failure to feed, dress appropriately for the climate, or otherwise take careof him- or herself.

  Treatment

  Psychosis that is symptomatic of schizophrenia or another psychiatric disorder should be treated by a psychologist and/or psychiatrist. Anappropriate course of medication and/or psychosocial therapy is employed to treat the underlying primary disorder. If the patient is considered tobe at risk for harming himself or others, inpatient treatment is usually recommended.

  Treatment of shared psychotic disorder involves separating the affected persons from one another as well as using antipsychotic medicationsand psychotherapy.

  Antipsychotic medication such as thioridazine (Mellaril), haloperidol (Haldol), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (Clozaril), sertindole(Serlect), olanzapine (Zyprexa), or risperidone (Risperdal) is usually prescribed to bring psychotic symptoms under control and into remission.Possible side effects of antipsychotics include dry mouth, drowsiness, muscle stiffness, and tardive dyskinesia (involuntary movements ofthe body). Agranulocytosis, a potentially serious but reversible health condition in which the white blood cells that fight infection in the body aredestroyed, is a possible side effect of clozapine. Patients treated with this drug should undergo weekly blood tests to monitor white blood cellcounts for the first six months, then every two weeks.

  After an acute psychotic episode has subsided, antipsychotic drug maintenance treatment is typically employed and psychosocial therapy andliving and vocational skills training may be attempted.

  Prognosis

  Prognosis for brief psychotic disorder is quite good; for schizophrenia, less so. Generally, the longer and more severe a psychotic episode, thepoorer the prognosis is for the patient. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to improving outcomes for the patient across all psychoticdisorders.

  Approximately 10% of America's permanently disabled population is comprised of schizophrenic individuals. The mortality rate of schizophrenicindividuals is also high—approximately 10% of schizophrenics commit suicide, and 20% attempt it. However, early diagnosis and long-termfollow up care can improve the outlook for these patients considerably. Roughly 60% of patients with schizophrenia will show substantialimprovement with appropriate treatment.

  Resources
• 

  millie210

  I was thinking about another angle that I guess would eventually combine with the religious one. The angle is that of "star power". We have all seen what happens to a lot of movie stars when they get adulation that hasnt been "earned" in any way their own mind can process.

  The GB now as never before is getting their "star power" and mass adulation.

  If you combine that with the amount of religious resolvea a group like the Org is capable o. then what?

  What does it feel like to get up in the morning and stare at your face in the mirror and think " I speak for God"?

  More importantly, what kind of emotional/mental effect does that have?