I was reading SwordofJah's post about a young lady who went back after 8 months and got reinstated
This past Tuesday, a young sister (21 Years Old) was reinstated after 8 months. She was always very nice and upbeat, but made a few wrong turns in her life. I talked to her a bit after the meeting and she was telling me that before being disfellowshipped she had been consumed by her actions, just didn't feel any joy in serving Jehovah. But she said that after she was disfellowshipped she meditated on her relationship with Jehovah and for the first time she realized that she really needed Jehovah in her life. She said that she was encouraged by her family (only her dad is a JW, mom walked out on them a long time ago). The congregation was very happy to have her back and many were crying with her. It was a very joyous experience.
This is one case. I have a few ideas why this person would go back. SoJ gives us plenty of information.
First this young woman appears to have been raised as a JW. Even if she has only been in for a few years she has most likely no friends or support outside of the congregation and her family who are JWs. So she has been isolated with only one source of information about how to get salvation. After being Dfed 8 months ago she lost that support. With no where else to turn it would seem reasonable that she would go back to get what support she is familiar with.
Second She apparently told SoJ that she "just didn’t feel any joy in serving Jehovah". Like many who try to gain acceptance through works she most likely realized that whatever you do is not good enough, in fact it isn’t enough period. More is always expected. As a young person who has many roads to success closed by the WT policies and teachings it would not be surprising if on some level she recognized this inability to achieve some real degree of accomplishment in here life. This could have triggered depression . The "it is never enough" policy and the lack of achievement might have pushed her to do some things that were forbidden. The depression would have robbed her of any "joy". The infinite rules often result in depression because so many doors are closed to a successful future.
Third. SoJ says the woman’s mother abandonded the family "a long time ago." If this is the case then she already may feel negative about herself that her mother would abandon her. People who feel abandoned by those who are supposed to love them will do just about anything to maintain the connection of the remaining parent. If being shunned felt like another abandonment then she would have done whatever was required by her father to get that connection back.
If she has seen others be reinstated she would know about how warmly people are welcomed back immediately after coming back. For someone who has been shunned for 8 months and possibly feels very badly about herself due to the abandonments and shunning it would be wonderful to feel this acceptance.
These are important psycho-social reasons for people to return to something that controls them as much as the WTS does. I don’t think most people really stop to think of the long-term effects. With the little amount of good mental health information provided by the WTS few people would realize how important self-actualization, independent thinking, accomplishments, personal talents and abilities and self esteem is. Even fewer would understand the basis of so much depression that exists within the congregations.
People go back because of fear, isolation, lack of skills, a desire to have a relationship with family and friends, a sense of belonging, a desire to serve God, a need to be accepted by God and others, a need to feel special (especially those with low-self-esteem), a need cleanse themselves and feel OK, and a need to have others make choices for them.
I could probably add to this as I give it more thought
OH one more thing SOJ talked about was how happy the congregation was after the announcement. I believe few people like this shunning rule. Once a person is reinstated I think a lot of people breathe a sigh of relief that they don't have to follow it anymore. Some may be happy the person has "returned to the fold" but I really think a lot of it is refief