Wow! I never realized this before. I know when i first left i felt as if thinking for myself was wrong. It takes time to discover who you really are and what things you really do like and dislike.
Does The Watchtower Corporation's Teachings Of Black White Thinking Induce Borderling Personality Disorder In Many Cult member?
by Brokeback Watchtower 54 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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pale.emperor
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snugglebunny
My JW momma patiently explained to me why there are so many loony people in the JW's.
It's because they are treated so kindly, so they climb aboard.
Simples!
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steve2
Jp1692, yes the impact of family environment is different from say, a family's genetic predisposition to developing mental health disorders, as twin studies show (raised apart but showing similar traits and health conditions). Longitudinal studies also show some mental health disorders have a higher heritability than others: With Schizophrenic disorders, if one family member has been diagnosed with it, there is at least a 20 to 30 percent likelihood others in the immediate family will also have the disorder, whereas with bipolar disorder, the heritability is around a 10% likelihood.
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Half banana
Without evaluating the scientific criteria, I would say from personal experience that borderline personality disorder describes certain JWs known to me. Whether is is to be found in the same frequency in the general population is another matter.
Nevertheless the submersion of one's own personality and rights to free expression and lifestyle choices are characteristics of JWs which are promoted relentlessly by them.Those individuals who have been brought up on this mental diet along with fearful threats for disobedience are likely to find themselves intimidated into submission. Given a natural disposition or being with mental health problems would only reinforce the problem.
Whatever is the case; the JW religion destroys people's self esteem and confidence to live a free and fulfilling life as mature individuals.
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Brokeback Watchtower
Pale,
It is a very difficult thing to "really" know yourself because the vast majority of who you really are is in the unconscious, so you need some technique and a great deal of honesty not to mention a burning desire that don't give up.
I think Nietzsche offers some insights about not having a herd mentality.
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Brokeback Watchtower
Oh and thank you Steve for input here I'm sure you have a lot to say about this topic even though it may deviate from time to time.
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Anony Mous
I personally think there are various issues:
Yes, the WTBTS induces many behaviors that are classified as personality disorders. Whether it is actually a personality disorder would need to be evaluated by a professional though on a case by case basis and usually is followed by treatment - not something JW's will do voluntarily.
The true test whether the WTBTS actually induces an actual medical/psychological condition would be if the behaviors only started when a person joins and then whether they disappear when a person leaves (or if someone develops a disorder permanently).
It is possible that WTBTS at least predisposes children raised in it to develop or exacerbate certain disorders. Most disorders are not considered simply genetic, they also have some basis on how someone is raised.
Now, I can say from experience that the WTBTS both attracts and to some extent controls psychopathic personalities, people that were psychopaths before they joined can find an easy fit in the WTBTS hierarchy and allows them to exploit and abuse the people around them but at least the WTBTS gives enough rules so they may still have sufficient restraint not to outright murder someone.
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Brokeback Watchtower
I'm thinking heredity has the biggest 90% influence of developing what we moderns call mental illness and environment perhaps 10% influence.
It's true that brain shrinkage is shown to be pronouncedly greater among people that are fundamentalist Christian religion, so I'm sure that a lot of brain shrinkage is going on because of listening to these absolutely boring public talks and other indoctrinating material. But that just leads to slower brain processing power, and the problems that that naturally come from aging. Having one's thinking in a box like that,, is definitely unhealthy from not giving a brain a healthy work out from time to time figuring out some problem because it's all right there in the WT publications how to handle it indoctrination. They are in the business of telling the publishers how live their life in every minute boring detail.
And so that can make some people crazy, hopeless, suicidal, and the like but not make one schizophrenic.
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LongHairGal
SNUGGLEBUNNY:
Your mother was right about all the "looney" people in the religion: they were there because they were "treated kindly". Umm, I think humoring is a more correct term.
This got to be tiring after a while because some of these looney people got a little arrogant and expected everybody to put up with their nonsense and attitude. Even though I could sometimes cut somebody a little slack especially if they were older or losing it, I would not humor somebody if I felt they were arrogant or manipulating. This garbage was mostly inflicted on women there. They say the women in the religion are a large "army", well I hate to say what they were made up of and what they inflicted on others. Their crap is why I dropped out of the theocratic ministry school. I could not stand these women.
Over the years, I just had to cut some of these people loose. As a "fader" I'm glad I no longer have to deal with these JW manipulating kooks.
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jp1692
BBW: I'm thinking heredity has the biggest 90% influence of developing what we moderns call mental illness and environment perhaps 10% influence.
And what is your basis for this conclusion? How do you know this to be true? What's your evidence?