by Sea Breeze 33 Replies latest jw friends
I came across an xjw post on redditt from a RN. She states that nearly every JW she ever treated was on anti-depressants or anti-psychotic drugs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/exjw/comments/f35vaa/just_about_every_jw_i_come_across_is_on/
I once read somewhere that 1 in 5 JW's were on anti-depressants, but I couldn't find any documentation. Any researchers out there have any documentation on this?
Years ago I head at least 60% were on anti-depressants, back in 2006 or so.
That wouldn't surprise me.
Saw some video year ago. Was ex bethelite. He hade recently become exjw. Anyways he said most at bethel were on the pill. The once not on pills we're self medicating with alcohol. Articles watchtower write "with best live ever" and how happy JWs are most be a slapp in the face to many depressed JWs.
I think many are on some form of SSRI's. I personally worked with 2 CO's wives that touted the use and were on antidepressants themselves.
I can't speak to that. Years ago it was brought out that 25 percent of the population were on or needed antidepressants. 1 out of 4 if you look around you ( unless you are the 1) Anyway, I remember thinking about some in the congregation that they had issues--overly anxious or too dull-or germaphobes or thinking people were watching them through secret cameras. ( and then there were those you were just pretty sure were closet alcoholics.) So we were told we were happy people because we served a Happy God....where did that leave the rest of the world? I know a man who eventually left the org who said he was happiest when he wasn't going to meetings. My circle wasn't really ever that wide as far as getting to know very many very well, but I knew of 2 for sure who were bi-polar.
I know most people were either alcohol-happy or even other drugs like marijuana wasn’t uncommon when I was a teen-21yo (yes, baptized, servant males, elder kids etc). Once people got older and married they had psychological illnesses, if you weren’t outright schizophrenic, many people had fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome. One kid I grew up with, beautiful girl, full of life and energy, got married at 18 with a ‘star witness’ 25yo elder-and-co-family and became chronically fatigued in 2 months. No wonder so many take their own life or have attempted.
The literature is scant since JW’s make up literally 0.1% of the population, but here are some interesting starting points:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1174772/
followers of the sect are three times more likely to be diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia and nearly four times more likely from paranoid schizophrenia than the rest of the population at risk.
Back of the napkin analysis:
This means that between 1 and 2% of all Witnesses are likely to be schizophrenic or paranoid schizophrenic. If this holds not just to schizophrenia but any mental illness, which is 20% of the population, that says 60-80% of JWs can be diagnosed with a mental illness.
Having administered tests like that myself however, I will note that answering questionnaires truthfully as a JW (the belief and fear of imminent disaster and self-centered divine channels and intervention) does already put you high up on the scores for diagnosable psychosis.
Given 47% of patients with schizophrenia have serious problems with drug or alcohol use during their lifetime and 10% of patients with diagnosed mental illness self-reported such problems in the last year, that suggests a rate of 1 in 5 JW’s have been alcoholics/drug users in the last year.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25261980/
This article is really good for therapists that seek to engage with JWs or exJWs.
Quote:
It is possible that members from a Fundamentalist religion may experience a higher prevalence of psychosis or be vulnerable to a psychotic level of thinking. This is because at its core, Fundamentalism relies upon the splitting off of good and bad objects, and dualistic ways of viewing the world that do not easily allow for tolerating or coping with ambiguity, uncertainty, or the nuance of complex life circumstances. … Since the very premise of [Jehovah’s Witnesses] relies upon the threat of annihilation as a means of control, it is possible that members’ worldviews may be tinged with paranoid or persecutory fears.
Anony Mous I never thought of the fibromyalgia or chronic Fatigue syndrome...but yes! a lot of that in the org. I also knew of a woman who had to sit in the perfume free room because she was so effected she couldn't talk. I really think this was more a mental problem than an allergy because she could work making draperies and the like...How does this work with all the dyes and chemicals and smells, not to mention lint and dust in the fabrics? My thought was in her mind her voice was taken away at the meetings, so to speak.
I knew an elders' wife whose head bobled when she walked down the isle. Not sure if she was crazy, but she sure looked it.
'' Not sure if she was crazy, but she sure looked it. ''
Probably was crazy, having a panic attack, going nuts or probably all 3.
Sea Breeze and Beth Sarim...I know a woman who totally looses control of her head and gets in a bad way when her husband is verbally abusive towards her. I would say it is somewhat psychosomatic or a form of ptsd caused by a former husband. I think many woman in the world are physically ill because of verbal abuse. ( maybe men too-but woman for sure.) I know of a "sister" who underwent exploratory surgery to try to figure out what ailed her. She was in constant pain and thought maybe endometriosis. Drs found nothing. When her adulterous husband finally left, she got over it and the nasty migraines. As kids we would say, sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. Well, the Bible is proved true at Pro 12:18 thoughless speech is like the stabs of a sword....
So I wonder how much of the depression and illness is the result of abusive home life.
