Did losing your religion send you into/exacerbate depression?

by SixofNine 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  SixofNine

  I think most of us here agree that our past belief in the JW organization as being god's sole chosen people was delusional on our part. For myself, when I lost that delusion (fairly abruptly too), I came out of a long period of depression immediately. While I was incredibly angry at having been decieved, I can't say that that anger translated into any other negatives, in fact, overall, I think my general level of anger, even at elders/the gb/etc subsided, as I now understood why they do what they do even better than they themselves understand it.

  So in my case, depression was not at all a product of losing my delusional beliefs. I'm curious though, if other people have had an opposite reaction? I've heard it said on more than one occasion that losing one's delusions can send one into horrible depression, and I'd be curious to hear of any real world experiences with this happening.
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  tetrapod.sapien

  i think it depends on one's support system, and their personality type. i had no support system, but i am a loner too, so all i needed was my books, the internet, my dog and the occasional interaction here on JWD. i think i suffer from a bit of transitional depression, but like you, mostly anger at having been intellectually and emotionally raped by a cult.
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  lucky

  I left the organization, graduated from college, moved across the country, and got married to someone I barely knew, all within a six-month period. I was very depressed, almost suicidal, for the first year or so. I didn't have a support network at all, other than my new husband, and he didn't have the foggiest idea what I was going through, which I think actually made it worse (although we're very happily married now, eight years later). The hardest thing for me was losing my sense of purpose. Although I got over the depression fairly quickly, I still struggle with figuring out how to (or if I really need to) "make a difference" in the world.
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  upside/down

  Yes, I lost everything... and they even threw salt in the wound and kicked me while I was down.

  With "friends" like that who needs Debil da Satan?

  Although painful at first... I'm so much better off!

  u/d (of the you will know the truth and it will set you free class)
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  doogie

  losing my religion? no.

  losing my family? yes.

  losing the burden of religion and all the mental backflips i had to go through to understand it was an ENORMOUS weight off my shoulders. i felt like i was seeing everything for the first time. but, on the other hand, i was super depressed about losing the only support structure i ever knew. in the long run, the benefits have FAR outweighed the temporary (yes, temporary) discomfort of losing my family and friends.
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  SixofNine

  lucky, when you left the organization, did you do it as a believer in the org, or because you'd seen-the-light, as it were?
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  SixofNine

  u/d, when you lost the delusion that the organization = God, or is even somehow connected to God, was that helpful, hurtful, or neutral as respects your depression?
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  SixofNine

  :losing the burden of religion and all the mental backflips i had to go through to understand it was an ENORMOUS weight off my shoulders.

  Same here.
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  Dustin

  I went into a funk of partying and drinking way to much. It was very hard on my marriage at the time. I am very thankful to my best friend my wife for sticking by me at that time, because who knows where I would be now if not for her helping me remain stable. It definitely was a hard time period in my life.
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  LyinEyes

  ((((((((((((Sixy, how are you?))))))))) Great topic.

  Oh yeah,,,,, I went off the deep end, I dropped my basket, I lost it, I was a mess.

  I too drank too much, which let all the pain come out, but not in a healthy way, it was so self destructive.

  I mourned as if it were a death of a beloved family member. In fact it was comparable to grieving over my Mom's death.

  But you know I had to grieve , I had to go through ,,,,it to get through it. It was so painful, but I am happy now and I understand all those crazy feelings I felt .

  To tell ya the truth it is good to hear that others did the same thing,,,,,,,I don't feel like the only one who lost it when we lost our religion.