Does being a JW make a person physically sick?

Gill

Myself, I believe yes. Definitely mentally and more than likely physically.

I have read on a few posts and freeminds about an increase of mental illness amoungst JWs of between 2 and 40 % and it seems understandable considering the amount of stress being in the bOrg puts on people.

But what about physically?

What are your experiences since leaving the bOrg?

Do you feel well and fitter than ever before?

I ask this, because I personally do and I know my husband does as well.

I was always ill as a JW. At one point I was seeing five different consultants for different problems.

I had an autoimmune disorder that was attacking my bladder and the doctor was desperately trying to help but didn't know what would help.

Now, I haven't even needed to see my GP was 18 months.

I have NO bladder problem at all. All my other problems have cleared up completely.

I feel wonderful, healthy and look great! (That by the way is not a 'fishing trip', I feel and look wonderful and remember the phrase 'she looks wonderful' being used about an 'apostate' who left the 'troof' a few years ago)

I believe that the stress of the bOrg makes people ill.

I have been thinking about every JW I know and there is a handful that is not under a hospital consultant for one thing or another.

I have three cousins with mysterious auto immune diseases, affecting essesntial organs. My parents are always ill and my father see four different hospital consultants. My in laws are all under hospital consultants, as are many former 'friends'.

Find me a healthy JW. However, now that I am no longer a JW I am beginning to know more about the people who live around me. To be sick enough to need to be under a consultant in my whole street, of all the people I know, there are two that attend a hospital consultant. Round the corner from me, I can also, having got to know people better in the last few years, but I can only count three out of about sixty people.

So why are the JWs so poorly?

Were you poorly as a JW, or your family members?

People who are or have been JWs all their lives may not be aware of the fact that their increased level of illness may be due to their religion and the stress it puts on them.

I accept that everyone gets ill, JW or not but I'm talking about a much higher rate of being unwell.

So what do you think?

JW83

Gill, I love your expression 'are you poorly?' My family is from England & they say that, too. Just gorgeous!

Umm, I don't really have anything else to add ...

PaulJ

There is a lot of pressure on you when you are in the 'truth' thus this can affect you physically in many ways i would imagine.

scotsman

Ill health is also one of the few "legitimate" reasons for not going to meetings or preaching. Is the ill health among a lot of JWs psychosomatic?

Gill

Hi All!

Scotsman - I don't believe that the illness is 'psychosomatic' but that the stress actually causes any natural weakness to exagerate themselves and also, a person will tend to 'internalise' or really look deeply inside at how they are 'feeling' on say a Thursday evening, and think, 'No, I'm ill' when really they're just too tired or fed up and can't face another Thursday meeting. What follows that is guilt. You should have been at the meeting.

Gradually all this guilt, just affects a persons immune system, and they succumb far easier to whatevers going about.

The whole philosophy/doctrine of the WTBTS is depressing - prepare for the END! Armageddon is coming! Have you done enough!!!!

A person becomes mentally and physically depressed, worn out, exhausted and they succumb to whatever their physical weakness might be.

The only psychsomatic part of any of this that I would consider as possible is that most witnesses just do NOT want to go to another Tues, Thursday, Sunday boring as hell meeting! If they don't go, they'll die at Armageddon and so it's essential to be unwell to escape having to do this!

crazyblondeb

When I was younger, every time we got ready to go to the circuit assembly in St. Loius I used to get tonsilitis. It'd be bad enough I needed antibiotics. Usually I got to stay either at home or in the motel room. Figure that??

squinks

I think being a JW made me sick.

I got searing headaches. I mean the pain was all but unbearable. Every Sunday and I mean every Sunday, I came home from the meeting with a massive headache. Makes me sick to my stomach to think about it over 15 years later.

Perhaps the result of thrice weekly verbal beatings and "probably you might be saved." Yup "probably" and "might" these two words used to wake me up in the night.

And just for fun and mind control Satan may be able to read your thoughts.

Squinks

Scully

It's interesting the various ways different people respond to stress.

When I get unusually stressed, I have digestive tract upsets and migraines. Someone else I know breaks out in a rash. Another person might get depressed or start to withdraw from friends and family.

I don't think it's the JWs or the JW lifestyle that directly cause illness in people. I think when someone starts experiencing doubts / cognitive dissonance, that's when the amount of stress begins to increase and the risk for illness increases. Even in terms of feeling guilty for wanting to have a more normal lifestyle (skipping a meeting to go out and have fun for a change, or just staying home to enjoy the company of your spouse and children).

The whole idea of wanting to preserve family relationships while knowing that this might become impossible if your true feelings become known, or having to lead a JW lifestyle out of "obligation" when you know that it isn't The Truth™ and the feelings of hypocrisy that can arise from that, could very well cause someone to get ill.

luna2

There's definitly something in what you say, Gill. I can't tell you the number of women (prolly men too, but I wasn't as familiar with "the brothers" health problems) at the KH who had chronic illnesses or suffered from depression.

Maybe that's why we somtimes were admonished from the platform that we'd should crawl to the KH on our hands and knees rather than miss a meeting...they had to know that the stress of being a JW was making people sick and they didn't want them to have an "out".

A popular condition at my initial KH was sensativity to perfumes...after one CO's wife introduced it to the congregation. Such a lovely problem. Any hint of scent and you could be incapacitated with a dreadful headache...there was at least one sister who could barely go out in public ("So sorry, Brother Elder, but I just can't go out in field service!") because she was so afflicted with this. Funny how she never had that problem before the CO's visit. I don't think she ever recovered enough to make more than the occassional meeting and the Memorial.

LouBelle

Being in the organisation is like working in what we in S.A call a "sick building" So by just attending work & doing what you have to do is actually causing you to be physically ill becuase the emotional environment is not healthy, the physical environment is not healthy, the ventilation is no good. When collegues get ill everyone comes down with the same thing.

AAAAH I cannot express to you the absolute wonderfulness of not being trapped. Words cannot express what my literal tears of joy can.

Does being a JW make a person physically sick?

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