Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs) are generally discouraged from getting any type of therapy or counseling from anyone who is not a JW. When I was a JW [born and raised in the organization] seeking help from anyone not a JW was against the rules and you will quickly find yourself on the opposite side of Elders in your congregation in a shepherding call [the first step in their court system, which is just a fact finding mission]. If the Elders don't like your answers it could proceed to a formal Judicial committee meeting where you will be judged as to your standing in the congregation. It might lead to a probationary period, or full out disfellowshipping depending on your crimes, meaning, how much you have gone off course from the JW teachings, rules, rhetoric, and ever changing policies.Therefore, the programming is in place to be fearful of seeking any type of formal therapy out in the "world" which of course means anything not sanctioned by the JW leadership who set the rules for the entire global organization. However, many JWs exiting the mind-controlling organization often miss this step in their recovery process and acclimating themselves to the outside world of reality. If you miss this step, you find that you might not deal with the rest of the population in a rational way. You might take things too seriously, or not be able to read someone's intentions.
A few years ago I did some research and came across the fundamental principles of a gestalt. It's a German word meaning shape or form and was developed by German psychologists in the 1920s. People tend to organize visual elements into groups or unified wholes. A football team can be considered a gestalt because it works as one unit, not as individual players.
This principle can be applied to persons who are Jehovah's Witnesses (JW). Their whole social structure is one unit. The membership all think alike, act the same way, and have a unified belief system. To break free from this JW gestalt, you need to replace it with a new one. I know, it's not as easy as it sounds. But when a person decides to leave the Watch Tower corporation, they can't simple exist as a healthy, whole person and move on with life as if nothing happened to them.
A common mistake many persons make when leaving the corporation, is they continue with life as a JW, yet are not going to the meetings anymore, they no longer believe in the tenets of the Watch Tower Society, and they may be disfellowshipped or just simply fade away from their congregation and never return.
A common mistake many persons make when leaving the corporation, is they continue with life as a JW, yet are not going to the meetings anymore, they no longer believe in the tenets of the Watch Tower Society, and they may be disfellowshipped or just simply fade away from their congregation and never return.
Why is this important? Well, you are still a JW if you don't realize you have changed. If you made that decision to never return to the JWs, then you probably came to a conclusion that the JWs are not the one and only true religion, that the leadership are not emissaries from God or Christ. You should take that next step and realize that no religious or non-religious group knows for a fact how us humans ended up on this planet; it's all conjecture and what you choose to believe. Yet if you don't establish a new social gestalt, it is impossible to heal and recover from JW indoctrination. This will prove true with being associated with any high control group.
For myself, I had no idea I needed therapy at first, until I found myself going around like a zombie, going to work everyday, handling my personal affairs, but not acting much different than when I was a JW. I had a few non-JW friends, yet was still living a life as a JW just sans the meetings and field service. This was leading to an empty life with no direction.
So what do you do? You need to seek therapy. Now I know that sounds scary and aside from that, maybe you just don't have the funds. Then go online and start your research. I have links at the footer of this blog that will get you started on your deprogramming journey from the Watch Tower Society. As you take a look at the video suggestions, then start looking at various books to read on the subject of psychology and how the human mind works. If you are having problems dealing with social and work situations, then seek out books on the subject from a non-JW perspective. Broaden your scope and you will discover a whole host of people ready and willing to offer help, and will push you onto your next level of success in your work and personal life.
The therapy that helped me along my journey to personal peace, is called the "empty chair". It's one form of therapy where you sit or stand facing a chair and imagine anyone in your life is sitting there and you vent your feelings and pent-up frustrations to that person. You can do this with anyone in your life and then switch places and imagine you are that person and defend yourself which can be quite revealing since it forces you to consider why that other person acted the way they did.
For example, I could place my mom in that chair and tell her off, then when I switch places with her I can say, "I thought I was doing the right thing," or "I was raised very strict and raised you the same way," whatever the case may be. It can be a very cleansing type of therapy and is often used along with hypnotherapy, where you are sitting with your eyes closed imagining anyone you want is in that chair, even God.
The therapy that helped me along my journey to personal peace, is called the "empty chair". It's one form of therapy where you sit or stand facing a chair and imagine anyone in your life is sitting there and you vent your feelings and pent-up frustrations to that person. You can do this with anyone in your life and then switch places and imagine you are that person and defend yourself which can be quite revealing since it forces you to consider why that other person acted the way they did.
For example, I could place my mom in that chair and tell her off, then when I switch places with her I can say, "I thought I was doing the right thing," or "I was raised very strict and raised you the same way," whatever the case may be. It can be a very cleansing type of therapy and is often used along with hypnotherapy, where you are sitting with your eyes closed imagining anyone you want is in that chair, even God.
Therapy and self-help videos will be that link to a new social gestalt. If you have unresolved conflicts, trauma, or suffering severe emotional or physical abuse, then please seek help from a licensed psychiatrist. I suggest you don't speak to anyone you know since some past trauma and abuse might be embarrassing and some friends or family should not be privy to all of your personal feelings. If you do have a trusted non-JW friend to speak with, then start there. Ask them to help you select a psychiatrist in your area and many licensing boards have online verification of the license to see if any formal disciplinary actions have been taken against that doctor.
When I finally found the courage to walk away from the JW organization as an adult, I was truly lost and simply having people tell me to now go out and celebrate Christmas and birthdays, was not the solution. It was like telling someone whose house had just burned down to go the movies and forget it. Don't over-simplify what happened to you as an indoctrinated JW. So I sought out self-help videos online and in books, mostly unrelated to the JWs. As you progress through your own personal therapy, you will find you are less invested in tracking everything going on with the Watchtower corporation. You can have a healthy detachment from them, even if you have family still in the organization. So when you hear something is going on, you will not react emotionally, but can listen and take it with a grain of salt. You are out of that organization, you come first, then if you can, help others to leave by helping them find a new social gestalt to replace the old one when they were a JW.
As you progress through your personal development, you may find that there was a hobby you used to do before you became an indoctrinated JW or maybe engaged in recreational activities while you were a JW that you can explore further. Maybe you had a love of animals, painting, drawing, or you enjoy helping people, maybe teaching or volunteering at a local charity. You need to develop a new social gestalt after leaving the JWs to restore your mental and emotional health, and it will lead to promoting good physical health too.
When I finally found the courage to walk away from the JW organization as an adult, I was truly lost and simply having people tell me to now go out and celebrate Christmas and birthdays, was not the solution. It was like telling someone whose house had just burned down to go the movies and forget it. Don't over-simplify what happened to you as an indoctrinated JW. So I sought out self-help videos online and in books, mostly unrelated to the JWs. As you progress through your own personal therapy, you will find you are less invested in tracking everything going on with the Watchtower corporation. You can have a healthy detachment from them, even if you have family still in the organization. So when you hear something is going on, you will not react emotionally, but can listen and take it with a grain of salt. You are out of that organization, you come first, then if you can, help others to leave by helping them find a new social gestalt to replace the old one when they were a JW.
As you progress through your personal development, you may find that there was a hobby you used to do before you became an indoctrinated JW or maybe engaged in recreational activities while you were a JW that you can explore further. Maybe you had a love of animals, painting, drawing, or you enjoy helping people, maybe teaching or volunteering at a local charity. You need to develop a new social gestalt after leaving the JWs to restore your mental and emotional health, and it will lead to promoting good physical health too.
Self-discovery and cleaning out the cobwebs of useless information implanted there by years of Watchtower indoctrination, can only benefit you and you might uncover the reasons why you may be reacting to everyday life in an unreasonable and negative manner. You might find where you are struggling and why you can't come to a resolution and feel lost in life.
But, don't put undue pressure on yourself. The first step is just realizing you were indoctrinated and conditioned as a JW. You were their recruiting robot that went door-to-door coercing people to join, to skew the beliefs of the JWs to attract people into the organization. Think about it as a journey to a new you and becoming a better person and to not think solely in black and white, but in shades of grey.
This universe is a vast storehouse of knowledge, information, wisdom and beauty. Start exploring the world you are in and don't be afraid to dig into your personality and find that awesome person hidden inside of you that is just waiting to get out and explore the planet. Start sharing what you have learned with other people that are just like you, on a spiritual and personal journey to freedom.
#jehovahswitnesses #watchtowersociety #jworg
#freedomfromwatchtower #selfhelp #thrive #therapy #gestalt
#freedomfromwatchtower #selfhelp #thrive #therapy #gestalt
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