PTSD as an aftermath

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  • #7899
    MountainMom
    Participant

    It is interesting to note that the topic of PTSD keeps coming up associated with the WMS.  At least five people that I know of have mentioned it on this site or privately.  I myself was told that I had it at one point as well, as a result of a particularly traumatic event concerning my loved one in the WMS.  Some of the people who have said they suffered a form of PTSD are former members who have had to deal with the aftermath of their exit from the church.  Some are people who were never members but  who have had to deal with attacks by their loved ones involved with the WMS and  were just completely devastated by it.

    I know that people who are former members are often in need of counseling after they leave.  Some go on a kind of anti-Wms bent after getting out for a while and exhibit some self destructive behavior for a while.  Pretty much all need help and support of some kind to deal with what they have been through.  The people, mostly family members, who have had to deal with the situation all the time their loved one was in, often need help too.  

    I don't know of any mainstream church where the members suffer PTSD after leaving, or perhaps changing churches.   I don't know of people who need counseling after leaving the Presbyterian or Lutheran churches, for example.  It is unheard of.  The only ones where a person suffers this much mental anguish is when they leave a destructive mind control cult.  (My opinion)  The fact that this has been mentioned by so many here makes me believe that many other incidences of PTSD have simply gone undiagnosed.  I guess this is kind of a wake up call.  Those who leave need help.  Even those who were only in a few months have recognized the need for counseling.  Imagine how much help is needed for those who lost vast amounts of time, money, their career track,  and even possibly their spouse and other familial relationships.

    In my opinion this is another thing the WMS hides in its recruiting runs.  They don't tell the prospective recruit that they might have the chance of experiencing PTSD if they ever leave the group, or that their loved ones will experience pain brought on by their involvement. 

  • #70936

    UntouchableJ
    Participant

    I see the effects of this. Telling a person that at ANY time God could return, and that although you maybe safe, your loved ones may burn….that has some causality mentally. When William Miller falsely predicted the end of the world, his followers rioted. Post leaving last year, Im very much up in the air on Religion. One thing I do feel certain of, Religion (in my opinion) in trying to curb basic human necessities, causes varying forms of PTSD. The radical Muslim who feels they must hurt someone who is preaching another doctrine in their home or country, the Evangelical Christian who feels listening to ANY form of non-Gospel music is “worldy, The WMS member who believes that “Spiritual Family” is all that matter over physical family. These are or will cause PTSD. I think the thing WMS fails to realize in this is that their church would work great for ain Introvert l, or a person with struggling Family dynamics. But for a person is is out going and has a good family structure, they are damaging the person. I think I was able to break free easier, because my mother and I have ALWAYS had a great relationship, so the “She is of the world” thinking just didnt work. My mom reminds me of MountainMom. She wouldnt hurt a fly, and even when she showed concern about me being in Wms she tried to be respectful. The WMS couldnt get me to paint a Monstrous picture of my mom, it was impossible. Ive never even seen my mom yell at anybody. So sometimes the WMS is preying on the already Spiritually and Socially Broken. They Pimp you in the beginning with Love bombing, then they treat you as if your now an elite member in their gang.

    #70937

    JohnFoutraged
    Participant

    Well the WMSCOG isn't like the Roman Catholic Church which molests children…and I'm sure ex-members of scientology or even the unification church (like Mr. Hasan) have horror stories.  Im interested to know if Hasan suffered PTSD from being in the Moonie church.

     

    But anyways – Im still bitter at how I was treated by members and position holders.  Everyone wanted my money, my time, my car, my things.  EVERYONE.  It was so weird when the leader mentioned how God had blessed me with a good job – everyone in the room looked at me with wide eyes and smiled…it was actually pretty creepy.

    It was crazy on Sabbath Days or feast days I'd have to wake up around 4:30 to get ready in a few minutes to start picking members up and driving them all over the city to get to the Church.  Third day was pretty bad too – right after work I had to rush everywhere to pick members up because they were too lazy to even take a bus or walk down a road. 

     

    Members didnt care.  Only like 2 members ocassionally, once in a blue moon…helped.  Even though it was rare and it wasnt much the gesture is what counted the most.  Most members didnt care and I was always being pressured by the leader to do things and buy things.  I ran out of money – I ran out of patience – and I run out for my love of God.

    I just wanted to worship God, help out when I could, learn a trade, and build realtionships with like minded people.  I didnt want to become a slave to everyone else – I couldnt even focus worshiping on God properly for the longest time.

    Thats why I left.  My kindness was taken advantage of – I didnt feel like a brother, I felt like a slave.   

    #70938

    UntouchableJ
    Participant

    @John Hearing your frustration, reminds me of how fragmented WMS. At the “Zion” I was at, it was the opposite. We wanted to pick up members, but it wqs always frowned up. The Overseer stressed members doing things on their own, as a matter of Faith. The transit system in my State is terrible. There were members who took 1hr30min or more bus rides, when the church was only 25 minutes away by car. Another woman and her brother lived accross state border and we wanted to cut their commute in half by letting them ride with us (our old home was literally the half way point, and they could have saved alot), but of course we were told No. Later on, I became a person who just did right and stopped asking permission. I got tired of sneaking to do thinfs that werent wrong. Members started knowing that, “Brother J, will do it”. The tired Emo who wanted a cup of coffee, but was scared to duck out between services…Id get it. Etc. We had to ask for permission to do EVERYTHING where we were.

    #70939

    Ms Freedom
    Participant

    John H – I don’t think the term PTSD was in existence when Steve Hassan left the Moonies. I have read his books though and I think he had it. He said things like “I cried for days,” and it took him a couple years to get his life back on track.

    We met a family that had a son in a Bible based cult back in the 80s. They did an intervention and got him out but he was damaged. He went from being an A student (prior cult) to an F student post cult. He had to quit school and work at a hardware store for a couple years. His parents sent him to a cult rehabilitation place for a month and they said it helped him a lot. He eventually went back to school, got a degree and married. Like many former cult members, he is a non-believer.

    I know for some ex-members they have to take a break when first getting out. It takes time to heal from the emotional abuse and separation that takes place when exiting a totalitarian group.

    #70940

    Selena
    Participant

    Bump!!

    #70941

    omega
    Participant

    MS FREEDOM  IS GONNA  BURN  IN  HELL

    SELENA  ILL  MAKE  YOU  SUCK  MY  DICK  YOU  DIRTY  LITTLE  WHORE

    #70942

    Mayor and Mike
    Participant

    Bump

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