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My friend, I am very sorry. Focus on what you can do right now. The first thing you can do is work hard to find joy in every day of life. Yes, it exists, and ye

My friend, I am very sorry. Focus on what you can do right now. The first thing you can do is work hard to find joy in every day of life. Yes, it exists, and yes, you have to look for it. This will help you turn around your depression. My wife found joy every day even though she was terminally ill, and I'd be remiss not to point you to the same place where she learned to find it: https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/living-with-chronic-illness/ https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/living-with-... If you want, you can email me to my username@gmail.com and I will send you her Instagram feed which is still online and you will see what she went through and how she stayed positive, peaceful, and even happy despite her awful ordeal. Lastly, you are more than the sum of your accomplishments. Your material needs are few, and your qualifications many. Get a job doing anything you can do from home, and just start grinding. Don't worry about trying to get back to where you were. Accept your new normal and work it like any other problem.

solardev 4y ago
Hey, FYI, I initially flagged your post because I thought it was spam... thought JW had moved into the online version of door-to-door Watchtowering with drive-by evangelism. But I was wrong, and I'm sorry. You're just a regular part of this community and your wife happens to have religious beliefs that helped her through tough times. I apologize for jumping to conclusions, and I'm posting this response mostly so others don't make the same mistake and assume your post is spam.
- bragr 4y ago
  JW is more likely to cause you to commit suicide than find happiness. I'm not sure we should be giving the benefit of the doubt to cults where the danger is well established. https://www.dehek.com/general/health-wellness/escaping-suicide-and-shunning-by-the-jehovahs-witness-cult/ https://www.dehek.com/general/health-wellness/escaping-suici... https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/ https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/j...
- geocrasher 4y ago
  I appreciate that. I too hold those beliefs and they help me, but I'm not here to proselytize. I share what has helped, and if it helps somebody else that's great. We all hold beliefs of some kind, be they a differing religion or a philosophy that's helped us, and I see people share those all the time and that's all I'm doing as well. I appreciate your seeing it that way.
- KennyBlanken 4y ago
  Jehova's Witnesses aren't a legitimate religion. They're a cult, and the parent comment to you is engaged in predatory behavior exactly of the sort any cult is known for.
  - solardev 4y ago
    You know, I get where you're coming from. One of my good friends was a disfellowed JW -- which is kinda like excommunication, except they're not just cut off from their church, but their community and family and friends too, altogether. This person had horror story upon horror story to tell about JWs. I certainly would never choose that path for myself. However, I don't think I should be the one deciding what the OP is interested in or not. If they want a religious discussion they are free to follow up, or else they can ignore it. I just didn't want to erroneously mark it as spam. <aside> Really though, what's the difference between a cult and a religion? The amount of real estate they own? Every mainstream religion presumably started from a small cult at some point. Yeah, there are some questionable JW practices and adherents who do shitty things, but you could say that about any religion, or really any group of people. As an agnostic outsider who never believed in any religion, they all seem kooky and silly to me, but I also recognize that they fulfill deeply-rooted human needs for belonging and meaning. The OP is already in a rough place, between the chronic pain and the depression. It's not up to me censor their options. If they can find some respite and peace, be it in a religion or in mindfulness or in nature or in community or in harmless drugs, you know... good on 'em. As long as they're not hurting themselves or others in the process, not my place to judge how they find solace. Our society is so obsessed with materialism and the worship of greed that sometimes even just asking people to consider other spheres of being -- spirituality, community, personal meaning, whatever -- might open up avenues they wouldn't even have considered otherwise. IMO, when you're truly desperate, no option should be off the table. But of course others are free to disagree, and I'm also glad the OP is getting informed about the downsides of JW so they can make a balanced opinion of their own. </aside>

solardev 4y ago

Hey, FYI, I initially flagged your post because I thought it was spam... thought JW had moved into the online version of door-to-door Watchtowering with drive-by evangelism. But I was wrong, and I'm sorry. You're just a regular part of this community and your wife happens to have religious beliefs that helped her through tough times. I apologize for jumping to conclusions, and I'm posting this response mostly so others don't make the same mistake and assume your post is spam.

bragr 4y ago
JW is more likely to cause you to commit suicide than find happiness. I'm not sure we should be giving the benefit of the doubt to cults where the danger is well established. https://www.dehek.com/general/health-wellness/escaping-suicide-and-shunning-by-the-jehovahs-witness-cult/ https://www.dehek.com/general/health-wellness/escaping-suici... https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/jehovahs-witnesses-murder-suicide-keego-harbor/409695002/ https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/18/j...
geocrasher 4y ago
I appreciate that. I too hold those beliefs and they help me, but I'm not here to proselytize. I share what has helped, and if it helps somebody else that's great. We all hold beliefs of some kind, be they a differing religion or a philosophy that's helped us, and I see people share those all the time and that's all I'm doing as well. I appreciate your seeing it that way.
KennyBlanken 4y ago
Jehova's Witnesses aren't a legitimate religion. They're a cult, and the parent comment to you is engaged in predatory behavior exactly of the sort any cult is known for.
- solardev 4y ago
  You know, I get where you're coming from. One of my good friends was a disfellowed JW -- which is kinda like excommunication, except they're not just cut off from their church, but their community and family and friends too, altogether. This person had horror story upon horror story to tell about JWs. I certainly would never choose that path for myself. However, I don't think I should be the one deciding what the OP is interested in or not. If they want a religious discussion they are free to follow up, or else they can ignore it. I just didn't want to erroneously mark it as spam. <aside> Really though, what's the difference between a cult and a religion? The amount of real estate they own? Every mainstream religion presumably started from a small cult at some point. Yeah, there are some questionable JW practices and adherents who do shitty things, but you could say that about any religion, or really any group of people. As an agnostic outsider who never believed in any religion, they all seem kooky and silly to me, but I also recognize that they fulfill deeply-rooted human needs for belonging and meaning. The OP is already in a rough place, between the chronic pain and the depression. It's not up to me censor their options. If they can find some respite and peace, be it in a religion or in mindfulness or in nature or in community or in harmless drugs, you know... good on 'em. As long as they're not hurting themselves or others in the process, not my place to judge how they find solace. Our society is so obsessed with materialism and the worship of greed that sometimes even just asking people to consider other spheres of being -- spirituality, community, personal meaning, whatever -- might open up avenues they wouldn't even have considered otherwise. IMO, when you're truly desperate, no option should be off the table. But of course others are free to disagree, and I'm also glad the OP is getting informed about the downsides of JW so they can make a balanced opinion of their own. </aside>