Quote:
Originally Posted by immuno_oncology
Hi All, I just joined today and this is the first thread that I came across. I will go through the introduction threads too...
|
Dear
Immuno_oncology,
Welcome. I was both sad and encouraged while reading your post. Sad that your marriage has suffered, but happy and encouraged that you have the courage and presence of mind to be asking these questions after less than a year in the Recovery
*.
There's so much I could say, I could write a term paper (or two). I will try to keep this relatively concise. I write from my own experience.
I grew up in "the Lord's Recovery" and left while in my twenties. My family was simply ripped apart. And when I say this, I don't just mean that there were differences of opinion that came between us. (If only it were that simple!) What I mean to say is that there were some active and direct manipulations, for many years, in ways too personal to share on an internet forum. Suffice it to say that in an environment where things such as authority, submission, people feeling somehow "trapped," and a code of silence are as important as these things are in the Lord's Recovery...there is room for all kinds of funny business. And there is plenty of funny business there.
I'm a little bold to say these things, not only because I've seen similar dynamics play out in other families within my own locality, but also because I'm aware of similar things in other parts of the US as well. (Can't speak to anything outside the US.) I'm aware of at least a couple of "church kids" who have struggled with serious, prolonged mental health "issues," including schizophrenia. Even this, I'm a little bold to say because other posters have testified of similar things, here on the forum over the last few months. One poster recently recalled hearing that there is an "epidemic of mental illness" in the Lord's recovery (
post here). And an announcement has been made publicly at a biannual training that saints with psychological problems should not apply to the FTTA (
see related post here). While that announcement is probably wise, I feel that it probably would
not have been made unless there had been more than a few such cases, already.
I will stop here. You are absolutely correct that there are
so many genuine people in the Recovery. And I've seen some of the most genuine people in the world leave the group in a state of confusion. Sometimes people cycle in and out of the group for years. So many stories.
Best regards,
rayliotta
*I capitalize the word "Recovery" because this is how they often write it. Sometimes, of course, it's in a title where most words are capitalized. But they frequently capitalize it in conference announcements, as well. (Google the words, "international chinese speaking conference lord's recovery" for an example.) I feel it's worth noting, given how much they criticize "the denominations" for "taking a name." If a letter written -- "To: All the churches in the Lord's Recovery" -- is not written to a specific organization, or denomination, called "the Lord's Recovery" -- then what, really, do those words mean?