Meet Kassie Meyer - JW Victim Battling Depression

Kassie Meyer was born a Jehovah's Witness and was baptized at age 10. She did not fully understand what she was doing; only wanted to make her parents happy. She regualr pioneered right out of high school but all of that came to an end because she was battling severe clinical depression which she had dealt with since she was 16 years old. She remembers the stigma of suffering with a mental illness within the organization. The org was so ignorant when it came to mental illness. Even suggesting that if you struggled with depression, maybe it was because you didn't have enough faith in Jehovah. And if you prayed more and stayed more active in the ministry you would be better. Even going so far as to discourage seeking help from mental health professionals and taking medications. They have relaxed their view on that some over the years but it wasn't always that way. I was treated differently by the young people in the hall because of my depression issues.

Also when it came to the "new light" changes with regard to blood fractions and organ transplants. When those changes came about it upset me because of the scripture at Malachi 3:6 that says God does not change. When those changes were made there was no responsibility taken for those who died or lost children due to refusing blood transfusions before the changes came about. I knew that God would never have allowed that to happen.

One pivotal point for me was when they tried to change the understanding of the generation that would not pass away. I tried so hard to understand it, even asking elders to explain it to me and no one could. It was so convoluted and confusing that I knew it was just a way to cover the fact that things hadn't happened in the time frame that the society had said it would.