Steve Maxwell wants his sheeple to do another fast

[PrairieGirl]

Exactly. Because they have normalized Steveovah's crazy for years, they would have no way of determining that he's actually ill until it reaches a late stage. And even then, they might not seek a diagnosis because of their obedience. They would probably feel they have to ask Steve or (Teri if he's really far gone) if they should take him to a doctor and of course, either could say no and that is what will stick. They will not defy their cult leader even when he's impaired because to defy him is to defy God. Not to mention the serious meltdown they would witness from him if they did, which is exactly occurred in my own Maxwellian family earlier this week.

I would hope that if Steve started showing signs of dementia or something else that worried his family, that one of his older sons would grow a pair and speak up. Nathan and Christopher are well into their 30s and - as isolated as they were raised - they have to be aware enough to know that their parents are aging and will not be around forever. I am unsure of the saga of Steve's two fathers, but does Alzheimer/dementia run in the Maxwell family? If so, the "children" should be aware of some signs and symptoms that their grandparents possibly experienced in the case that their parents head down the same road.

I wonder how close the Maxwell sisters are to the brothers who have somewhat escaped and moved across the street. If Steve and/or Teri began behaving differently and one of them worried something was wrong, would they go to someone outside of their house and tell them?

"Hey, Nate. The other day I heard the alarm clock go off at 3:30 in the morning and instead of jumping right out of bed to pray/exercise/eat childrens' souls, I heard Dad hit the snooze button. Do you think I should be concerned?"

"Chris, Dad needed something from the store and handed me the car keys and asked me to go ALONE to pick it up for him. I think something is wrong."

"Hi Mel. The other day, I overheard Dad tell Mom we were going to do another fast and she said, 'Go fuck yourself' and then told him to go and buy her a case of Pepsi. Mom's lack of submission is worrisome."

[ILoveJellybeans]

Furthermore, with the level of control he exerts, what will happen if he starts to develop some sort of dementia?

Its going to end badly for the "kids". Nobody can stand up to Steve or question him. Nobody. Even if he starts suggesting they fast for a week, no food at all, or develops such paranoia he thinks the world is ending and keeps the whole family locked in the basement, or even just starts forgetting random things. Steve forbids people reminding him things, there was one story where Teri said that she just had to hope he remembers to get pizza, and that it would be an awful, unsubmissive sin if she called him to remind him. If he starts forgetting stuff, he would be mad if anyone reminded him of things. Nobody can stand up to Steve and tell him "I think you have a mental illness, please go to the doctor". I think it should have been done a long time ago, when Steve first upped the crazy, but nobody stood up to him then. They would never even consider it now, because they are too broken and beaten down to be able to.

I hope that Steve remains just as he is now until he dies, and doesn't get worse. There is only one way that Steve can go as he gets older, and that is to get worse. If it gets worse, its going to be even harder for the "kids" to adjust when he dies. Imagine now taking any one of the unmarried Maxwell kids and putting them into a semi normal life. They would not cope at all as they have been emotionally and spiritually abused and have not got the self esteem or independence that allows them to look after themselves and cope with adult life. That would be times a million if his mental health gets worse as he ages, and he gets more restrictive (and I think he is, he didn't do the regular fasting before!), and paranoid, and controlling, and he could even get violent.....and the whole mindfuck of having a dictator who forgets everything and makes bizarre requests. He makes the schedule, what if he makes everyone clean the ceiling fans for five hours and then forgets he told them it, and then gets angry because they didn't do any of their other chores that he thinks he told them to do. And they don't think Steve could ever be wrong, if he does start getting forgetful, they wont see the red flags, he will insist that he is fine, and they are the crazy ones, which is confusing for them. What if he starts doing something harmful, but they cant stop him because they aren't allowed. Would Sarah be able to say no, if he told her to go out to a store that is miles away in a dodgy area at midnight, on her own? Or if he decides they should all stop eating because they can now survive on just fresh air and prayer? Or jump out of a window because God can save them? Or suddenly starts believing Mary is an evil imposter who wants to kill them all? Can you imagine how the "kids", especially Sarah, who is the most screwed of them all, would be at the end of it, having to pick up the pieces of her life (not that there would be much left) and try and cope in the world. I think if that happened, the only home that she would be able to go to after Steve dies is one with padded walls.

[anjulibai]

I would hope that if Steve started showing signs of dementia or something else that worried his family, that one of his older sons would grow a pair and speak up. Nathan and Christopher are well into their 30s and - as isolated as they were raised - they have to be aware enough to know that their parents are aging and will not be around forever. I am unsure of the saga of Steve's two fathers, but does Alzheimer/dementia run in the Maxwell family? If so, the "children" should be aware of some signs and symptoms that their grandparents possibly experienced in the case that their parents head down the same road.

I wonder how close the Maxwell sisters are to the brothers who have somewhat escaped and moved across the street. If Steve and/or Teri began behaving differently and one of them worried something was wrong, would they go to someone outside of their house and tell them?

"Hey, Nate. The other day I heard the alarm clock go off at 3:30 in the morning and instead of jumping right out of bed to pray/exercise/eat childrens' souls, I heard Dad hit the snooze button. Do you think I should be concerned?"

"Chris, Dad needed something from the store and handed me the car keys and asked me to go ALONE to pick it up for him. I think something is wrong."

"Hi Mel. The other day, I overheard Dad tell Mom we were going to do another fast and she said, 'Go fuck yourself' and then told him to go and buy her a case of Pepsi. Mom's lack of submission is worrisome."

It does, actually. His mother had some form of dementia, and I think it was Alzheimer's. She was in a home mostly immobile for some time before she died. Christopher and NR Anna went to visit her right after they had married, and posted a picture of her on the blog.

So, yes, Steve very well could develop Alzheimer's at some point, probably relatively soon. Combine that with his fear of death, and life in that home will just get worse.

[jaynie]

Its going to end badly for the "kids". Nobody can stand up to Steve or question him. Nobody. Even if he starts suggesting they fast for a week, no food at all, or develops such paranoia he thinks the world is ending and keeps the whole family locked in the basement, or even just starts forgetting random things. Steve forbids people reminding him things, there was one story where Teri said that she just had to hope he remembers to get pizza, and that it would be an awful, unsubmissive sin if she called him to remind him. If he starts forgetting stuff, he would be mad if anyone reminded him of things. Nobody can stand up to Steve and tell him "I think you have a mental illness, please go to the doctor". I think it should have been done a long time ago, when Steve first upped the crazy, but nobody stood up to him then. They would never even consider it now, because they are too broken and beaten down to be able to.

I hope that Steve remains just as he is now until he dies, and doesn't get worse. There is only one way that Steve can go as he gets older, and that is to get worse. If it gets worse, its going to be even harder for the "kids" to adjust when he dies. Imagine now taking any one of the unmarried Maxwell kids and putting them into a semi normal life. They would not cope at all as they have been emotionally and spiritually abused and have not got the self esteem or independence that allows them to look after themselves and cope with adult life. That would be times a million if his mental health gets worse as he ages, and he gets more restrictive (and I think he is, he didn't do the regular fasting before!), and paranoid, and controlling, and he could even get violent.....and the whole mindfuck of having a dictator who forgets everything and makes bizarre requests. He makes the schedule, what if he makes everyone clean the ceiling fans for five hours and then forgets he told them it, and then gets angry because they didn't do any of their other chores that he thinks he told them to do. And they don't think Steve could ever be wrong, if he does start getting forgetful, they wont see the red flags, he will insist that he is fine, and they are the crazy ones, which is confusing for them. What if he starts doing something harmful, but they cant stop him because they aren't allowed. Would Sarah be able to say no, if he told her to go out to a store that is miles away in a dodgy area at midnight, on her own? Or if he decides they should all stop eating because they can now survive on just fresh air and prayer? Or jump out of a window because God can save them? Or suddenly starts believing Mary is an evil imposter who wants to kill them all? Can you imagine how the "kids", especially Sarah, who is the most screwed of them all, would be at the end of it, having to pick up the pieces of her life (not that there would be much left) and try and cope in the world. I think if that happened, the only home that she would be able to go to after Steve dies is one with padded walls.

On the plus side, Dementia With The Moodys might actually make a decent novel. Just as long as its classified as a psychological horror, rather than as a Tale for Good Christian Children. Even the stilted, weird, passive writing might be mistaken for a stylistic choice.

(Seriously, if I didn't know this was a real family I think it would sound like a fascinating novel. As it is, its the ultra-slow-motion car crash you can't look away from. Every year the borders of Maxhell get closer to the centre, the food gets sparser, the what-some-might-call excitement rarer. And Sarah's smile gets a little more pained. And all we can do is sit here and watch it happen.)

[Rescinded and Mended]

So, my anti-fast on Monday will probably involve Cracker Barrel. Seems to be the best place int he world to get all foods anti-Maxwell (plus they make a killer hashbrown casserole there).

Hoping we get back to the delicious food soon because the current turn of the thread is making me really :cry:

[nomoxian]

Its going to end badly for the "kids". Nobody can stand up to Steve or question him. Nobody. Even if he starts suggesting they fast for a week, no food at all, or develops such paranoia he thinks the world is ending and keeps the whole family locked in the basement, or even just starts forgetting random things. Steve forbids people reminding him things, there was one story where Teri said that she just had to hope he remembers to get pizza, and that it would be an awful, unsubmissive sin if she called him to remind him. If he starts forgetting stuff, he would be mad if anyone reminded him of things. Nobody can stand up to Steve and tell him "I think you have a mental illness, please go to the doctor". I think it should have been done a long time ago, when Steve first upped the crazy, but nobody stood up to him then. They would never even consider it now, because they are too broken and beaten down to be able to.

I hope that Steve remains just as he is now until he dies, and doesn't get worse. There is only one way that Steve can go as he gets older, and that is to get worse. If it gets worse, its going to be even harder for the "kids" to adjust when he dies. Imagine now taking any one of the unmarried Maxwell kids and putting them into a semi normal life. They would not cope at all as they have been emotionally and spiritually abused and have not got the self esteem or independence that allows them to look after themselves and cope with adult life. That would be times a million if his mental health gets worse as he ages, and he gets more restrictive (and I think he is, he didn't do the regular fasting before!), and paranoid, and controlling, and he could even get violent.....and the whole mindfuck of having a dictator who forgets everything and makes bizarre requests. He makes the schedule, what if he makes everyone clean the ceiling fans for five hours and then forgets he told them it, and then gets angry because they didn't do any of their other chores that he thinks he told them to do. And they don't think Steve could ever be wrong, if he does start getting forgetful, they wont see the red flags, he will insist that he is fine, and they are the crazy ones, which is confusing for them. What if he starts doing something harmful, but they cant stop him because they aren't allowed. Would Sarah be able to say no, if he told her to go out to a store that is miles away in a dodgy area at midnight, on her own? Or if he decides they should all stop eating because they can now survive on just fresh air and prayer? Or jump out of a window because God can save them? Or suddenly starts believing Mary is an evil imposter who wants to kill them all? Can you imagine how the "kids", especially Sarah, who is the most screwed of them all, would be at the end of it, having to pick up the pieces of her life (not that there would be much left) and try and cope in the world. I think if that happened, the only home that she would be able to go to after Steve dies is one with padded walls.

Not that I would want any of them to get charged with a crime, but there is such a thing as Elder Neglect. Hopefully the state would step in and get him help, while also helping the rest of the family. This is a situation where all of them are victims... as much as it irks me to think of Steve as a victim.

[Georgiana]

"Memory Care" (the new term in my area for care for people with Alzheimer's or dementia) can be very difficult, and there are many cases (especially in cases of early onset) where family members are just physically unable to care for their loved ones. People with memory/cognitive issues can become violent. They may endanger themselves and others, and sometimes, even if you have a person around 24/7 to care for them, without the right training/equipment, they may not be able to do so safely. We tend to think of people with Alzheimer's and Dementia as those patients in the later stages where they are weak and helpless, and we forget there are early stages where people still have strength and enough functionality to manipulate their current environment, but lose higher reasoning or non-immediate memory which makes them confused and fearful. In some cases, these early stages can last for years.

My great grandfather had to be placed in a memory care facility after he attempted to jump out of a moving car on the way to a doctor's appointment. Once there was no way for my family to get him medical care safely, he had to be placed somewhere where he could receive medical treatment safely.

Steve may have many SAHD to care for him, but if things get bad, they may have no choice but to place him somewhere.

[SPHASH]

I have been really good about my eating and don't want to ruin it. I have to come up with some other wildly inappropriate to celebrate it.

Watch the beast!

[nokidsmom]

"Memory Care" (the new term in my area for care for people with Alzheimer's or dementia) can be very difficult, and there are many cases (especially in cases of early onset) where family members are just physically unable to care for their loved ones. People with memory/cognitive issues can become violent. They may endanger themselves and others, and sometimes, even if you have a person around 24/7 to care for them, without the right training/equipment, they may not be able to do so safely. We tend to think of people with Alzheimer's and Dementia as those patients in the later stages where they are weak and helpless, and we forget there are early stages where people still have strength and enough functionality to manipulate their current environment, but lose higher reasoning or non-immediate memory which makes them confused and fearful. In some cases, these early stages can last for years.

My great grandfather had to be placed in a memory care facility after he attempted to jump out of a moving car on the way to a doctor's appointment. Once there was no way for my family to get him medical care safely, he had to be placed somewhere where he could receive medical treatment safely.

Steve may have many SAHD to care for him, but if things get bad, they may have no choice but to place him somewhere.

Care at home can only go so far, with or without Alzheimers in the mix. Even if Steve finds himself only physically incapacitated and is mentally alert, there's still only so much that the SAHDs may be able to do depending on his condition. Plus in that case, he will be mentally alert to still want to call the shots which means they will have a harder time determining whether or not to place him because he would in be in a position to clearly say no. Because he would be mentally competent, he could still very much pull the strings needed to remain at home even if it's not working.

[Brightonbelle]

I wonder if they'd even recognise the early stages of dementia or if they'd put it down to God testing them. I don't think they're ignorant of health issues, but I do think they're naive and heavily indoctrinated to the point where their first instinct would be to pray rather than take any sort of action.

[ILoveJellybeans]

I wonder if they'd even recognise the early stages of dementia or if they'd put it down to God testing them. I don't think they're ignorant of health issues, but I do think they're naive and heavily indoctrinated to the point where their first instinct would be to pray rather than take any sort of action.

No, I don't think they would, and yeah, mental health care in fundieland is ignore it and pray more. And even if they did think there was a problem, they are conditioned to obey Steve and never question his decisions, nomatter how crazy.

[Jana814]

I don't think that they would reconize the signs of dementia. I think they are so scared of the outside world that if Steve or Teri would starting showing signs they would not know what to do and not know where to turn to.

[PrairieGirl]

I don't think that they would reconize the signs of dementia. I think they are so scared of the outside world that if Steve or Teri would starting showing signs they would not know what to do and not know where to turn to.

Okay, if there really is a hell I will surely burn forever for laughing about this - but I just got a visual of Stevie going all demented when replying to comments on their blog. I wonder how it would go, since his general tone is short and brusque. Would he be funny, witty, kind and caring? Or would he be a dirty old man, telling nasty jokes and making inappropriate sexual comments about the female readers and commenters? At least we at FJ might recognize the signs and could hopefully contact someone to help him!

Yes, I realize this is not how dementia works; it just struck me as inappropriately hilarious.

ETA: For Stevie, the thought of having Alzheimer's/dementia must truly terrify him, as it does most people I am assuming. But he is such a cultish control freak that the thought of losing control of all of his faculties must send him into a tailspin.

[urban explorer]

Well BTN 10 is having University women gymnastics on this weekend plan to do a lot of pre anti fasting, :nenner: :nenner:

[blessalessi]

I'm laughing hard at the "creative Mom" who is fasting from chewing, by drinking smoothies instead of meals.... is that an FJer or are people really that stupid??!! :lol:

[FloraKitty35]

What's next? Hair shirts and flagellation?

We'll know when Teri, Sarah, Anna, & Mary are all bald. After all if Stevehovah goes in for the hair shirts, he can't just have any old sinners hair.

[Lillybee]

I'm laughing hard at the "creative Mom" who is fasting from chewing, by drinking smoothies instead of meals.... is that an FJer or are people really that stupid??!! :lol:

That comment is now gone.

[sparkles]

It's still there. It's not in the comments; its part of Sarah's post. Even so... :roll:

For pregnant or nursing moms or those with health issues that prevent them from fasting, you can choose a different type of fast. We have had some fast from sweets, some from media, one creative mom fasted from chewing—she made smoothies for herself when she needed to eat!

[AuntCloud]

If you haven't yet, please read "Still Alice" - I received it as a 40th birthday gift (how appropriate). It's a poignant and thought-provoking story about a bright middle-aged university professor who develops early dementia.

As for the anti-fast, it's a regular Monday so I'll probably be anti-fasting with my usual morning oatmeal or toast, coffee, banana or yogurt for elevenses and some form of meat plus starch and veg for lunch. Not too exciting but that's all I can pull out on a weekday. Maybe I'll bake over the weekend and even a greater maybe, theres a slight chance my baking will survive to see Monday.

[Arrowoftruth]

Lent is for Papists, you heathen pagan hagiolatrist!

I wish I knew what you just said

[terranova]

Today I fasted from doing any work. I took the kids to a heathen playground where they played with heathen kids, then we met my husband for a heathen picnic (Subway), bought heathen pants and ate heathen icecream. I did make smoothies for dinner, does that count? NO CHEWING!

[Toothfairy]

If Steve gets violent, what will they do? What if he threatens to harm himself or his family? I hope Teri would have enough sense to get out and get him help along with her family.

[SPHASH]

If Anna has the baby on fasting day, then what?

[Brightonbelle]

How does their schedule cope with fasting? I suspect it will become a routine occurrence so it can be fitted in to the regular schedule. Also, I'm betting on a new book about fasting coming soon...

[Grimalkin]

I wonder if they'd even recognise the early stages of dementia or if they'd put it down to God testing them. I don't think they're ignorant of health issues, but I do think they're naive and heavily indoctrinated to the point where their first instinct would be to pray rather than take any sort of action.

Since they dealt with it before I think they would figure it out before something happened. It is something that is progressive. A person does not wake up one day and start wandering, or become violent out of the blue. I think the concearn would be getting him the help he needed- I think they may decide to handle it themselves, that's when accidents and tragedies happen.