Anyone else depressed?

[SportsgalAnnie]

I have felt sick to my stomach about this. I just wish I could be a friend to the girls and let them vent if they needed it. I know its not possible but still, no one deserves to go through a hell like that.

[weirdemmaline]

I've been down since the news broke. I feel so bad for those girls.

[Idolatry]

I watched the Duggars because the reminded me of a glossy version of my fundie childhood, which did have a few positive moments, especially when young. I had hoped that it would crash down, but not like this. I hoped someone would go to college or marry a Muslim or something.

I knew it was just TV, but I didn't realize it was this bad. This is the worst story I know from any fundie family outside FLDS. Now I feel like this was all a giant lie. Definitely triggering to me. I had nightmares about being back in fundieland...

[abbylabby1]

I feel exactly the same as previous posters. It is reassuring to know I'm not alone. I kept looking for a thread somewhere on the forum that would cheer me up..or at least be normal for FJ..just regular snark!! Just feels awful to know those girls were taken down with this and now the whole world knows that they were victims.

[Four is Enough]

Not depressed, but definitely not happy. If only there was some way to separate the Gothard teaching from the damages they've done. I wouldn't mind to see Jim Bob and Josh go down, even Michelle and Mary, but the pain the children must be undergoing is sad to consider.

[Alicja]

I've been feeling triggered and depressed as well. The victims were all around the same age as I was when I was abused :(

This is all so heartbreaking. I feel so powerless.

[KittenMitten]

Count me depressed also and triggered. I think, for me anyway, to handle this is getting the word out there. Not about the girls. They deserve privacy and hopefully treatment. I don't care about Josh anymore, although I hope Anna keeps an eye on her children.

I would like to see the police department investigated, why was the ball dropped after sociopath cop went to prison. Was the records destroyed at victim request, although I don't know that could be done. I'd like to see if clergy be considered mandated reporters. Is that even possible? I would love to see Bill Gothard and IBLP on mainstream news, and the dangers of their teaching. Also, why the heck did Huckabee stand by Josh. It seems like political suicide.

Well sorry for rant. Now, instead of being depressed, I'm angry.

[Naga Viper]

I'm more angry than depressed also. Fearful that this is just the beginning of the ugly revelations, but also frustrated and rage-y over the cover-up pulled off by the good ol' boys network—and who knows what other evidence they've buried or may be burying right this moment.

And don't get me started on the leghumpers.

[Furbabies]

I'm more worried than anything. I mean, if any of the girls want out do they have a way to get out? I for one always thought something like this was going on in that family. But its not fun to have been proven right.

[fabkiwi06]

I've been struggling with my depression for a few months now (taken care of professionally... I'm doing alright :)). This has not helped my overall feeling of "warm and fuzzy".

There are a few different layers to this. I feel HORRIBLE for all the victims involved. I hate that there is litterally NOTHING I can do to help in any way.

I also feel kinda... dirty or guilty for snarking on it so much before we knew the truth. Last week, "sin in the camp" was a punchline. Now it's.... real and not funny. I feel like a shit person for giggling at it.

Then, the amount of time in my regular life that has been taken up just THINKING about this family is quite silly in general... and then you throw on a major event like this and it's all consuming - even when you try to not let it be, you end up thinking about it.

I can't imagine adding in a layer of personal experience - much love and light to those of you who are having flashbacks to your own traumas because of this.

[Rainytown]

Thinking of the victims, and that includes Anna Duggar and her children. I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now.

My heart is broken for the sheer numbers who were molested and have come forward both here and at another site. I wish there was anything at all I could do to ease your pain.

[Tangy Bee]

Finally a thread where I can say how I really feel! Nope I don't feel depressed, but I do feel anxious and nervous for all involved. I NEVER wanted it to go down this way. We started watching the Duggars when Jackson was born and I really can't believe we actually watched them grow up. They have evolved so much. I can't remember when their lifestyle became troubling to me...but I for some reason I can't bring myself to watch a full episode for the past 2 years. Thanks to Buzzard and FJ, I've been able to keep up with what's been going. Plus Yahoo and People mag have been kissing Duggar butt since last summer. Didn't even realize they were that famous...guess I was wrong. I believe this witch hunt started when JB and Michelle started using their conservative/political platform to promote "their" family values.

Josh has been trying all these years to be the perfect example for everyone. No kissing or sex before marriage, having a lot of kids, etc. But that didn't keep his secret hidden. He got a job at an organization where majority of the employees are WELL educated. Then he walks his uneducated ass in and that had to piss a few people off. Sure they have the same conservative views but I bet they worked their asses off to get where they are...and of course it's not fair to them. Probably not everyone shredded a tear now that Josh is gone. I feel bad for him. The shame and embarrassment he must be feeling. It's gonna be a tough summer for him and his family. The show might stay on...but without him. We shall see :think:

[FundieFarmer]

So glad somebody said this. I'm all over the place about it with feelings so I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

[LongDogMom]

I've had a pretty significant response inwardly about the support that the Duggars and Josh are receiving. I left a comment on the family blog site, run by their cronies. It was epic too. Of course it wasn't allowed to be posted, big shocker. But when I went back to check and saw hundreds of comments about how Josh is the victim in this, praising them, ugh....I can't even list it all, you guys know what sick shit in support of them is being uttered by their fundie, freak friends and others....well I was so discouraged. Such a display of the worst of humanity imo. I no longer see this as a way for these people to make progress. This is doing nothing but solidifing their concepts of victim shaming,cover ups, protecting predators and giving them proof that they need to stay together and away from mainstream society. Not much good will come of this and I feel upset about it. The hypocrisy on so many factors is worse than ever.

What's worse is I've even seen comments that the girls probably liked it because they all could have banded together to stop Josh and they didn't. Or one woman commented that now she understood why Jessa was so rebellious and why she seemed to know how to kiss like a porn star!

I was sickened reading these victim-shaming/blaming comments! I feel espcially sad for Jana because she is still stuck in the home with Jim Bob and Michelle and will dealing with the children having to be told something and JB and M's rage and hypocrisy, etc. Some of the things that Jana has said haunt me...how sometimes people do things to you and hurt you and it's your responsibility to forgive. She seems so sad and broken and I really wonder if she experienced molestation from others as well. The guilt and shame that this whole cult heaps on the victims is horrible.

I do feel badly for Anna and Josh's children and even Anna herself to some degree because she really barely knew Josh when they married and she had no life experience to note any red flags. Who knows what she was actually told...he "transgressed"? I mean, there lots of ways to tell that minimize everything. I do think their rigid environment so heaped in purity and anti-lust, while doing everything to call attention to lust (ie: don't think of a pink elephant) didn't provide an enviroment that was helpful to this not happening. They discourage curiosity and don't even really teach the kids about their bodies or natural urges or puberty etc. beyond things like women causes men to stumble and so on. I'm not exusing what he did but in many ways I have a lot more anger and blame for Jim Bob and Michelle.

It makes me sick how they handled everything ...not getting real appropriate counselling and help for Josh or the girls and then making everyone pretend to continue on as one big happy family while they spew hatred at other groups who have done them no wrong.

I worry for the kids and I wouldn't mind a spinoff show for the older girls, but I have no desire to see Jim bob or Michelle on tv again. I only hope this will raise awareness of this type of cult and how dangerous it can be and get people talking about it.

[Athenasgarden]

I feel so beyond sad for the victims. I feel sad they were assaulted and that it has come out all these years later. I feel scared for Anna and the m kids. Even if there has been no abuse there, and we absolutely do not know that there has been, this will follow them forever. I am conflicted about how I feel about josh but with his inherent egotism it makes it difficult to feel sorry for him, especially after "4 years old" settled in my brain. I am absolutely enraged at JB and Michelle. They set this all up and then brought it to the national screen to play out. Even though they didn't know how it would come out, they had to know it was a possibility. They are the epitome of vileness. So, I have been mad, sad and furious for days!!!

[OodOnTheLoo]

I have definitely been triggered. I too was sure "sin in the camp" was something along the lines of Josh making out with, maybe a little more, with a consenting girl.

Knowing that TLC had to know when the show started or at least soon after and continued to produce a show that glorified sexual abusers (I put jimBob and Michelle squarely in that box) makes me want to vomit.

I'll say it again, I hope the children growing up on TLC shows sues the hell out of the network for covering up abuses.

I'm also getting twitchy that there has been no response from the Duggar camp. Are they as disgusted as we are that people are saying josh was just playing doctor? Will we have to wait for a kid-gloved, Jim-Bob approved interview where they let him spew non-answers and keeps repeating talking points?

I hope they don't expect the daughters to go on TV and talk about how close they are to God now.

How long do you think we will have to wait?

[HarleyQuinn]

I'm angry and I feel terrible for the girls, but I'm not depressed, mostly because I'm not surprised something like this happened.

Though that thought itself is kind of depressing.

Beer me.

[FundieFarmer]

I have definitely been triggered. I too was sure "sin in the camp" was something along the lines of Josh making out with, maybe a little more, with a consenting girl.

Knowing that TLC had to know when the show started or at least soon after and continued to produce a show that glorified sexual abusers (I put jimBob and Michelle squarely in that box) makes me want to vomit.

I'll say it again, I hope the children growing up on TLC shows sues the hell out of the network for covering up abuses.

I'm also getting twitchy that there has been no response from the Duggar camp. Are they as disgusted as we are that people are saying josh was just playing doctor? Will we have to wait for a kid-gloved, Jim-Bob approved interview where they let him spew non-answers and keeps repeating talking points?

I hope they don't expect the daughters to go on TV and talk about how close they are to God now.

How long do you think we will have to wait?

Do you mean past the responses they've already given?

[mfch]

It's affected me weirdly.

I can't get over it even though my boyfriend and my mother both said 'enough with the freaking Duggars' and told me to move on ... don't blame either of them, we're atheists in Australia, beyond being an oddity the Duggars have very little relevance in my life.

But I have an obsessive personality, and one of the things I have obsessed over for many years is ... the Duggars.

It makes me sad and it makes me angry, I am terrified the show will come back and Jim Bob and Michelle will get away with all this, I am sad and angry that the girls went through this and they are so brain washed that I don't think they will break away from their family at all.

I feel sleazy for watching them.

I just feel crappy about the whole thing, i'm sick of reading these threads saying the same thing but the inadequacy of the Duggars' response and the fact they won't own up and fix their actions means I keep coming back.

[theinvisiblegirl]

I'm glad it's not just me. I still can't believe it. I always wanted something "big" to happen in the Duggars to bring them down, but my big thing was always one coming out as gay or some leaving Fundieland or some of the girls moving out on their own. I never could have imagined that this. I feel so bad for the victims, for the other Duggar kids, for the M kids. I'm still in shock, really.

[CorruptionInc.]

It's almost like a "careful what you wish for" scenario.

We knew the Duggars had skeltons and that one day it would all come out; we just never expected it would be THIS big / bad / disgraceful.

[Lady Elaine]

Yes. This stuff combined with my mother's cancer taking a bad turn, the last day of school (always sad for me) and this head cold I caught has really brought me down. I've been going to bed really early to try to forget about it all.

I think Friday was the worst. After reading lots of comments on facebook and news sites after the show was pulled, I came to realize that it will probably be back one day and these awful people and their garbage will go on as usual. They'll just let it all die down and then bounce back. It's all so sad.

To make it worse, several bloggers that I've come to like posted support for the Duggars. So stupid. I had to unfriend someone on facebook over it. Oh well. We weren't that close anyway.

[Incognito22]

Thank you everyone for validating what I have been feeling. I couldn't put my finger on it and then I read this thread. Yes, I wanted to see one of them chop their hair, don some skinny jeans and then head to college and study pre med. Never in a million years would I wish this on anyone. It is so horrible and I just feel like it is only the tip of the truth. I wish those women peace in their hearts as they live through this again.

[teacherjane]

Not depressed, so much as just sad for everyone involved and annoyed at the discussion on the internet that frames this as the survivors' faults. This will have long-reaching repercussions for the other children and for Anna and her children, and since they do not have outside areas of support--no public school, no church group outside of home church, no jobs (except JD)--it will be difficult for many of them to find people who don't blame the survivors for their abuse. That's what saddens me.

[TheRaven72]

First post ever so bare with me.

This definitely triggered bad memories of being a victim of sexual assault and not seeing any justice. I was compelled to finally register here a few days ago, I had been a long time follower of "free Jinger." I definitely feel safe enough to post in here that I too have experienced anxiety and a deep sadness over this.

I feel so upset, knowing these girls had to endure years of being around that POS Josh. It angers me and brings me to tears all at once. My hope for them, is they will get as far away from their "parents" and live healthy, happy lives and seek professional treatment. For each of them to be free and have a voice.