Anyone else depressed?

[Mela99]

I wanted to see them crash and burn as much as anyone, but not like this . . . An affair. A drunken fiasco. A political oops. Not sexual assault of those already repressed girls...

I do NOT feel sorry for Smuggar, Dim Bulb, or Mullet. Not one fucking bit.

But I agree with you all. This is just a depressing and sorry situation. I'm still praying Dr. Phil goes after them.

[nokidsmom]

At first, I thought it was a retelling of the "whole sin in the camp" rumor yet again when it first surface. But when this was actually confirmed, I admit I was taken aback. Never thought that it would end like this.

I never was a big fan, thought what the family preached was damaging and not something to emulate. I guess for all the speculation on that "tell all" book that would reveal what was really going behind the scenes, well, this was worse than that.

Feel sorry for the kids, not just those victimized. JB and J'chelle failed their children, including Josh, who needed far more help than he received.

[MiddleAgedLady]

I Know I'm depressed and stressed over this, it has taken over my dreams! I dreamt last night that Michelle was going to show her tummy like Kate Gosselin did. But Michelle had to remove to many layers of modesty clothing to get to her tummy.

Layers and layers. I suppose that means to me that their will be more to this story.

[HeadshipRegent]

I've been having a pretty shitty week in general due to a family member passing but Joshgate certainly adds to the mix of anger, sadness and being pissed. Being molested by a family member was probably my biggest fear growing up, and the feeling of paranoia came back after reading this.

I feel awful for them (not including JB, DQ and Smuggar). :| This situation is horrific. Like someone else say, we snark on them but this is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy.

[Eternalbluepearl]

Thanks for posting this thread. I feel sad and yucky too. :(

[SayWhat]

This took me by surprise. Total shock at first, then anger.

Now I am sad for the victims and angry at JB & Michelle. Yes I am angry at Josh, but more so at the parents for not protecting the girls from repeat occurrences and for not getting Josh professional help after the first occurrence.

I've enjoyed snarking on them, not anymore.

Now, I am just really angry at Michelle & JB with all their purity, modesty, robo calling, mother of the year non-sense. I AM SO SICK OF THEM.

They have been so obsessed with the appearance of and wanting everyone to know of her daughter's purity and how modest they are, is the molestation one of the reasons why ?

Michelle had to sit between Ben & Jessa in the truck, looked like she was going to have a breakdown when Ben & Jessa held hands saying a dinner prayer the night prior to her engagement, said something to the effect that Derrick & Jill's full hug at the airport being beyond reproach. Made modesty comments about toddlers Josie took of her jacket that matched her short sleeve dress at Jill's wedding.

They are mental.

I am guessing that the mental breakdown everyone speculated that Michelle had years ago over all the laundry housework was not over laundry ad housework.

Now all the cameras around the house, one bedroom for the girls and one for the boys, the buddy system where the girls are never alone, makes sense in light of the past. They all need professional counseling.

I don't want to ever see or hear from Michelle or JB.

I would love to see periodic specials or updates on all the children and young adults. I hope the children & young adults do not experience anymore harm from the public revelation of this and that they get the help they need.

[FatalStarshine]

I thought I was the only one who was feeling like this. When I read the news I was horrified and steadily noticed how I couldn't shake this depressed-queasy feeling eating away at my stomach. I didn't really have an appetite and for the past couple of nights I have been up, tossing and turning most of the night; waking up constantly. That feeling is intensified when I see that not a single soul has said anything about the girls in this. Even if they 'forgave' him did they really have a choice? They were going to be stuck living with him after all, plus it could've been warped around so the girls thought it was their fault. Which sucks. I don't hate or love the Duggars, and like a few I've wanted to see something dramatic happen to the family but it fell mostly along the lines of Jana making a run for it or Jinger. JD getting drunk, or maybe even Jessa divorcing Ben down the road. This is something I never wanted to see happen to the girls that have already been raised into a submissive lifestyle.

At least it explains why Jana is the way she is. Maybe since she was the oldest when it happened, she might remember it better and that betrayal which is why she has closed herself off and sticks with the younger kids to protect them like her parents should've protected her. She always looks so sad. We're both the same age, in fact I am only four days older. Even though we are total polar opposites, seeing that sadness behind her eyes and the hollow smiles; it makes me want to go, snatch her, and show her how to live life up and find a few moments of happiness that is just about her. I guess she hits me harder than the rest because of the close age difference.

Jessa's father-in-law, you would think he would have a bit of outrage that his own daughter-in-law was a victim, so I was a bit shocked to see his statement about this mess. I still have a hard time believing it and after I post this I might go read it again. It makes me wonder if Jill's mother-in-law will have anything to say about this, publicly. Also, if Derick and Ben will come out and say anything. You would hope they realize that the girls did nothing wrong and are comforting them instead of worrying about Josh's hurt feelings that he got caught.

As sad, sick, queasy, anxious, and crappy I feel, it's not even a drop in the bucket with how completely pissed off I am at the whole thing too, what happened, how it was handled then and how it is being handled now. :x

[The Duggar's Mohel]

To be honest, this family has had me depressed every time I see them. There is just something so wrong with that level of stiffing free will by their parents. I find their particular brand of brainwashing and hate mongering simply horrifying.

[homeschoolmomma1]

I used to LOVE the Duggars and I was back and forth on how I felt for years. I feel hurt and betrayed. They were the wolf in sheep's clothing all along. I guess I never thought the scandal would be... molesting the girls. :( I am very sad and can't shake it. I also think I need to stop reading about them and take a break. I am just waiting to see if the show is canceled.

[MalteseBaby]

I have felt very angry, and the anger has drained the positive energy from my life.

3 days away were very good for me. I slept a lot more than normal when we are at our vacation house, though, which tells me the situation has still stolen my energy.

I'm a very pro-active person, and I realize that my goals have to be pro-active in order to not support the molester, his parents, his lifestyle, etc any longer.. I've made a list and am checking them off:

1) Signing petitions calling for the show to be cancelled.

2) Contacting major sponsors.

3) Making certain I never watch another Duggar episode of anything

4) Also, not buying any print media featuring " Duggar news".

I think we owe it to the girls to do what we can to not support their father's cash cow marketing and family promotion any longer.

Since nothing can be done about the crimes, Joshua is dead to me. So is Anna.

J. R. Duggar ( the real name of the dad is now "J.R." to me- just like J.R. Ewing), belongs in prison. I do not know, but I suspect this is just the beginning of the fall of the house of cards the con man has built. I expect him to be incarcerated for just cause in the not- so distant future.

[grandmadugger]

I have felt very angry, and the anger has drained the positive energy from my life.

3 days away were very good for me. I slept a lot more than normal when we are at our vacation house, though, which tells me the situation has still stolen my energy.

I'm a very pro-active person, and I realize that my goals have to be pro-active in order to not support the molester, his parents, his lifestyle, etc any longer.. I've made a list and am checking them off:

1) Signing petitions calling for the show to be cancelled.

2) Contacting major sponsors.

3) Making certain I never watch another Duggar episode of anything

4) Also, not buying any print media featuring " Duggar news".

I think we owe it to the girls to do what we can to not support their father's cash cow marketing and family promotion any longer.

Since nothing can be done about the crimes, Joshua is dead to me. So is Anna.

J. R. Duggar ( the real name of the dad is now "J.R." to me- just like J.R. Ewing), belongs in prison. I do not know, but I suspect this is just the beginning of the fall of the house of cards the con man has built. I expect him to be incarcerated for just cause in the not- so distant future.

At least J.R. Ewing had some redeeming qualities.

[Cleopatra7]

At least J.R. Ewing had some redeeming qualities.

J.R. Ewing was fun evil. J.R. Duggar is just plain evil, end of story. :evil: :disgust: And J.R. Ewing got his comeuppance on several occasions, while J.R. Duggar is still playing the Jesus card in the hopes of getting out of jail free

[SnazzyNazzy]

At least J.R. Ewing had some redeeming qualities.

Not to mention some amazing hats.

[SassyPants]

I cannot even be angry at Josh- I really cannot. He needed parenting, guidance and counseling at the time, not manuel labor and Gothardism.

Those kids trusted their parents, as most children generally do, and those parents, both of them, were deficient.

The gall of those 2 con artists to continue to have kids, not care for said kids and then sell the kids to the media for easy cash.

There should be major consequences for JB and M- major. At the very least, stripped of all their money and other assets, and all of it given to their children.

Josh is getting consequences, for sure. I feel terrible for the M-Kids and Anna.

JB and M are the worst offenders.

And like others of said, I'm sure there's more.

What JB and M have done to those children is CRIMINAL!

[IrishCarrie]

I've just read through this entire thread and I must say, I feel a little better now! I'd been feeling a bit of a numpty for letting it get to me so much, but you know what? It's not just me!

Not alone in the universe!! :clap: :clap: :clap:

[clueliss]

Well, I am MDD so typically that is a 'yes.'

regarding all of this - I figure I'm somewhere in the midst of the stages of grief. The outrage has shifted to activism (translation, doing what I can to get the show removed) while fighting things I know about people I know who have gone through similiar things.

[Quiverfull of cats]

I've been finding it depressing that TLC apparently won't do the right thing without advertiser pressure. I'm feeling slightly more optimistic every time I hear that another company has pulled its advertising. Now I feel motivated to help get the rest of the sponsors to pull their advertising. I will absolutely boycott any company that doesn't do the right thing. This sickening con game started by JB and M has gone on for too long and I cannot stomach child abuse apologists.

[lookinggoodforjesus]

I haven't read the whole thread, so sorry if this comment has been said before or out of nowhere. It's a response to the thread title.

YES I have been depressed as ever. Felt nauseated and sick all of Thursday. May have had a panic attack or two.

This is a subject matter that would upset me regardless of who it was. Even someone I didn't like. The aftermath of this incident is what makes me angry as ever. That Josh went about his merry life and was never truly held accountable makes me angry. JB and M make me angriest of all. I always thought they were crappy parents for parading their children on TV and throwing them in to the ugly world. Especially because they bragged so much about protecting their children's hearts and being not of the world. But now, it's more than just dragging their daughter's first courtships through the media. They televised their daughter's first kisses, made jokes about their daughters getting banged for the first time, make sexual jokes in front of all of their children, made their daughters do the brunt of the housework and parenting, and this was knowing that their daughters have already suffered. They never protected their daughters from this happening, and then they failed to protect their daughters after. And these people then choose to tell US how to raise our families. They tell girls how to dress for "their protection" and to respect men's desires. They feel like they have the right to. They feel like they still have to right to proclaim that women should be cautious and careful of men's desires. They have never said that men should be cautious of their desires. That men need to understand what they can rightfully fulfill and what they can't. They seem to not believe in that. With this happening in their family, it makes everything they believe more than just twisted. It makes their entire family construct abusive. Not that it wasn't to begin with, but it most definitely is now.

You know, JB and M clearly are obsessed with certain issues. They can't ignore anyone drinking and they can't ignore homosexuality. I would take my son being gay over molesting his sisters.

[LongDogMom]

I am sad but mostly just so angry and frustrated that not even something this terrible will get through the idiots who blindly follow them. I also fear that the wagons are being circled so tightly and that the kids are being fed even more bullshit about the evil world and persecution of good Christians. And it also angers me that Christianity gets has become so perverse in the past 30 years. It didn't used to be this way, and now the neo-cons and idiots like the Koch brothers, etc, have become marketing geniuses and convinced well intentioned people that the only good Christian is a conservative Christian.

Great post! I'm pissed off too! Especially at JB and Michelle! But like you, I'm angry and frustrated at the leghumpers who are not only defending Josh and minimizing what he did (ie: playing doctor like all kids), but some are even trying to say that people are framing Josh, despite him having confessed! There really is no limit to how stupid some people can be. The irony is they keep saying we're the stupid ones for making such a huge deal about it...that we're persecuting good Christians who make mistakes but are redeemed and 'hurting a good man". As for the victims? People's comments range from outright blaming of the victims as probably enjoying it and wanting it too (ie - playing doctor) to they were asleep and probably don't even remember it was so long ago. Some even blamed Jessa's rebelliousness "at her wedding" ?? (what? not wearing white?) and the picture of her kiss with her new husband that was posted later as "now they know why Jessa kisses like a "porn star"!! I mean, if Jessa was molested in 2003 she would have been ...what? 10 or 11 years old? Nothing like shaming the victims with mean and cruel and rude comments! Sheesh! All the while, they defend the abuser! One article I saw says he molested 5 "young women"...well since the victims were all younger than he was and the youngest was 4 or 5, I'd hardly call them "women"...these were children!! One barely older than a toddler!

The thing that surprises me is that people seem to just ignore that after being caught once, Josh continued the molestation and was caught again 9 months later! If it was just curiosity or whatever, he would not have continued after being caught the first time! Plus, I'm sorry..at 14 or 15 to sexually touch a child of 4 or 5 ...that is not curiosity, that is molestation and you know at that age that it's wrong. And who knows how long it went on really ...before he was caught the first time. Who knows if any of the boys were molested by him and were too scared to come forward. I could see him threatening them with the idea that coming forward would expose their homosexual tendencies and we all know how much Jim bob and Michelle love homosexuals! Who they risk even a hint of that?

Yeah, I'm pissed off at a lot of people surrounding this whole thing.

[Imrlgoddess]

I had to walk away from the threads for a while, avoid Tumblr and IG...I feel horrible for them all. All the information running around the web triggered some things that I hadn't thought about in years. My poor husband had no idea why I was so twisted up so he and I had to have a little chat.

As with many here, I didn't wish this kind of thing on them.

[prov31_8]

Thank you for posting this also. I have been a lurker here for a while and have been following the Duggar family since the beginning. I was shocked to see that this was really true. I have focused on this probably way too much, but I can't get over how people just want to brush this under the rug. I do believe that Josh can be redeemed, but that doesn't mean you don't have consequences. And the family keeps seeming to try to cover it up. Yesterday, I finally posted something to my fb page about it and I posted an article called: Why What Josh Duggar Did Still Matters. And my pastor's wife posted that she was a sinner at one time and thank goodness she is saved by the grace of God and not by people who judge. The article wasn't even bad. I just wanted to point out that while he is still around children, it is not wrong to question his past. And now I am "judgmental" and other friends of mine liked her comment. Guess I won't be going back to my hairdresser anymore.... I don't want a lynch mob for the family, but I don't think it is bad to ask for answers and expect accountability if you preach that you are accountable. I feel like my eyes have been opened and maybe some of my innocence has been robbed, if that makes some sense. I am glad I am not the only one very disheartened and possibly losing friends over this.

[MalteseBaby]

At least J.R. Ewing had some redeeming qualities.

Did he? :)

Larry Hagman was handsome when the show started, but nope, J.R. Ewing was rotten to the core, just like J.R. Duggar.

One got rich because of Texas oil wells plus Jock's inheritance to him, the other through shady deals and mainly, through grifting using his small children.

I think I get what you're saying though. :)

I have a lot more respect for the fictitious J.R. Ewing because he never claimed to be anything but a ruthless SOB. :) I miss the Ewings on my TV. I'll never miss the Duggars again.

[marieantoinette]

I don't know if I posted on this topic yet, I started to but as soon as I sent it through, I dropped my phone and my battery fell out, so I don't think it had time to go through but anyway. I'm angry more than anything. I can't believe so many people are supporting the j.boob and michelle. I'm mad at Josh but the parents were accessories to the abuse. Theyclosed the doors on so many things in those kids lives that tthey're bound to make terrible decisions. All these kids don't have a fighting chancein the real world, thanks to boob and Michelle. Josh is the only one who was released into the real world and he keeps screwing up because he doesn't have the proper education and basic common sense. And the fans are sick too, what more can these people do before the fans wake up? I think murder is the next step but that won't affect them either because in Duggar world, you pray for forgiveness, then everything is ok, no need for any further actions. Then the fans say it's OK because Josh was 14, well that doesn't work either because if that's the case, then ridicule should fall on the parents shoulders, but they also failed miserably too. I have a feeling that they will walk away from this because on my xfinity on demand, there was some episodes that were on there but they removed those too but they still have shows scheduled for June (reruns, of course) so if they can remove the on demand episodes, why didn'tthey remove tthem from the lineup in June? They didn't say how long they were going to be pulled, actually, they tried to make it quite obvious that it was temporary. And TLC hasn't posted anything about the new couples premiere tonight, or anything else at all. Their announcement about 19 kids was the last and only thing they posted. It kind of tells me that they're prepared to back the Duggars,rregardless of how it effects the whole channel. Maybe they should just make a channel dedicated to the Duggars so they don't risk the other good shows like the little couple and return to amish.

[SassyPants]

I don't know if I posted on this topic yet, I started to but as soon as I sent it through, I dropped my phone and my battery fell out, so I don't think it had time to go through but anyway. I'm angry more than anything. I can't believe so many people are supporting the j.boob and michelle. I'm mad at Josh but the parents were accessories to the abuse. Theyclosed the doors on so many things in those kids lives that tthey're bound to make terrible decisions. All these kids don't have a fighting chancein the real world, thanks to boob and Michelle. Josh is the only one who was released into the real world and he keeps screwing up because he doesn't have the proper education and basic common sense. And the fans are sick too, what more can these people do before the fans wake up? I think murder is the next step but that won't affect them either because in Duggar world, you pray for forgiveness, then everything is ok, no need for any further actions. Then the fans say it's OK because Josh was 14, well that doesn't work either because if that's the case, then ridicule should fall on the parents shoulders, but they also failed miserably too. I have a feeling that they will walk away from this because on my xfinity on demand, there was some episodes that were on there but they removed those too but they still have shows scheduled for June (reruns, of course) so if they can remove the on demand episodes, why didn'tthey remove tthem from the lineup in June? They didn't say how long they were going to be pulled, actually, they tried to make it quite obvious that it was temporary. And TLC hasn't posted anything about the new couples premiere tonight, or anything else at all. Their announcement about 19 kids was the last and only thing they posted. It kind of tells me that they're prepared to back the Duggars,rregardless of how it effects the whole channel. Maybe they should just make a channel dedicated to the Duggars so they don't risk the other good shows like the little couple and return to amish.

Total parental failures. If some of the kids are nice, it must be from the influence of Grandparents, the crew or siblings via osmosis.

JB saw creating children as his path to the easy money.

Raising them, teaching them, guiding them, role modeling appropriate behaviors for them, educating and protecting them was not viewed as part of either JB or M's jobs.

[pumpkie0]

Yes I've gone from disgusted, angry, sad to having a million memories triggered and worrying about the girls. Because as a victim of abuse and rape for many years at the hands of a family member no matter how long ago that it happened or stopped, no matter if you have had therapy or not or years of it you live with triggers. Triggers that happen all the time, doesn't matter how long ago it was even when the person passes. There is always a trigger that rips the lid off of all the memories,pain and shame. You always blame yourself, you always feel shame and once you think you have things under control it rears its ugly head and begins again. So my fear is for the girls, no amount of praying, religious counseling not even real counseling this will effect them every day of their life. I'm not shocked by the timing I can tell you some of the worst times of my life after I gave birth to both my kids but more so with my daughter. The day the person passed I thought i would have peace and the exact opposite happened. The only part that changed is I was not subjected to seeing this person all the time these girls are still seeing the abuser and that will trigger things even more so. So yes I'm sad and worried and know just what its like to live with this and even with all the help out there its not an easy road and I fear for them