Are Mormons really that happy?

[Kable]

I got this from anther thread and I know it's a stereotype but in my experience the Mormon's I knew seemed weirdly happy. Is it just a stereotype? So is it a false front? Is it true?

Whichever the answer, why?

[MPB in Salt Lake]

It's been said for years that Utah has the nation's highest per-capita usage of anti-depressant drugs.

[rsat3acr]

Originally Posted by MPB in Salt Lake

It's been said for years that Utah has the nation's highest per-capita usage of anti-depressant drugs.

cite.

[Lamar Mundane]

Originally Posted by rsat3acr

cite.

Study Finds Utah Leads Nation in Antidepressant Use

SALT LAKE CITY — Doctors here have for years talked about the widespread use of antidepressants in the state. But there was no hard evidence until a national study that tracked drug prescriptions came to an unexpected conclusion:

Antidepressant drugs are prescribed in Utah more often than in any other state, at a rate nearly twice the national average.

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28924

[Morgenstern]

Originally Posted by Lamar Mundane

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/20/news/mn-28924

A 10+ year old study?

[Mosier]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

A 10+ year old study?

Have the demographics in Utah changed much in 10 years?

[elbows]

So is it a false front?

I think you nailed it, right here. I think that's what they do best, to be honest. Romney's been at it for years, that's why, no matter how hard he tries, he still comes across as a cardboard cut out.

Their whole strategy seems to be; don't say too much, say what you know they will receive well, skip things they won't, and then do whatever you want, once you're in.

[Victor Charlie]

This might be drifting into another territory, but they, in general, seem very concerned about outward appearances, especially with respect to their religion. As more people learn about the weirder or more controversial specifics, they're fairly quick to make changes.

"What's that? You think polygamy is wrong? Oh, uh, we do too!"
"You say it's socially backward to view blacks as second class? Uh, yeah, we do, too... we've just been meaning to change a few words around in the doctrine, but no big deal. (Josiah, tell the professors at BYU to ixnay the acismray.")
"Yeah, about that 'getting-a-planet-after-you-die-thing', look, uh, that's just how a few people have interpreted that... It's actually not that specific in our official liturgy... What's that? It was Brigham Young? You know about that?"
("Hey, Josiah, they know about the underwear. Let's tone it down.")

Seems to me they have a bit of a history of putting up fronts for the sake of appearances.

[Voyager]

My daughter knew lots of Mormons in high school and before, and we bought our house from one. My impression is that they were no more or less happy than anyone else, but, as they got older, they were under a lot of pressure to toe the line - do their mission, get married early, got to the best BYU they could get into. Anyone rebelling in the slightest (and some of them spoke to my daughter as a friend who would be sympathetic) were very stressed.

And one of the sons of the people we bought our house from was so very happy that the SWAT team came for him.

[Ele the Stoic]

My maternal grandparents were mormon, and after they passed away, it came out through memoirs that they were incredibly depressed pretty much their entire married lives. I don't know if other people they associated with outside the house were aware of it, but my mom and her siblings weren't, so there's obviously some level of frontage going on.

[IceQube]

I can't imagine being happy if I were taxed by not only the IRS but also the Mormon Church.

[kob09]

As european we don't see many mormons here.. the few I have met, were on the road to be missionaries. Even if they were young and seemed confident to have made the right choice, I always pity people who do not want to take responsability for their own lives...

Any kind of totalitary system makes people depressed .. if it's religion or political doesn't change much..

[florez]

My brother went to Weaver State University in Ogden, and I would tease him that he would find a nice Mormon girl, fall in love and get married in Utah. He told me the Mormon girls he met there were nice and attractive but reminded him of smiling Stepford Wives, so not exactly his type.

[PrettyVacant]

Might be a bit happier skimming 10% off everyone, less happy if paying it over.

Kind of like the USP of the Amish a little more - the rural gig might work better.

[aldiboronti]

Originally Posted by elbows

I think you nailed it, right here. I think that's what they do best, to be honest. Romney's been at it for years, that's why, no matter how hard he tries, he still comes across as a cardboard cut out.

Their whole strategy seems to be; don't say too much, say what you know they will receive well, skip things they won't, and then do whatever you want, once you're in.

That's what they do best? You're using a pretty wide brush there. Mormons, just as folks of any other religion and none, are happy, sad, elated, depressed, and a thousand other shades in the middle. In short they're humans, just like us. Weird, huh?

[2ManyTacos]

My best friend when I was a kid was Mormon.

He didn't seem particularly happier than anybody else at the time (just really nice to be honest), but in the ensuing years it became obvious that he had some depression and/or anxiety issues that he had to work out. I only became aware of it several months after it happened, but he had apparently spent some time in a mental facility after doing some, eh, unfortunate things to himself after his girlfriend broke up with him. That was years ago, and it's all sorted out now as far as I know.

I barely even keep up with him currently, though. We'll talk once or twice every six months or so, but that's where our friendship has wound up at this point; still, he told me a while ago that he was no longer Mormon because he just didn't really identify with it anymore.

I went to his church with him once as a kid. I barely even remember what happened at the service now, but I can recall not having any fucking clue what anybody there was actually talking about.

And that's my personal experience with Mormonism.

[Freudian Slit]

Originally Posted by Voyager

My daughter knew lots of Mormons in high school and before, and we bought our house from one. My impression is that they were no more or less happy than anyone else, but, as they got older, they were under a lot of pressure to toe the line - do their mission, get married early, got to the best BYU they could get into.

There's more than one?

[FuzzyOgre]

Originally Posted by florez

My brother went to Weaver State University in Ogden, and I would tease him that he would find a nice Mormon girl, fall in love and get married in Utah. He told me the Mormon girls he met there were nice and attractive but reminded him of smiling Stepford Wives, so not exactly his type.

The mind-boggling thing is there are Mormon men who meet outsider women and say "They are not [Stepford]-ish enough."

[Victor Charlie]

Originally Posted by aldiboronti

That's what they do best? You're using a pretty wide brush there. Mormons, just as folks of any other religion and none, are happy, sad, elated, depressed, and a thousand other shades in the middle. In short they're humans, just like us. Weird, huh?

Is it coincidental, then, the most Mormon-dominated state has double the national average anti-depressant use?

[PrettyVacant]

Originally Posted by Victor Charlie

Is it coincidental, then, the most Mormon-dominated state has double the national average anti-depressant use?

Kind of depends if it's the Mormons who are using them, or whether people are depressed by coming into contact with them.

[Morgenstern]

Originally Posted by FuzzyOgre

The mind-boggling thing is there are Mormon men who meet outsider women and say "They are not [Stepford]-ish enough."

I would say the majority of 20 year old men in the US want a Stepford type wife with a great rack and a nice ass. Mind boggling?

[Der Trihs]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

I would say the majority of 20 year old men in the US want a Stepford type wife with a great rack and a nice ass. Mind boggling?

Great body yes; Stepford, no. Even most shallow men at least fantasize about a woman who loves, or at least lusts after him; not an automaton.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Originally Posted by PrettyVacant

Kind of depends if it's the Mormons who are using them, or whether people are depressed by coming into contact with them.

I chuckled.

[Victor Charlie]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

I would say the majority of 20 year old men in the US want a Stepford type wife with a great rack and a nice ass. Mind boggling?

Are we still talking about Mormon women?

The magic underwear are starting to make more sense.

[Rune]

A lot of Mormons are descended from Danish immigrants (Danish Immigration and Life in Utah) And Danes of course are the happiest people on Earth (Denmark: The Happiest Place on Earth). So Mormons are happy not because they are Mormons, but because they are Danes. Who wouldn’t be.

[Really Not All That Bright]

Whoah. That was fascinating. Thanks, Rune!

[al27052]

Originally Posted by Victor Charlie

This might be drifting into another territory, but they, in general, seem very concerned about outward appearances, especially with respect to their religion. As more people learn about the weirder or more controversial specifics, they're fairly quick to make changes.

"What's that? You think polygamy is wrong? Oh, uh, we do too!"
"You say it's socially backward to view blacks as second class? Uh, yeah, we do, too... we've just been meaning to change a few words around in the doctrine, but no big deal. (Josiah, tell the professors at BYU to ixnay the acismray.")
"Yeah, about that 'getting-a-planet-after-you-die-thing', look, uh, that's just how a few people have interpreted that... It's actually not that specific in our official liturgy... What's that? It was Brigham Young? You know about that?"
("Hey, Josiah, they know about the underwear. Let's tone it down.")

Seems to me they have a bit of a history of putting up fronts for the sake of appearances.

That was actually pretty hilarious. ROFL

[Voyager]

Originally Posted by Freudian Slit

There's more than one?

Hell yes. Here is the page for the Idaho version, a quick Google found one in Hawaii also. Everyone wants to go the SLC, of course, but there are others.

[florez]

This might be a happy Mormon family.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyzyx/249270409/

[MPB in Salt Lake]

Originally Posted by Voyager

Hell yes. Here is the page for the Idaho version, a quick Google found one in Hawaii also. Everyone wants to go the SLC, of course, but there are others.

The main campus of BYU is in Provo UT, which is about 50 miles from downtown Salt Lake City.

ETA---and I guess while I am at it, it's Weber State, not Weaver State.

[Ambivalid]

Originally Posted by Victor Charlie

This might be drifting into another territory, but they, in general, seem very concerned about outward appearances, especially with respect to their religion. As more people learn about the weirder or more controversial specifics, they're fairly quick to make changes.

"What's that? You think polygamy is wrong? Oh, uh, we do too!"
"You say it's socially backward to view blacks as second class? Uh, yeah, we do, too... we've just been meaning to change a few words around in the doctrine, but no big deal. (Josiah, tell the professors at BYU to ixnay the acismray.")
"Yeah, about that 'getting-a-planet-after-you-die-thing', look, uh, that's just how a few people have interpreted that... It's actually not that specific in our official liturgy... What's that? It was Brigham Young? You know about that?"
("Hey, Josiah, they know about the underwear. Let's tone it down.")

Seems to me they have a bit of a history of putting up fronts for the sake of appearances.

So Mormonism is how Romney got 'turned out' as the flip-flopper of all flip-floppers. Huh.

[Erdosain]

Are Mormons all that happy? Probably not, but not miserable either.

On the one side of the ledger, you have a strong community and social support network. There's also a sense of certainty; everything has answer. I'm not certain, but I'd assume the rates of alcohol abuse are lower, and fewer cigarettes mean you'll live longer (although that may be balanced out by obesity).

On the other hand, you have a grinding pressure to conform, an obscene number of hours per week given over to various meetings and assignments, 10% of your income, and constant pressure to live up to an impossible standard. Less money, less free time, more guilt/shame. Plus you are constantly exhorted to set an example for your non-Mormon friends and neighbors, to show them how wonderful it is to be Mormon.

I miss the social aspects a lot. Man is a social animal and human interaction is an important element to happiness and sanity. However, if that social network is mostly interested in controlling your behavior for their own ends, then it is no longer a net positive.

[boytyperanma]

No one in my family was happy being Mormon except my mother. It was a source of my misery, but you learn to lie and put on a false face as to not draw suspicion...

[Dogzilla]

Originally Posted by florez

This might be a happy Mormon family.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyzyx/249270409/

Not mormons.

[florez]

Originally Posted by Dogzilla

Not mormons.

Can you tell what system of faith they might be practicing? I got the impression they were Mormon but not polygamous, because there is only one wife who apparently bore all those children.

[Erdosain]

Originally Posted by florez

Can you tell what system of faith they might be practicing? I got the impression they were Mormon but not polygamous, because there is only one wife who apparently bore all those children.

Baptist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bob_Duggar

[rocking chair]

Originally Posted by Ambivalid

So Mormonism is how Romney got 'turned out' as the flip-flopper of all flip-floppers. Huh.

my thought as well when reading that post.

[Ethilrist]

Originally Posted by Rune

A lot of Mormons are descended from Danish immigrants (Danish Immigration and Life in Utah) And Danes of course are the happiest people on Earth (Denmark: The Happiest Place on Earth). So Mormons are happy not because they are Mormons, but because they are Danes. Who wouldn’t be.

(descended from a Danish Mormon)

Me, I'd probably crack a smile more often once I realized "Hey, the church isn't going to pressure me into taking a second wife... sweet!"

[AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet]

One of my friends says that there's a high rate of drug abuse among Mormon teens, as well as a very high rate of meth abuse. She also said that yes, things are very superfical and Stepford wive-ish in Utah.

[Ele the Stoic]

Originally Posted by Rune

A lot of Mormons are descended from Danish immigrants (Danish Immigration and Life in Utah) And Danes of course are the happiest people on Earth (Denmark: The Happiest Place on Earth). So Mormons are happy not because they are Mormons, but because they are Danes. Who wouldn’t be.

I love you. This actually answers a few questions in my genealogical tree, thanks for posting it.

[wiredbadger]

i would suspect that any belief system that inhibits the social interaction of the human animal with their own kind and with the environment, in such a profound way as to in some way manifest or manufacture perspective of the universe that is uniquely separate then the rest would certainly lead to depression and ranting dissent or squirming physiological dissertation. most animals in a cage do not show happiness unless they have no idea of the cage they are in. to me, it is like asking if a schizophrenic experiences a joyous and meaningful life. i would suppose it is all relative.
you see, i think mainly it comes down to Socrates assessment of the trial, when meletus was asked by him did anyone tell him (Socrates) that he was distorting the minds of the youth of Athens. meletus admitted that no , no one informed him. at which point Socrates said , no one intentionally does himself harm, surely if i knew that i was doing wrong i would have stopped. but then later, as we find out Socrates rationalizes that he can not stop being who he is. so change and adaptation to him was not possible. he ends up killing himself . there can be no depression greater then one where a person chooses to forfeit their own life based on a belief system. so to a much lesser degree i would assume that Mormons, by nature of their identity certainly would have a degree of depression. i hope made sense.

[Rhodes]

Originally Posted by wiredbadger

squirming physiological dissertation

Band name!

[wiredbadger]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

Band name!

hahaha thanks. you are right not bad actually! i am just really tired, heh.

[Namkcalb]

Originally Posted by AboutAsWeirdAsYouCanGet

One of my friends says that there's a high rate of drug abuse among Mormon teens, as well as a very high rate of meth abuse. She also said that yes, things are very superfical and Stepford wive-ish in Utah.

If you restrict alcohol, the restrictions on other substances become less of an issue, hence the drug/meth use makes sense.

Also, some people use alcohol to self-medicate for their depression, people who follow teetotal faiths would have to use antidepressants instead, hence the higher rate of antidepresant usage is not necessarily indicative of a more depressed population.

[TokyoBayer]

My mother's family is of Danish descent. She's been depressed pretty much all of her adult life, as have her four sisters. So, statistically, it may be true that Mormon Danes are happy, but our family didn't get any luck.