Why is mental illness so prevalent within the Amish? People take it for granted that there would be such an existence, but like everything else involving this culture, it’s often hidden, denied, or misunderstood, due to cultural, religious, and societal pressures. Many times, leaving it mistreated until it’s too late, which has led to catastrophic consequences, such as the case of Edward Gingerich, but we’ll get to him in a minute.

Well, sugar, let me tell y’all somethin’ straight from the heart and in my truest Southern sass mouth, there’s a lot going on in this culture that needs to be unpacked. The Amish community, bless their hearts, is often painted as peaceful, God-fearin folk, simple lives away from the hustle and bustle. But honey, behind those bonnet and buggies, there’s a storm brewin’, a storm of mental health struggles that’s been hush-hushed for far too long.

You see, the Amish are what folks call a “founder population,” meanin’ they descend from a small group of ancestors and tend to marry within their own community. This practice has led to a higher prevalence of certain genetic disorders, includin’ those affectin’ mental health. Studies have shown that specific genetic variations in the Amish can double or even triple the risk of mood disorders like depression and bipolar disorder. (UMD School of Medicine/Freethink) But one place they think cures all ailments is the damn chiropractor.

Well now, let me tell y’all somethin’ that might just tickle your funny bone and make you say, “Well, I’ll be!” The Amish and chiropractors go together like biscuits and gravy. You might think they’d shy away from modern medicine, but when it comes to gettin’ their backs cracked, they’re all in. I swear, people scoot through these communities claiming to be massage therapists and the Amish peeps’ will gladly let them in the house to rub em’ down…NAKED! So, what is this? Lack of awareness? Lack of affection? Lack of common sense? Or some sick fetish which has you not caring who it is or where it is, they just yearn to be touched? Or do they think the actual act of manual stimulation will heal them of whatever the hell is ailing them?

Over the years, relationships have been built between Amish communities and certain chiropractic clinics. That kind of trust doesn’t come easy, and it keeps folks comin’ back. Now, sugar, while many chiropractors are as honest as the day is long, there have been instances where some have taken advantage of the trust placed in them by the Amish community, both those with a degree and those without. It’s a stark reminder that credentials and integrity matter, no matter how natural the treatment, and predators will be predators, no matter their occupation, but also, many of these are quacks who overlook the individual struggles that many of these people have, and honestly, they don’t care. They do what everyone is supposed to do, encourage them to turn to prayer and community support than seekin’ professional help from, say, professionals! The cultural approach hinders so many to suffer in silence, silence being an oxymoron, because the Amish homes are loud with people and the chatter that comes with havin’ so many damn kids. There ain’t a good spot to suffer in silence, which makes it so much more aggravating, and compounds the stress of havin’ mental issues. Hell, truth be told, all that racket would drive anybody mental.

​Well, honey, let’s pull back the curtain on a truth that’s been whispered about but seldom shouted: the Amish community, with its deep-rooted traditions and close-knit ties, faces a unique and heartbreakin’ health crisis rooted in genetics.​

Due to centuries of marrying within their own communities and carrying around these genetic issues that lead to a plethora of issues, including Ellis–Van Creveld syndrome, a rare condition causing dwarfism and polydactyly, that is significantly more common among the Amish than the general population. Similarly, Cohen syndrome, which leads to developmental delays and other health issues, has been identified in multiple Amish families. (Wikipedia, Public Broadcasting, CBS News)

They have a mess of clinics, 62 (plus) that have popped up all over the United States to treat these children and others suffering due to genetic disorders, and that is fine and good, but then again, it’s not. These clinics, such as the WeCare Clinic here in Kentucky, were established to provide specialized care for these kiddos born with genetic defects. However, besides the ongoing debate about whether these clinics are actually doing enough to educate the community on the root cause of these conditions and the importance of genetic counseling. (UW News) I for one sent an email and asked them why they keep sending letters beggin’ for donations, money that has gone for offices and bigger parking lots, have they, at any of these visits, educated this genetic mutation carryin’ persons to STOP havin’ kids! Since I never received a reply, I can only guess that the money train is too good with these facilities and the last thing they’d want to do is to give pre-testing to those lookin’ to get married to see if they are carriers of the mutation, or identify any issues before marrying, such as being too closely related to reproduce. However, many of them know they’re closely related and carriers of the mutation and still put the world through it for the sake of the damn Amish. No woman wants to be an old maid, at twenty-one years old. God Forbid. So, the double-edged sword that are these clinics remain, both helping and enabling an already crippled society. (YouTube)

Oh honey, grab your coffee and sit down, ’cause we’re about to talk about a tragedy that never should’ve happened-and wouldn’t have-if a culture that prides itself on “peace” and “godliness” had put down the molasses poultices and picked up a damn medical journal.

That was the day 27-year-old Edward Gingerich, from Rockdale Township, Pennsylvania, snapped in the most horrific way imaginable. He brutally murdered his wife, Katie Shetler Gingerich, in front of their children, in a way that shook even the most stoic hearts in the Old Order Amish community.

But let me say this plainly: this was preventable.

Edward wasn’t some mystery ticking time bomb. Oh no. He had been showing signs for a while-hallucinations, paranoia, violent outbursts, and an overall “ain’t-right-in-the-head” vibe that even the average barn cat could pick up on. He was clinically diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, a serious and severe mental illness. But instead of gettin’ the boy the help he desperately needed, what did the community do? They took him to a chiropractor. You Read That Right, A Chiropractor!

Now baby, I’m not knockin’ all chiropractors, but ain’t no back crackin’ and toe pullin’ gonna’ fix paranoid schizophrenia. That requires licensed professionals, serious treatment, and yes-medication. But instead, Edward was rubbed with oils, prescribed molasses, and prayed over. Meanwhile, the voices in his head kept screaming louder.

“Gingerich was treated with folk remedies, which included chiropractic manipulation and molasses as a blood cleanser.”
– New York Times / Associated Press

Inbreeding, mental illness, quack doctors, chiropractors, folk medicine… The list goes on, but let’s talk about the real victim here for a minute, Katie Shetler Gingerich. Between the forced marriage and failed protection, Katie was forced to marry Edward, despite knowing something wasn’t right. She was trapped in a culture that silences women, that frowns upon saying “no,” and that teaches you to suffer in silence because “it’s God’s will.” This silence would cost Katie her life, and the sad fucking thing to add to this is, THEY HAVE NEVER FUCKIN’ LEARNED ANYTHING FROM IT!

On the day of the murder, Edward didn’t just punch Katie and cause your run of the mill domestic disturbance, oh no, his paranoia and schizophrenia had reached its maximum crazy level, and Katie was his target. Edward began punching her in front of the children, who were 6 and under at the time, and Dannie, who was the 6-year-old, was told by his mother to get help from Dan, his brother, who lived about a mile away. Edward beat Katie until she was on the floor and at one point, he stopped the punching so that he could graciously put on his work boots so that he could stomp her unrecognizable, kicking her in the face so hard and violently, that he fractured her skull and when he was satisfied in having kicked her until her head was nothing but pulp (literally, the word used was just that), he would then proceed to cut a 7-inch cut in her abdomen and reach into her body and begin pulling out her organs, one by one, disemboweling her completely. Then lining them up like he was about to fire the grill up, all while his youngest children watching! That is not just a tragedy, it’s a catastrophic failure of every protective system that should have kept her safe. This culture, who claim to police their own, knew this shitbag was dangerous, but did nothing but take him to some quack job chiropractor instead of getting him some legitimate help, but per usual, they double down on silence, suppression, and homegrown healing, and when things like this happen, they still refuse to accept any responsibility for it, nor does the government, law enforcement or anyone else expect them to do it! So, the crimes keep occurring and the victims keep piling up.

Dannie, just six years old, ran from that house like his little life depended on it, because it did. His mama, Katie, bloodied and broken, told him to run, and Lord knows he saw something in her eyes that no child should ever see. That old phrase, “the fear of God,” takes on a whole new meaning when you picture a woman begging her baby to run while her deranged husband’s fists rain down like thunder from hell. And where was God then? Better yet where was everyone else?

Katie’s screams echoed through those Amish walls, but the silence from the community was louder. Because when Edward’s own brother finally showed up, what did he do? Not a damn thing. He watched. Just stood there as Edward beat and butchered his wife in front of her babies. Not even a holler, not a shove, not a swing, not even a prayer.

And I know, fear’s a hell of a thing. But don’t you dare stand on a buggy platform preaching about God’s strength and faith when, in the moment it mattered most, you ran like a scared dog. That woman was being ripped apart. Her face, her body, her very soul destroyed in front of her children, and her brother-in-law stood there, frozen. And they all preach about obedience and humility, but when it came time to show backbone, to protect a mother and wife from a madman, he forgot his God, his faith, and his manhood.

No, it wasn’t just Edward who failed Katie. It was the whole system around her. The ones who watched him unravel, the ones who said nothing, did nothing, and still sleep soundly under the false comfort of “God’s will.” That night wasn’t God’s will; it was the failure of man. And Katie paid for it with her life. Mental health within the Amish is still a lil’ hush hush, even if they have fifty-eleven facilities with the mental name in them. They aren’t real, and nobody in there is gonna’ say to anyone seeking help that they should or need to get as far away from this cult as they can and NEVAHHHH look back! Hell no they ain’t, even the Okie Dokes who ain’t Amish, they’re still collectin; a paycheck to say whatever the Amish and Mennonites tell them to say. They are contracted bitches. Not all I imagine, but most, and I dare say ALL if they are workin’ in an Amish joint.

Edward Gingerich underscores the dire consequences of what happens when you neglect your mental health, and when you are livin’ a life that didn’t suit you, but you continued to drown in it until you were 100% batshit crazy and take it out on innocent people. A woman everyone said was “too good” for him, meaning too sweet and in their way of thinking, more Amish than he was. From what they say, he was pretty smart and knew a lot about diesel engines, so he could have made something of himself if he weren’t trapped in a culture of people who refuse to acknowledge the truth that is right in front of them. This all could and should have been prevented, but for some reason the Amish said, Nah, you’ll be alright, we control your life. Unlike a normal marriage where the wife would say, “Get some fuckin’ help or I’ll do a mental inquest on your ass, cause I ain’t puttin’ up with yo’ crazy unmedicated ass!” Women truly have no say so in their own lives, even marrying this fool, they encouraged it while also opposing it, but expressing strong emotions like sadness, fear, or anger is often discouraged. Also, the genetic mutations for mental disorders and the whole founder effect of inter-marrying will and has just continued the cycle of passing these mutations along, cause of course ya’ gotta’ keep the insanity passed down with that whole genetic isolation system they have going for them. However, it’s not just the women who have no voice, because ultimately, the bishop and his gang control what everybody does, and that goes for the men. They are all up in every household’s mix, makin’ their decisions, deciding what is best for their mental health and physical health. Control baby! That’s what it’s all about. This situation is no different than any other bullshit occurrence that goes on in this cult, and it shows where their mindset is, because this community was more tore up about ol’ Eddie going to a new order church when he was released from prison more than the whole vicious murder showdown, that is when they shunned him for real. (Wikipedia, Spotify, YouTube)

The Amish are always throwin’ out things like “Pray More” and “God’s Will”, but it’s just talk, because they sure ain’t walkin’ that mentality in real time. It’s Cultural Suppression, and they will continue to use that religious exemption bullshit to keep control and sike the world out like they walk on water. If you don’t toe the line according to THEIR rules, not the bibles, they will shun and isolate your ass so quick, your suspenders will snap! So, if someone is already experiencing depression, grief, loneliness, and other mental disorders, then they’re shunned on top of that and everybody turns their back on them, imagine how manic and confused that causes a person to feel. When a person is shunned in this cult, it’s a wrap! They won’t do business with you, and supposedly can’t take your money, but I think that’s because nobody has challenged them enough, because they take our money and don’t say a word in this community because it’s illegal, no matter how much bible affiliation they put on it.

Education would be helpful in breaking the cycle in some of this, because many of them don’t even have the basic understanding of certain things to realize that something is wrong. Such as bullying, mental health, depression, delusions of grandeur and other things. Basic ideas that the rest of the roaming population is familiar with, they deem it as normal and told to deal with it. Or they told to pop whatever pill some rogue deacon pulls out of his pocket and they take willy-nilly. They leave school with their version of an 8th grade education, but trust me, they ain’t learnin’ a whole lot, and they sure ain’t learnin’ about boundaries, sex education, or mental health.

The number of people suffering with untreated PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation from handling things internally because of sexual abuse and other issues is outstanding, I can’t imagine what the actual percentage is. So many of them do whatever they can to feel better. A woman (my sister-n-law) spent her life being gang-raped by brothers and others, while never receiving any help. To date, she still interacts with these monsters, but she’s long ago needed help. This woman will travel to any new quack she’s heard about, spends insane amounts of money in some vain attempt to “feel better” and even stuck syringes in her body to do her version of bloodletting. Noone has ever stepped in and said, Fuck that, we’re not that special to think that we are the chosen ones and should only do Faith over Medicine, because this is usually only their mantra when it involves sexual abuse, because they don’t want that information to get leaked. Now, if they have cancer, a hernia or heart problem, honey, they are jumpin’ in a van or hoppin’ on a train to get to the nearest doctor to save their asses. Did God not create the doctors, scientists, pharmacists and others who invented modern medicine, the same ones they’ll pop any other day of the week, but a woman who was victimized by her own “chosen family” is told to suffer and shut the hell up! Here’s a scripture, pray about it and sit down.

Just a few tidbits of information I researched.

• The Lancaster County Amish have been part of several genetic studies showing elevated risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
• There have been clusters of suicides in some Amish settlements, particularly among youth and those who left or were shunned.
• Inbreeding-related disorders, like Ellis–van Creveld syndrome and some forms of intellectual disability, are more common and often come with emotional and psychological burdens.
• Investigative journalist Sarah McClure uncovered 52 prosecuted cases of sexual abuse across seven states, highlighting systemic issues in addressing such crimes. (NPR)
• What can be done……
• Raise awareness outside and inside the community.
• Provide safe, anonymous, culturally sensitive counseling for those who need it.
• End religious exemptions that allow neglect of mental health.
• Tell the truth …survivors and whistleblowers can be the start of cultural change.

The Amish have scathed by all these generations because quite honestly, they are quiet until it’s somethin’ they just don’t wanna’ do, and usually that means they gotta’ spend some money or wanna’ use that religious exemption clouts the government has given them so much fuckin’ leeway with. With religious exemptions laws, cultural isolation, lack of regulation, and community-based justice systems, they have continued to escape the kind of accountability expected in the rest of society, especially when it comes to mental health, child welfare, and medical care.

1. Religious Exemptions- Many U.S. states have these religious exemption clauses that allow groups like the Amish to opt out of medical treatment, education, vaccines, mental health intervention, and even child protective services, under the guise of religious freedom. Some states do not even require Amish families to report abuse and don’t even prosecute them for failing to seek medical care for someone mentally unstable or suicidal (Edward Gingerich), as long as they claim it’s against their beliefs.

We found out about my stepdaughter’s abuse, who had been 8 years old when it began, when their momma’ decided one day to up and tell my husband in her lil’ Amish way just to give him a good kick in the gut. Being the true narcissist that she has shown herself to be, she immediately started talkin’ about her own trauma and what happened to her as a child. As tragic as it is, one might think she’d see the correalation and what it does to a person in their life, but not her. It was about the attention being paid to her, and in her mind, she wanted to be the martyr, as if tellin’ him two years later earned her a spot on somebody’s defunct hall of fame for spreadin’ her version of sadistic gospel.

We filed the reports and contacted the ones equipped to handle these things, thinkin’ “naively” that justice would prevail and they’d tie him up by his limp dick and parade him around like the monster he is, but nah, that is in a perfect world. However, when you are dealin’ with the madness that is the Amish, they are gonna’ protect the abuser who wears the same dusty clothes at they do, over someone who merely just decided to live life by their own rules “out in the world.” So, instead of the police, CPS and others doin’ their damn job like they’re supposed to, they decided it was better to investigate false allegations she filed in order to deflect any responsiblity onto herself. God forbid she be held responsible for not reporting the abuse to authorities, that would have been too much work, and she damn sure ain’t gonna’ break a sweat and do the right thing. I’ve never seen it! Imagine parents protecting their abuser son, while shunning the good son and father of the girls, just because he don’t wear the same clothes as them. Fuck him and them kids is their motto, because these grandparents don’t give a damn. They love their little molesting piece of shit child, he’s been forgiven in the eyes of the Lord (I guess they got the fax directly from their higher power), cause’ they say that shit with vengeance. Personally, I don’t know what heaven they’re tryna’ get into, but I wouldn’t let them in my shithouse!

Law enforcement barely did a damn thing except slap him on the wrist and tell him he was just “experimenting.” Yeah, the detective said that to him when he was interviewing him, I heard the recording. Disgusting. Nobody was ever held responsible for failing to report it, and do you think the parents thought, hmmm, maybe our son needs some goddamn help, since he thinks it’s okay to accost his nieces, but they ain’t that savvy. They’d rather just point fingers, tell lies and act righteous in front of the right people, but behind closed doors they are the biggest lying, thieving, cringiest, sexually abusing frauds you’ll ever meet, and I’ll call them out every chance I get and if you think the Amish men ain’t gonna’ take accountablity for their actions, Amish women are a thousand times worse. Like his ex said, “She told the church who should have handled it.” Cause she damn sure wasn’t gonna’ break a sweat to help her kids. As a matter of fact, his own damn parents blamed him, my husband, for the abuse of his daughters, BECAUSE HE LEFT THE AMISH! Yes, that’s the mentality they have. Oh well, you shoulda’ been here, as our personal slave and checking account like you were before, and maybe your daughters wouldn’t have been a abused, but we don’t give a fuck, so leave us alone.

Law enforcement, the judicial system, CPS and others have aided and abetted in the abuse of Amish children with no repercussions to them as well. It’s been said to us that the Amish have special privileges, or they leave them alone, so they leave them alone. But, when an Amish files false allegations on someone non-Amish, they’ll be at your front door in record time. It’s fucking bullshit, and I ain’t havin’ it!

I think the Amish are workin’ on the Freudian Theory: “those who act perfect usually have the most demons.” Freud’s work emphasized that people often repress unacceptable desires, memories, or traumas into their unconscious. He believed that individuals who appear overly “perfect” or moral might actually be overcompensating for internal conflicts or unacknowledged impulses, what he called reaction formation. That’s a defense mechanism where someone behaves in the opposite way of what they’re truly feeling inside.

“The virtuous man contents himself with dreaming that which the wicked man does in actual life.”
— Sigmund Freud, “The Interpretation of Dreams” (1899)

This means those who seem morally flawless may simply be suppressing their true desires, which, left unchecked, can become psychological burdens, aka “demons.” So, if a person continues to get away with their crimes, they are going to keep doing them, because a person with no consequences for their actions is a dangerous motherfucker. The Amish are the personification of this! His brother got a slap on the wrist and his girls NEVER got any therapy, because by that point, he started the legal proceedings for divorce and custody and he was treated with indignity based on her false allegations, instead of the real situation that she was the abuser. If you allow abuse and do nothing, then you are the fucking problem. Even after admitting she knew and did nothing, the courts did nothing. Even when she continuously lied and committed perjury, the courts did nothing. Even when she said he should have just listened to the Amish and everything would have been okay, they did nothing. They are abusers, wolf in sheep’s clothing, but the courts and everyone else, continue to allow them to victimize, because that is what so many of them are at their very core, wolves, lurking and waiting to take the innocence of their next victim, because they know they’ll receive no punishment. Edward Gingerich received four years for the brutal murder of his wife, but there are people sittin’ in prison today for life over drug charges. Make it make sense!

Law enforcement and social services often back off when it comes to the Amish, fearing accusations of religious discrimination or overstepping. I guess that oath they take to uphold law, and order is only for the rest of us peasants, and not the golden abusers for the Lord. Has anyone ever really asked them, “Who is your God?” Is he the bishop of the sex offender registry for their Heaven? They’ll say the Amish don’t like government interference, who the fuck does? I’d love to do whatever I want and get away with it, but even if I had full reign to do whatever the hell I wanted to do, violated a person sexually would not be on my agenda!

2. Mandatory Reporting… Under Kentucky law (KRS § 620.030), any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe that a child is dependent, neglected, or abused is required to report it immediately. The law specifies that this duty applies to everyone, not just professionals. While there is a clergy-penitent privilege that protects confidential communications made to clergy in their professional capacity as spiritual advisors, this privilege does not exempt clergy from the mandatory reporting requirement when the information is obtained outside of such confidential communications. ​(Google)

In the case of my stepdaughters, not only was their mother aware of the abuse, so were the parents of the abuser, the church, family members, drivers, the bishop in both Kentucky and Missouri, and others. Most people think it’s a no-brainer, if a child is being sexually abused, you do something. Not around here, and not when it involves the Amish. Like a driver named Yvonne told me, she knew about it, but didn’t think it was her place to say anything. Foul.

In Missouri, the law (RSMo § 210.115) mandates that any person with responsibility for the care of children, including ministers and clergy, must report suspected child abuse or neglect. The only exception is for information received during privileged communications, such as confessions. However, if the clergy member has reasonable cause to suspect abuse outside of such privileged communication, they are legally obligated to report it. (Mo Dept of Social Services)

Failure to report suspected abuse can result in criminal charges. For instance, in 2008, four Amish bishops in Missouri were charged for failing to report child sexual abuse within their community. Instead of reporting the abuse, they chose to “shun” the accused individual, highlighting the legal consequences of not adhering to mandatory reporting laws. (Indianapolis Recorder)

Therefore, regardless of religious or community affiliations, individuals in Kentucky and Missouri are legally required to report any suspicions of child abuse or neglect. (Cabinet for Social Services)

So, tell me why these Amish peeps ain’t being picked up by the buggy load and hauled in? You tell me and we’ll both know. The community’s failure to intervene is indirectly responsible, but the legal system rarely holds them accountable, so they are all guilty. There is a cost to silence, and many times, it’s someone’s life.

We can demand cultural respect, but not immunity. Protect the innocent over tradition.

If someone is clearly in crisis, and their community chooses to do nothin‘, or worse, actively keeps help away, they should absolutely be held responsible if that person harms others.

This ain’t about “persecution”, it’s about accountability and protecting the vulnerable.