I know that it can be very stressful.
The very first thing that happens is that you lose your entire network of friends. Some risk losing their business, or jobs because it can't handle the drop in revenue, when they don't come around anymore, or when you're witness employer doesn't want you around anymore.
I feel that this one immediate action, and God forbid it's given the label Apostate, probably keeps many people in the WTBS. It's equivalent to someone being sentenced to all eternal burning firey Hell. There's disfellowshipping and then there's the disfellowshipping for Apostacy. -Ouch.
My brother disassociated himself and then went later called an Elder on the phone about a brother in the Elder's Hall and started to tell him how that brother owed him about $200. The Elder said, "Your're disaccoiated, aren't you?" and then hung up. They actually thought the brother no longer owed my brother the money simply because he wasn't a JW anymore!
Same thing with me, same Elder. I was disfellowshipped for a time. Yeah that's right, baptized twice in Natick, MA, USA and then disfellowshipped after, and then reinstated after that, and now inactive. Can any of you top that dysfunction? I'm like the Richard Louis of the JWs or the Rocky of JWs, I keep coming back for more and I don't know when to quit, even when the sequels have reached their breaking point). I guess I deserve everything I Gott coming to me.
Anyway, my first child is born and the threat of blood transfusion came up. I was scared stiff. My Dad calls the same Edler, we'll call him, hummm, let me see, bro. Fred Gott. And says, my son needs help what's the latest on the Committee(right now I still believe in the sanctity of blood -I read the bible, and the sanctity of blood, to me, is still clear). Anyway He says, "you're sons disfellowshipped, isn't he?" and my father says, "Well the baby isn't."
