This is my first post and what a revelation this site has been to me (excuse the pun) if only this had been available when i walked away from the "truth" in 1987, it would have made life a lot more bearable for me.
i was brought up a JW and was baptized at 14 because i thought it was the right thing to do, endured a very strict upbringing combined with the dreadful routines of worship, study and door knocking. We were deprived of any enjoyment (tv, friends, outings, fun, etc). Education was a bit of a disruption, having moved to where the need was greater our schooling was interrupted so many times we never made any friends. I managed to scrape some certificates but my education was not an issue and was never dicussed, no one was interested so obviously i pioneered having left school and took some crappy part time jobs to pay my keep. My goodness life was quite unenjoyable.
At 20 i married a JW as i imagined this would improve my quality of life. Well i was wrong, i married a pig who i just could not put up with. I told my Elder dad that i did not want to be miserable for the rest of my life so i was leaving my husband. I made a big decision to get divorced and dissassociate myself from the congregation.
I braced myself for the inevitable fact that my parents would shun me, but it was still a shock when my dad looked at me and said you know that we won't have anything to do with you, oh by the way you will have to find a new job and somewhere else to live. I was at the time working for my dad and living in a small house my mum owned. At 21 years old with limited social skills, no preparation for the outside world it was quite a shock.
But hey, stuff them I did it. I went on my way into the world, got a job, got somewhere to live and I survived. I missed noone from the Congregation because i had no friends there. After 3 years my parents contacted me and i am no longer shunned. But it has made me a very strong person. It took me about 10 years to realise that it is a cult and what they beleive a load of horseshit. But to find this site and to have it confirmed by everyone else here is fantastic, i feel inwardly vindicated.
some of the stuff i read here makes me laugh and laugh, some of it makes me want to cry but to find other people who feel the same way is such a relief!