It hurts: How does it feel to leave a cult?

by dedpoet 16 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  GoingGoingGone

  This is exactly how I felt when I left. What also hits home for me is this:

  Leaving a cult is like experiencing the death of a close relative or a broken relationship. The feeling is often described as like having been betrayed by someone with whom you were in love. You feel you were simply used.

  There is a grieving process to pass through. Whereas most people understand that a person must grieve after a death etc, they find it difficult to understand the same applies in this situation. There is no instant cure for the grief, confusion and pain. Like all grieving periods, time is the healer.

  I had invested my entire life in this religion. Every friend I ever had was a JW. We talked about everything under the sun. Now, suddenly, I was all alone and couldn't talk about my doubts or discoveries, for fear of being DF'd. My friends all ignored me, acted like I didn't exist anymore.

  "Normal" people can't possibly understand how alone you feel in this situation. My own kids thought I was obsessed with the internet in general, and JWD in particular. If it wasn't for the people I've met here, I would have lost my mind long ago!

  Thanks for posting this!

  GGG
• 

  AK - Jeff

  I had invested my entire life in this religion. Every friend I ever had was a JW. We talked about everything under the sun. Now, suddenly, I was all alone and couldn't talk about my doubts or discoveries, for fear of being DF'd. My friends all ignored me, acted like I didn't exist anymore.

  "Normal" people can't possibly understand how alone you feel in this situation. My own kids thought I was obsessed with the internet in general, and JWD in particular. If it wasn't for the people I've met here, I would have lost my mind long ago!

  Thanks for posting this!

  GGG

  Absolutely correct. "Worldly relatives" and friends, simply don't get it. Jw relatives and friends treat you like shyte, if they even greet you at all.

  There is something about realization that we are not the only ones to go thru this pain. Now I see that apparently other cults are just as evil in this respect.

  My relatives have said things like 'Just get over it already'. They just don't understand that it is not like leaving the Presbeterian Church. It is more akin to leaving your country and being called a traitor really.

  Jeff
• 

  dedpoet

  AK Jeff wrote: There is something about realization that we are not the only ones to go thru this pain. Now I see that apparently other cults are just as evil in this respect

  Indeed they are Jeff. There are some very destructive cults out there, as
  bad and in some cases seemingly worse than the watchtower, though
  not as large in numbers as the jws

  I guess it's could be kind of comforting in some ways to know we as
  ex jws aren't the only ones to have been duped into a cult, or treated
  like dirt when we left, but I find it more than a little alarming that there
  are so many of these groups still operating and, despite all the information
  available today, still growing in numbers.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  I guess it's could be kind of comforting in some ways to know we as
  ex jws aren't the only ones to have been duped into a cult, or treated
  like dirt when we left, but I find it more than a little alarming that there
  are so many of these groups still operating and, despite all the information
  available today, still growing in numbers.

  Agreed, Trev.

  Does anyone know if these other groups are as well supported on the internet in terms of sites like this one? Surely the WWCoG and it's hundreds of spin offs for instance, have created a lot of folks who need the same healing as we did [or do ] here.

  Jeff
• 

  dedpoet

  Does anyone know if these other groups are as well supported on the internet in terms of sites like this one? Surely the WWCoG and it's hundreds of spin offs for instance, have created a lot of folks who need the same healing as we did [or do ] here.

  Yes, there are a number of forums for ex christian cult members around,
  and some for specific cult members. The guy who wrote the article I posted
  earlier was a former member of the International Church of Christ, who are
  a fairly large and still-growing cult. There are a few sites devoted to them, with
  some pretty heartbreaking stories on them.

  The ICOC are very active in the UK, though they aren't welcome at many college
  and university campuses over here. They seem to be very jw-like in their approach,
  always demanding more and more sacrifices from their members in both time and
  money, They also seem to target young people, particularly students, and are very
  aggressive in their disciple-making. I've been researching these people lately for
  an article a friend has asked me to write, and believe me, they are just as dangerous
  as the watchtower, and in some ways even more so.
• 

  M.J.

  An ex member of a small polygamous sect in Salt Lake City was briefly interviewed on the phone on NPR a couple of weeks ago. She was on an "apostate" campaign against the group and called it a "cult". Boy she sure sounded just like half the people who post here.
• 

  OUTLAW

  "Your in pain because you`ve left Jehovah..Not..Because the WBT$ has done everything they can to screw you".....At least thats what the WBT$ would have us believe...OUTLAW