Hi I'm new to these ex-jw sites (I wish they were around when I left!) but have been df for about 15 years. I am a 32 year old female.
Regarding the elders (my father has been one all my life and still is one) ... I have had 2 meetings with them on separate occasions. One was about 2 months before I left (I was 17) and all they did was try to get me to admit something I had done "wrong" (some fooling around I had done with my fiance at the time in the "truth" - he was upset that I broke the engagement off & decided to go to the elders to tell them what we did as revenge - it was VERY embarrasing - and pretty pointless I might add). Second time was right before I got df and there were 2 elders I knew and one circuit overseer that I had never met. The CO handled the meeting and basically told me my parents were a wreck, it was all my fault and it was my responsibility to make everything right again - this man did not even know me or my family or our situation! All that confrontation did was make me run away even faster.
So they have left a bad taste in my mouth & certainly leave something to be desired in their dealing with people in difficult situations.
Flower - I have read a few of your postings - and it seems like you are going through a hard time. I have been there ... devastated, depressed, ALONE, crying constantly because of so much pain, you name it. And I had no one - no internet, nothing. All I can say is keep your head up because it DOES get better and life becomes better than you ever imagined :)
E-mail me anytime if you want to talk: [email protected].
wildeflower