Good day dmouse,
What a story! My heart goes out to you and your kids. Sounds like they are hanging together and are survivors of this mess that this d*** religion causes. My kids went through A LOT of pain while in this organization. I was gung ho w/the religion and they were made to go. I have so many regrets and my kids now all adults w/kids of their own and I have had heart to heart discussions about the past.
They feel that I did what I felt was the best for them. Kids can be so forgiving. They asked ME to forgive myself and go on w/my life. I've been out for 14 years now. I DAed myself not that I did something to be DFed for, but it was on my terms. I was fed up w/the whole mess and the lack of support from so called "friends".
Now we enjoy holidays and occassions together as a family w/all of the grandkids. I couldn't be happier. Life does go on.
As someone else said here, your wife perhaps has to reach the "bottom" - a mental breakdown. I experienced this after I left because of all of the guilt I felt. I was at the point of suicide and I got professional help which really helped me to value myself again and put things in perspective. For years it took me to find my place as a worthy human being again and not a "robot" living some man made organization's life style and dictating what is acceptable and what isn't to God.
For your wife, she has to come to her own conclusion to get help. If she does, it is a real possibility that she could "wake up" and be her old self again.
I feel for you as you and your wife have 20 years of history together - and not all bad I'm sure.
I wish you the very best and all of your kids too. Hopefully your ex wife will value her family and her relationship with them and get help. If she so chooses I would support her in that because with her head on straight you might be able to be a whole family once again!
Again, the best to you and your family.
Juni