I'm coming out on my blog.

Abandoned

No, I'm not talking about being gay, although if I was, I'd come out about that too. No, I'm talking about coming public about having been a jw and explaining why I feel the jw is a dangerous cult.

Now, I don't have a huge readership on my blog, but I've never talked about my jw past to ANYONE outside of that organization or this board. Never!

I would love to hear any advice from those who have been out and successfully dealing with the mental and emotional abuse that the jw poured out. I've been out for four years, but before coming to this site, my only form of coping was repression. That and crying when the thoughts of how worthless I am became too strong.

Here is the opening post for my blog regarding this subject:

Coming Soon - How I Escaped A Cult Hello everyone. Most of the time, I try to make my comments here at myspace.com as positive as my situation allows. I think it's healthy to try to focus on what's working rather than what isn't - unless it's something that can be fixed.

Soon, however, I'm going to begin detailing some disturbing aspects of my history. In the late 1980's I was indoctrinated into a very powerful and well known cult. I finally escaped it's clutches in 2002, but it's taken until this year for me to finally feel emotionally strong enough to talk about this painful part of my past.

Some may wonder what do I hope to gain from telling my story. Well, the group I belonged to for so many years is one that claims to be the only organization doing God's work here on the earth. They claim that they are God's one source of instruction and the only religion that will be saved when God soon destroys the wicked at armageddon. If the leaders of this group were simply interested in selling literature, I would walk away and not be overly concerned.

The truth is, however, that this organization places demands on it's members that damage them mentally, financially, socially, and spirtually, and while I have no desire to decide for anyone else what they should or should not do with their lives, I think the people who are being brought into this organization, under the guise that it will bring them salvation, have the right to know the deeper secrets their leaders don't want them to know.

Let me know what you think. I know I'm probably asking for trouble by posting this, but I really feel like I need to do this as part of my healing.

My blog is located here: http://blog.myspace.com/improg

bubble

Hi Abandoned, that seems absolutely fine to me. I don't know what you're so worried about.

You're out of it now, so it's all good. XXX

bernadette

am going to have a look. It needs to be done abandoned because jws go door to door. In my case I became a witness at 17 and believe that I was stalked into the truth - the pressure the visits were so great. I remember one time I'd decided to go swimming instead of going to the meeting. When I got home my study conductor was outside my door litrally waiting for me (she lived nearby). I was her first responsive biblestudy and she was very zealous

Abandoned

Thanks bubble. I'm still not used to second-guessing nearly everything I do and feeling guilty for stupid crap. I'm fighting now though. I need this. Plus, if I can help even one person from going through the torture tower, I'll be satisfied.

bernadette You went swimming instead of brainwashing? No wonder you're now an apostate.

Clam

That's good Abandoned. You shouldn't be too shy about going public on your experiences. You're not alone; others have done it and have had a hard tale to tell. My favourite is this one http://www.freeminds.org/stories/mylife.htm It's an article by Terry Walstrom, a JWD member. I can't tell you all the emotions it stirred up in me, anger and sorrow certainly. Take the time to read his story; you may see it as a useful yardstick. Good luck.