What was the biggest thing that helped you when you were leaving?

jambon1

For me, the support of this site was invaluable as I had had years of couped up emotions. Always being told that if you are sporitually weak, it is YOUR fault. I actually swallowed it and tried to be a good JW. The negative effect of hiding true feelings is significant. Also, building up friends and reinstating old family ties helped me to see that I was actually a decent person despite being told 'in as many words' by the WT religion that I was turning wicked and immoral.

blondie

Being shunned by family and "friends" while both husband and I were "in good standing" as elder and elder's wife.

The obvious huge lies by the elders trying to protect their precious derrieres.

Thanks to all of them...or I might still be going thinking "wait on Jehovah" to kick their collective rears or "we are all imperfect."

Blondie

nvrgnbk

JWD.

Yes. All of you.

Mum

I left in 1979, pre-internet. Wayne Dyer's book Your Erroneous Zones was invaluable. Some of the guests on The Phil Donahue Show were inspiring. The attitude of the elders toward me because I took a couple of college courses was a great push toward the desire for freedom. The realization that I had been a better person before becoming a JW also struck me at some point. It was time.

Regards,

SandraC

dedpoet

I didn't believe that the watchtower had the truth when I walked away
in 1999, having done a lot of independent research into their history,
as well as reading Crisis of Conscience.

That knowledge helped me break free from the mind control I'd been
subjected to for my 8 years as a jw. I missed some of my "friends" at
the hall, but I didn't miss them enough to lure me back, I knew that
there was nothing worth going back for.

Vernon Williams

Interacting with ex JWs on the phone and face to face: BRCI ministries.

Accepting the invitation of the Good News: Baptism and a celebration of the Lord's Meal.

Becomming involved with a Group of Believers even though I was very uncomfortable.

Posting on an ex JW board: Channel C on Beacon Light till I was disfellowshipped from that board....

Yours in this Journey,

V

serotonin_wraith

Wanting freedom was the big thing for me. The religion impacted practically every part of my life, and I'd had no say in whether or not I should have even been raised as a JW.

I got over the fear of death easily enough by coming to the conclusion that even if it was all true, I would STILL rather die with my morals intact than follow such a vindictive, evil god. After researching, I came to the conclusion that religion (any religion) is bogus anyway.

candidlynuts

gosh several things .. what a great question!

therapy. she didnt know a lot about jw's and i wish she had but she did know how to help me work thru guilt issues, what to take blame for and what not to. that applied to all aspects of my life and we talked about it all.. jw , family etc.

internet, as questions came up in my mind , having access to the internet and being able to search specific things helped immensely.

ex jw community, if a search didnt yeild answers, a question posted on one of the ex jw boards would bring forth many different answers, shared experiences and support.

making new friends, surrounding myself with people who wanted to know ME, not my time card or meeting attendance.. ME. of course i had to figure out who i was too lol but having good friends helped that process along.

figureing out that my life wasnt in "gods"hands, that i had some control over my life and finding the strength and courage to make changes helped me in the process of leaving.

lonelysheep

JWD!

Also, knowing that everyone 'worldly' I knew and grew up with, already thought the jw's mentality was whacko.

dawg

For me, it was simple... whenever a man, or any group of men say that whatever they say can't be questioned, it sends up a red flag in my mind and it always has. So after 28 years as a witness, after having questions that elders couldn't answer, I read literature outside the org and realized it was the WTBTS that was lying about the apostates and not the other way around. I've been out 17 years!

What was the biggest thing that helped you when you were leaving?

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