I was fortunate enough to have a fairly smooth exit from the cult. A major factor in this transition was retaining the one and only family connection that was important to me. Even though the relationship was challenged, it didn't end, and in many ways, the very nature of it being tested proved its strength. I had already formed friendships on the outside too, so I didn't feel like I was sacrificing terribly much.
It's only now - years later, and after the death of that important family member - as I struggle to exit from an unhappy relationship, that I realise how traumatic it is to prepare to lose your life as you know it.
My life will be disrupted. The (initial) outcome will certainly be unpleasant. I will lose relationships that are important to me (or at least they will be changed). I will be alone in fundamental ways for the first time. I can't imagine what my life will look like, and I have that human condition whereby I'm afraid of the unknown. As a result, I am compelled to retreat from this abyss, and as I do, I realise how terrifying it must be for all those who face losing everything in exchange for the unknown.
How does one surmount these fearful obstacles in the hope that someday it will all be worth it?