I drifted away pretty young, without getting dunked. It took a while to be completely mentally out. Education helped with that. Honestly, life couldn't be better. Nothing's perfect, of course, but I am very content. I think ex-jws have a special outlook in life, because they appreciate things others often take for granted: having the freedom to learn, exploring authentic spirituality, celebrating holidays, etc.
I do think one's circumstances do effect how good one's post-jw life is. The deeper that you're in, the more difficult the transition. And living with a JW relative or spouse no doubt can make things much more complicated. But it can be done. One of my close friends was a super pioneer, from a hard-core JW family, and got married to a JW girl at a very young age. He eventually got out, got a divorce, and went to college. It was much harder for him than for someone like me, but it was worth it. He couldn't be happier as well.