how are you still affected? (page 2)

Gwydion

I am only affected by the memories of days long past. It usually takes something like seeing witnesses walking down the road in field service, or seeing a magazine on an end table at a doctors office or something to jog the memory a bit, sometimes a post I read here will take me on a trip down memory lane. Not all of the memories are bad memories, but all in all it was a tough confusing period of time in my life.....but then I think that holds true for most people when they look back to their teenage and early adulthood years.

tinkerbell82

happy birthday gwyd!!!!

SixofNine

I still can't keep books or magazines in my posession. I place whatever I have, even if it is Forbes. It's really costing me, as people seldom make their donation cover the cost of a Mark Twain classic. World wide work my ass!

gumby

In what ways do you still feel the hold of the WT in you?

This questions answer depends on how absorbed you were into the cult, whether you have family members still in, etc.

Some people such as myself were raised in it....attended 5 meetings a week. You don't just forget the mindset you learned all your life and quickly learn a new one. Some pretty much have to learn life all over again to a great degree.

Do you still pick out your music/movies carefully? Does nudity and/or language still offend you to a deafening degree?

No.

Do you judge by appearences?

Yes. But many people do the same. I think dubs and ex-dubs are much much worse however.

I have been out 8 years and STILL in many ways........think as I was trained.........like a dub.

Gumby

freedom96

The only way I am still affected is that I have a minor child who still has to go to meetings with his mother. That, and I have a very small handful of friends still in.

Other than that, I don't let the WTS affect me.

sxybrwneyes

I still struggle with self esteem issues even though I have been out for 9 years from being told all of my life that I wasn't doing enugh for Jehovah and I was going to die at Armageddon.No matter what I did it was NEVER enough.

When I got in trouble for having sex and got put on private reproof I was told "you better pray to Jehovah and hopes he forgives you because you committed an unforgivable sin and you could die the second death".

I was so depressed, I figured I was doomed and was going to die at Armageddon anyway so what was the point of trying anymore. I figured I might as well go have fun and do what I wanted.

Country Girl

I have a cross hanging from my rear view mirror, and I put it away every time I'm around my Mom. My husband was just appalled that I did that, and I even felt ashamed that I did that, but didn't stop. My sister won't smoke in front of my Mother. But I will.. <puff puff>.

I still am very frightened of authority figures, but that is slowly going away as I get older. One time, my bosses called me for a meeting two days' hence, and I spent two days just as fearful as a rabbit in the headlights. They gave me a raise because they thought I didn't get paid enough! I felt like a fool.

I still find myself calling God, Jehovah, and have some fear about how to pray.. but these things, too, shall pass.

CG

how are you still affected?