... I've had to grow up emotionally. I now trust my feelings and my "inner voice". For me, this was probably the most damaging aspect of the JW faith, the demonizing of emotions. The heart was to be "guarded". You weren't to trust your feelings or your instincts. Gawd, I know why. Mine was yelling at me to get out since I was a teenager... took me an additional 15 yrs to "listen" to myself.
I feel now. I believe because of the disfellowshipping policy, hatred you're to have for the world, careful of association in the hall, etc. etc. much of me was emotionally vacant. I've since learnt to fill the void and feel again.