I've said this many times and I'll say it again.There are many ways to accomplish your goal without playing by their rules & validating their self-appointed authority over you. The notion that you need them to perform a mean religious ritual on you for you to feel better is preposterous really (sorry).
-Block people from your email/phone/Facebook. Return mail. Don't answer the door and notify them not to trespass on your property.
-Do a little closure ceremony of your own--bury or burn magazines, write an unsent letter, etc.
-Announce yourself publicly as a non-jw. (Ex: tell coworkers, neighbors, Facebook, etc.)
- Deprogram? Make a list of your fears and beliefs caused by being a jw, then systematically confront them. (I went to a church, went to a bar, befriended a homosexual, swore, celebrated holidays, got an education,etc.)
The biggest step is to FORGIVE and AGREE to ask help to FORGIVE when you can't on your own.
I am sorry but I could not disagree more. As a former behavioral health clinician, I know this to be totally untrue. This 'forgiveness' thing is a religious teaching, not something required for mental health.
Acceptance is needed. Moving on is needed.Those are the only aspects that affect mental health.
Forgiveness is separate from that--forgiveness means you're saying what happened is ok. Not only is that untrue in the case of jw/wts, it's unhealthy to pretend it's true.