1. How long did it take you to leave once you knew it was no longer the truth?
Even after I got d/f I still thought it was the "truth". I just couldn't take the rules and regulations that came along with being a Witness. I made a tragic mistake at 19 and got married to someone I knew that I shouldn't of married. I couldn't comprehend having to pay for a mistake for the rest of my life by staying with someone who was completely wrong for me. Also the attitude taken by the elders after learning of my molestation by my brother-in-law left me very bitter. They had a "just forget about it" mentality. Everytime I heard news accounts of wars or something like that I would think "well this is it - I'm gonna die". It wasn't until I did reasearch on the internet and found out what lies the JW's teach.
2. How much harder knowing you had friends and family in the org did it make it?
Being raised a dub I KNEW what was gonna happen to me. It was hard for me for a while, but I had to break free and live my own life. I think I prepared myself mentally for it before I actually left.
3. Would you have done things differently?
I think the only thing I would have done differently is I would have d/a myself instead of letting the elders d/f me. I wouldn't have given them that satisfaction of doing that to me. My sister d/a herself several years ago and my parents still talked to her, so I think if I d/a myself I would have still had my parents. For some reason they view d/f as so much worse.