JW friends can only ever be friends for now. When we left we lost all our JW friends not a single person called or spoke to us. there were women who had had babies at the same time as me who had shared their highs and lows with me who were now strangers. Even family members dissolved and extracted themselves from our lives which hurt the most.
That being said I have found new friends who appreciate the importance of being there unconditionally. I am truly grateful to all those who took a chance on me in my new life and who I now count as special people in my life.
So 7 million witnesses may no longer want to be your friend but their are billions of new people out there who may take a chance on you and turn out to be true friends. It is better to have a small circle of loyal friends than a large circle of conditional friends.