Disillusioned JW, I think your suspicions are correct. I think most of us here were pretty devout believers for a long time. Which is why it took a lot for most of us to get “disillusioned”. I know I had lots of issues that nagged at me through the years but I simply “compartmentalized” them (or buried them) until there was that “final straw” moment and everything crashed. I finally had to realize/accept that it was all BS. No hocus pocus Holy Spirit directing things. No Shekhinah Light revelations. Over 40 years baptized and 10+ years as an elder. Walking away from all that was emotionally painful. The loss loss of all of our “friends” was especially rough. But fortunately we walked away with our immediate family unified and intact and lost only a few “fringe” or more distant family members. Replacing the network of friends has been the most difficult challenge. In JW World everyone is an automatic friend (tho that friendship is conditional regardless of how close you might think they are). Good luck to all you faders!
The greatest revenge is living a happy and successful life!