"I am a former member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. I became a witness at the age of 14, and am now 44. I have been out for three years. I am the only one in my family has left the organization. I also left a 20-year marriage to an elder. Since leaving there have been long, lonely hours without any support at all, except for new friends. But after being on anti-depressants for almost twenty years, I have totally kicked them and also stopped drinking. I have now been sober for more than two years. I have a wonderful public job within education and am well-paid. I can now experience self-esteem, feelings of joy and peace on a daily basis. Being able to connect with God too, after many years not praying, because of feelings of worthlessness has been a HUGE gift. My new friends are accepting, without expectations and love me unconditionally. I have also decided to further my education and test my intellectual capacity. My world, which was once so narrow and dark has now been flooded with light, life and hope. I have gone from a broken, addicted wreck of a woman, to someone who can hold my head up and knows that I count for something. My only regrets are not waking up sooner and that my family are still Jehovah's Witnesses. All I can do is hope that my new life will cause them to pause and take a good long look at the organization. No one, not even the Watchtower Society, should come between families."

It's marvellous that you're in your forties and have already found a career in education. What steps did you take to accomplish this? Did you have to return to school? How did you manage the stress of it all. And how did you find a way to structure life on your own terms when you left the structure of Jehovah's Witnesses?