Recovery comments from visitor to www.rickross.com
Posted by:
rrmoderator
()
Date: June 20, 2002 02:34AM
"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."