Martin: Broken by Belief—My Story of Shunning and Survival

I was born into the Jehovah's Witness religion. I was not allowed to associate with anyone outside the faith. During secondary school, I was bullied very badly because I was a Witness. Despite my mom repeatedly visiting the school to intervene, they did nothing to help. The torment became so severe that eventually, mom removed me from school entirely, and I was taught at home to avoid further suffering.

The only people I knew were fellow Witnesses, and I loved them all dearly. My family included my mom and dad, an aunt and uncle, cousins, and many others in the congregation whom I affectionately called my 'aunts and uncles.' They were my entire world.

Later, my mom remarried, and my stepfather was cruel to me. He threw me out of the house when I was just 17. Ironically, he was an elder in the Jehovah's Witness community. Suddenly, I had nowhere to go and was completely unprepared for life outside, lacking any streetwise knowledge or skills because of my isolated upbringing.

Lost and desperate, I started associating with drug addicts who accepted me without judgment. Unfortunately, I quickly became addicted to heroin, and my life rapidly spiraled downward. My mother initially stayed by my side, enabling my addiction by giving me money, but once she realized the harm this caused, she began bringing me bags of food instead.

My father never spoke to me again after I was disfellowshipped. He would even cross the street just to avoid me, and this broke my heart. My aunt, uncle, and cousins also shunned me. These were the people I'd grown up with, loved deeply, and considered my family.

Today, I am broken because of the Jehovah's Witness religion and its cruel practices. I feel beyond repair, perhaps even close to death. Yet, if anything can be done to prevent another young person from enduring what I've gone through, please, please continue your quest.