Sandra Dam: Staying to Survive, Leaving to Live

I was not raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, but being who I was, I walked into their doors at the age of 27 alongside my husband and our two young children.

Long story short, not wanting to lose what was left of my family, I stayed even though I wanted out. My daughter had been disfellowshipped, and I could see how our family was being ravaged through alcohol because of this.

I kept staying in the cult for many years without believing anymore. I stayed to the point of attempting suicide, because I knew that if I left, I would lose what remained of my family. The people in the cult would never speak to me again because of their shunning practices.

I finally found the courage to leave, but I lost my whole family in the process. I am still here, but with huge pieces of my life missing because of their cult’s mandatory shunning practices.