Alissa's Awake

"Being a Jehovah’s Witness Left Me Hollow & Depressed" | Ashley's Story

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Ashley as she courageously shares her personal journey. She opens up about how life as one of Jehovah's Witnesses left her feeling deeply depressed, emotionally hollow, and struggling to find herself. She also witnessed firsthand the devastating way the organization handled CSA allegations and tragically lost a childhood friend as a result. Now, Ashley has chosen to speak out in hopes of helping others who still feel silenced, unheard, or unable to share their own experiences.

"I Was Raised With One Path Ahead Of Me and It Never Felt Like My Own" | Desiree's Story

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Desiree as she shares her personal journey. She shares what it was like feeling like she didn’t belong from a very young age, yet continuing to play a role to keep family and friends happy. After one Google search, everything changed. The beliefs she had always questioned came crashing down when she discovered information about Raymond Franz and his books. She continued going through the motions until the birth of her second child, when she realized she didn’t want her children to grow up living a lie. She and her husband quietly faded. Now, 11 years later, she is finally telling her story to help others see that those who leave are not bad people. They are simply people who allowed themselves to question what never felt right.

"Ignoring My Intuition Kept Me Trapped" | Bobbie's Story

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Bobbie as she shares her deeply personal journey. She discusses what it was like being a child during 1975, including the fear that was deeply engrained in her. To her experience with injustices within the congregation, from being reproved for her own SA to the mishandling of CSA. She discusses how ignoring her intuition kept her trapped in the organization for far too long. This story highlights systemic issues and the importance of questioning and seeking truth.

"From Pioneer Need Greater to Disassociation" | Jasmin's Story

Today I had the privilege of sitting down with Jasmin as she shares her deeply personal journey. Born and raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Jasmin experienced the pain of losing her father to shunning after he left the organization and tried to gently challenge her beliefs. She devoted her life to the religion, pioneering and eventually serving as a need greater, which led her to Cambodia, leaving behind everything familiar, including her family in Australia. While there, she began to notice shifts within the organization during COVID, sparking deeper questions and a more critical look at what she had always believed. Jasmin opens up about her awakening, navigating a faith crisis, and ultimately finding freedom beyond Jehovah’s Witnesses.

"From Cult to Cam Girl: I Didn’t Realize I Needed Healing" | Roxanne's Story

In this powerful episode, Roxanne ‪ [https://www.youtube.com/@theroxannemiller]shares her raw and deeply personal story of growing up in a high-control religious environment and the lasting impact it had on her life. Born into the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Roxanne opens up about childhood trauma, abuse she endured, and the pressure to suppress her identity from a young age. After leaving the organization, she found herself navigating a world she was never prepared for, turning to the adult entertainment industry, alcohol, tattoos and food as a way to cope and numb the pain. She vulnerably shares how being raised to seek external validation shaped her choices, how shunning from her family affected her sense of self, and the difficult journey of recognizing and healing from deep-rooted trauma. This is not just a story about leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses, it's about survival, self-discovery, and the long road to healing