shunned

Johanna was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Her story encompasses a childhood marked by secret abuse, a home environment with a dangerous and alcoholic father, and what could be considered a shocking and early marriage, ultimately leading to her being shunned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. • Secret Abuse: Johanna was molested by an older cousin for about a year and a half when she was around 8 or 9 years old. This was kept a family secret, and she was told not to tell anyone, not even her father. Her mother, upon finding out, questioned Johanna in a blaming way, asking “Why did you let him do that to you?”. This incident highlights a significant secret abuse that Johanna endured without adequate support or protection from her family. • A Dangerous Dad: Johanna’s father is described as an alcoholic who became increasingly violent as she got older. There were instances where he would smash things, break into the house after being locked out, and Johanna would overhear him threatening to kill the entire family. The family would sometimes leave for short periods due to his violence, but were discouraged from permanently leaving by elders in the congregation. Ultimately, her father died by suicide using a homemade gun, and Johanna believed his plan involved killing the entire family as he had six bullets for six family members. This paints a picture of a dangerous father who created a volatile and fear-filled home environment. • A Shocking Marriage: Johanna got engaged at 15 or 16 and married at 17 to a 22-year-old fellow Jehovah’s Witness. This occurred partly as an escape from her difficult home life, as her mother and stepfather did not want her there. The circumstances surrounding the engagement, where her mother suggested marriage as a solution to them being forbidden to talk, and the young age of Johanna, particularly within a non-Witness context, could be considered shocking. Johanna herself acknowledges her naivety about relationships due to her sheltered upbringing. • But Johanna is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Today she shares her story for herself and for her son that was featured on a previous episode. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned [http://patreon.com/shunned] http://patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. [https://storyworkscoaching.com/] Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com [https://exjwhelp.com/] Leave us a review on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shunned/id1278684468?mt=2] Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4UJZdPiABipv9mESMjjdfA/videos?view_as=subscriber]. Follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/shunnedpodcast?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shunnedpodcast/]. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MVvD4HmXuFOYxWVFRoF9c?fbclid=IwAR097VFK6CIM-Ws3OGVCzGek8gr3cngWbio87497LDOFUhamlwzjRiAsCSc] chosen by guests of the show. The song that Johanna chose to represent her journey is Surface Pressure from Encanto [https://youtu.be/iNZzS0dODpM?si=f5sEPi-99NKBzF8f]. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. [https://thisjwlife.com/] You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here [https://becomingjehovah.com/] An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

It’s been almost 8 years, a whole lot of work, and here we are sitting at episode 200 of the Shunned Podcast. Episode 100 featured 100 things you need to know to heal from Jehovah’s Witnesses, and this episode will feature a lot of ways that the cult may have impacted you that you never thought about. If you watch or listen to this episode, I’ll be surprised if you don’t walk away with something to think about, if not many things, for your own life. We’re going to talk about how we relate to others as we navigate a post JW world but we’ll also discuss how we relate to Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then we’re going to talk about our relationship with self, and drop a lot of points for consideration. After that we’ll talk about the teachings and culture of Jehovah’s Witnesses and some of the more directly related impacts of their beliefs. And some might enjoy a bonus episode of my views that are often a bit unconventional on things like Norway, the ExJW community as a whole, violence and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and maybe a little interview of myself as well if they want. I’m a cult recovery coach with my own lived experience as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and I’ve worked with hundreds and hundreds of individuals since 2019, often working with roughly 6 individuals daily in hour long sessions, diving into people’s lives, helping them to heal and move forward into a life that is reflective of who they are and who they want to be. I also have three podcasts, This JW Life which is my story told in such a way as to help others process their own. We translated that into Spanish to help in that community where it’s known as Esta Vida Como Testigo De Jehovah. And This JW Life was also turned into a book called Becoming Jehovah, which is available to read for free online, links to everything mentioned here will be in the podcast or YouTube description. Today I’m the host of the Shunned Podcast where I help other people to tell their stories their way, which I’ve been doing since 2017 as one of the OG podcasters still out here doing their thing. My channels have been viewed, listened to, downloaded over 1.5 million times at this recording. I have also developed an ExJW cart to take out to do street activism, and last year I went out to do a one man audio protest at a regional convention. I’ve also been privileged to speak at the University of Louisville in a psychology class, at the inaugural When Rights and Religions Collide conference, and I’ve done online and in person speaking for the International Cultic Studies Association. Oh, and I created fun trivia quiz website that I’ve been able to get active Jehovah’s Witnesses to interact with at JWTrivia.com that is in three languages and that introduces active Jws to new concepts if they take the simple quiz. I even ran a private Facebook group of ExJWs with a couple thousand members that was aimed at positivity and moving forward for a few years, and I’ve always been active in various Facebook groups and subreddits to try to offer a word of support or encouragement since I left Jehovah’s Witneses in 2015. In fact, we’re coming up on my 10th Shunniversary this September. So when you listen to what I’m about to break down, these are my observations and lessons that you can take away from my experience in this community. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned [http://patreon.com/shunned] http://patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. [https://storyworkscoaching.com/] Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com [https://exjwhelp.com/] Leave us a review on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shunned/id1278684468?mt=2] Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4UJZdPiABipv9mESMjjdfA/videos?view_as=subscriber]. Follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/shunnedpodcast?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shunnedpodcast/]. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MVvD4HmXuFOYxWVFRoF9c?fbclid=IwAR097VFK6CIM-Ws3OGVCzGek8gr3cngWbio87497LDOFUhamlwzjRiAsCSc] chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. [https://thisjwlife.com/] You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here [https://becomingjehovah.com/] An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Life for Chelynn didn’t exactly get off to an auspicious start when her parents were marked as bad association in the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses as they had her. While is is hard enough to grow up exposed to a cult, further losses only compounded the tough path that she would have to walk. Facing the loss of more than one man that she loved, and addiction to various substances beginning with meth in high school, Chelynn has had to fight for everything that she’s had. Today she fights, not just for herself, but for her little boy as well. The prize? A happy life for herself, a loving environment for her little boy, and to give him things that she never had. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned [http://patreon.com/shunned] http://patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. [https://storyworkscoaching.com/] Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com [https://exjwhelp.com/] Leave us a review on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shunned/id1278684468?mt=2] Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4UJZdPiABipv9mESMjjdfA/videos?view_as=subscriber]. Follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/shunnedpodcast?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shunnedpodcast/]. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MVvD4HmXuFOYxWVFRoF9c?fbclid=IwAR097VFK6CIM-Ws3OGVCzGek8gr3cngWbio87497LDOFUhamlwzjRiAsCSc] chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. [https://thisjwlife.com/] You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here [https://becomingjehovah.com/] An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

It’s hard enough growing up different than everyone else because your family is in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Everyone wants to fit in, to belong, to feel seen and heard and validated. But what if you individually were singled out in the very isolated cult environment at the ripe age of 12 because of rumors started by children and carried out by adults? What if everyone labeled you as though you were demonized in some way over silly childhood games? What if you did the one thing that you thought you could do to get them to see you differently, and it didn’t work? This is the story of Alex. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned [http://patreon.com/shunned] http://patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. [https://storyworkscoaching.com/] Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com [https://exjwhelp.com/] Leave us a review on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shunned/id1278684468?mt=2] Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4UJZdPiABipv9mESMjjdfA/videos?view_as=subscriber]. Follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/shunnedpodcast?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shunnedpodcast/]. You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MVvD4HmXuFOYxWVFRoF9c?fbclid=IwAR097VFK6CIM-Ws3OGVCzGek8gr3cngWbio87497LDOFUhamlwzjRiAsCSc] chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. [https://thisjwlife.com/] You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here [https://becomingjehovah.com/] An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

One of the highest goals for a young person that is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses is to go to the Bethel headquarters located in New York, to work as a volunteer, serving their cult full time. But every person that goes there has a life before they go there, a life there, and for most, a life after as well. KJ has taken the time to share his story, one that involves the depths of emotional despair, the harsh realities of the most revered place on earth for Jehovah’s Witnesses, and how he came to realize that “we’re all just drones, following along thoughtlessly, because we’re afraid”. KJ is no longer a drone but has chosen to take flight in his own life, charting his own course, even though it has cost him dearly inside the life he once knew. Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned [http://patreon.com/shunned] http://patreon.com/shunned Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information. [https://storyworkscoaching.com/] Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com [https://exjwhelp.com/] Leave us a review on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/shunned/id1278684468?mt=2] Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4UJZdPiABipv9mESMjjdfA/videos?view_as=subscriber]. Follow us on Twitter [https://twitter.com/shunnedpodcast?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/shunnedpodcast/]. The song that KJ chose to represent his journey is I Drink Wine by Adele [https://youtu.be/jDvYDzFOK9A?si=ZNWSR-QbEnKvZvMa] You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MVvD4HmXuFOYxWVFRoF9c?fbclid=IwAR097VFK6CIM-Ws3OGVCzGek8gr3cngWbio87497LDOFUhamlwzjRiAsCSc] chosen by guests of the show. This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. [https://thisjwlife.com/] You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment. Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here [https://becomingjehovah.com/] An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel