Really appreciated this thread, so would like to throw in my 2 pennies worth.

Seems to me that we have all suffered and endured a form of abuse.

Alongside the mainstream, i.e. - child abuse / spouse abuse / cruelty to animals etc., perhaps "cult abuse" is somewhat under the radar of the public eye. There's no national outcry, no charity or fund-raising events set up for the prevention of it, no high-profile personality or celebrity speaking out against it. Therefore, little opportunity arises for simple validation of our feelings and experiences, let alone the chance to move forward and gain some semblance of a happy existence.

Added to that fact, many, if not all on this site, are still subjected to that abuse by our ongoing connection with those we love and care about, who are still fully fledged members of that institutionally abusive organisation. It's amazing that any of us have been able to put our lives back on track and is testament to both the indomitable human spirit and the endlessly supportive individuals found on this site.

As with any abusive experience, there are varying degrees of damage to contend with - the length of time it went on for / your own complicit behaviour whilst in it / the betrayal of trust / the sense of loss - i.e. loss of time, loss of family and friends, loss of self esteem and self worth, loss of God (because you chose Satan over Jehovah) / the lack of closure (when guilty parties never admit or acknowledge their abusive behaviour) / lack of justice (as the guilty parties continue unpunished) / a confused belief system.

In essence, that's a whole lot of fuel for a very long lasting fire! Hats off to all of you who have reached the other side of your anger and are now enjoying a "worldly" existence without fear, regret, guilt or recrimination.

Me personally, well I'm almost jealous of you angry bods as it's an emotion I haven't really connected with to any great extent, just certain frustrations and ongoing sadness, a kind of emotional shallowness that has prevented me moving forward toward a decent life for myself. My guess is that the depression from my "Truth" existence hasn't lifted yet due to the close ties I insist on keeping with my entirely JW family. I left the borg, but the borg didn't leave me! I suppose it's like limbo, where one life has ended but another is yet to begin.

Despite the many differing thoughts about God, religion, spirituality, politics, world views and ethics to be found on this site, I reckon we are all united in doing everything within our power to see pain and suffering end (one of the major attractions of the JWs!) and none more so than with those who are enduring the self same thing as we did. Yet, at the same time, the suffering of the JW religion has made you who you are today, and many of us are agreed that we wouldn't change a thing about our history as we discover that we like who we have become and where it has led us to in life, and to the people that otherwise we might never have met. Not only that, but as a survivor (and that's what every one of you are!) you become something more than the everyday run-of-the-mill-Joe. You actually end up possessing a prodigious strength. And even though you may not sense it most of the time, for a fact, you are now more honest, humble and true and, dare I say it, more Christ-like than ever you were before. Basically, the kind of person that's really worth getting to know and being life-long friends with. Well that's how I see you all (Gods honest truth!)

Let me assure you that I'm no Christian myself, and I'm pretty certain I'll never subscribe to any particular faith, creed or group belief system as long as I remain in charge of my faculties (But if I should be subjected to some monumental holy vision, you'll be the first to know... oh and don't forget to send round the men in the litle white coats with a snug fitting jacket for me!!)

The truth is though, that I hope to attain a faith in people (and thereby myself!) It's my Holy Grail, if you will. And I'm grateful to all who take the time and effort to respond on this site. Long may it last.

So, in answer to the question Jaded, "Does the anger ever go away? (or in my case, "Does it ever get started?) the answer is undoubtedly... YES.
But not without the hard work of digging into your soul and challenging yourself to face up to all the crap you've had to put up with.

I suppose, like most things in life, the solutions we seek to find are always simple and straightforward when they appear, but bloody tough to do in practice! Easier to dismiss them and stay as we are. Hopefully we've all got people who care about us enough not to let us take that path of least resistance!