Alissa's Awake

In this episode of Ex-Jehovah’s Witness Women Speak Out, Jimi shares her powerful and deeply honest story of growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, living with intense fear and guilt, leaving the organization, and spending years in survival mode before finally confronting the trauma she had carried for most of her life.

For Jimi, leaving the organization was only the beginning. After spending 25 years as a Jehovah’s Witness, including pioneering and raising her children in the religion, it took another 10 years before she truly began to wake up, deconstruct, and heal.

One of the most important messages from this conversation is that physically leaving isn't necessarily the same as being free.

In this episode of ExJW Women Speak Out, Melanie shares the unbelievable story of growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, surviving an abusive marriage, waking up to the organization, disassociating, and eventually making the unexpected decision to pursue reinstatement.

But there was a catch… She was still an "apostate."

She explains why she decided to return to the Jehovah’s Witnesses after leaving, what happened during the reinstatement process, and how she managed to navigate the organization while no longer believing its teachings.

Her story takes us through religious trauma, family rejection, shunning, an abusive JW marriage, waking up during the pandemic, discovering “apostate” information, and ultimately realizing just how different life could be outside of the organization.

She also shares what it was like to maintain relationships with Jehovah’s Witnesses while keeping the reality of her beliefs private, why she eventually faded, and how she is now living a life that feels more authentic and free.

In this episode of Ex-Jehovah’s Witness Women Speak Out, Ashley shares her powerful story of growing up in a Jehovah’s Witness family and the experiences that eventually led her to question the organization she had known her entire life.

She also opens up about abuse she endured, feeling forced in to a marriage at a young age, becoming a young mother, the intense scrutiny she experienced inside the Kingdom Hall, her experiences surrounding the Jehovah’s Witness blood doctrine, and the moment she was willing to risk the consequences of the organization to protect her daughter.
We also talk about something many former Jehovah’s Witnesses experience after leaving: the feeling that the organization is rewriting history. Ashley shares what it was like hearing teachings she distinctly remembers being told are now minimized, changed, or presented as though they never happened.

This is Ashley’s first time publicly sharing her full story, and I’m incredibly grateful she trusted me with it.

If you are questioning Jehovah’s Witnesses, recently left, or are trying to make sense of your own experiences in a high-control religion, I hope Ashley’s story reminds you that you are not alone, and you are not crazy for remembering what happened.

In this episode of ExJW Women Speak Out, Lindsey shares her powerful story of growing up as a Jehovah’s Witness, navigating a difficult family environment, experiencing control and mistreatment, and eventually reaching the point where she could no longer ignore the things that didn't feel right.

Lindsey talks openly about her experiences inside the Jehovah’s Witness organization, including the pressure to conform, asking elders for help, relationships and family control, working for a Jehovah’s Witness organization, and the moments that ultimately pushed her to start questioning what she had been taught.

If you're questioning Jehovah's Witnesses, recently left, or are somewhere in the middle of your waking-up journey, I hope Lindsey's story reminds you that you are not alone and there can be real happiness after leaving.

In this episode of Ex-Jehovah's Witness Women Speak Out, Sinead shares how decades of guilt, fear of Armageddon, and the belief that she would never see her father again nearly pulled her back into the organization.

Growing up as a born-in Jehovah's Witness, Sinead was taught that leaving Jehovah meant disappointing her deceased father and risking her chance of seeing him in Paradise. Even years after walking away, those teachings continued to shape her thoughts and emotions.

If you've ever struggled with fear, guilt, or questioning your beliefs after leaving Jehovah's Witnesses or another high-control religion, know that you're not alone.

🤍 If you would like to share your own story on the channel, support the community, or get in touch, you'll find all of the links above.

If this episode resonated with you, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing. Every interaction helps these stories reach someone who may need to hear them.

What do you do when waking up from Jehovah's Witnesses could cost you your marriage... and your children?

In this episode of Ask Alissa: Anonymous JW Voicemails, I respond to a secret PIMO (Physically In, Mentally Out) Jehovah's Witness wife and mother who has spent years quietly deconstructing her beliefs. Her husband is still a devoted Jehovah's Witness, her entire family is deeply involved in the organization, and nearly every part of her life depends on remaining inside.

Now she's facing an impossible question:
Should she stay silent to protect her children... or leave and risk losing everything?.

In this episode of Ex Jehovah's Witness Women Speak Out, Stacy shares what it was like growing up with a Jehovah's Witness father while her mother remained Catholic. From childhood confusion and family conflict to holidays, birthdays, marriage, raising children, and navigating the Jehovah's Witness blood doctrine, Stacy offers a perspective that is rarely heard.

Unlike many former Jehovah's Witness stories, Stacy was never baptized into the religion. Instead, she watched firsthand how one parent's conversion affected an entire family while trying to maintain a loving relationship with her father decades later. She also discusses discovering Jehovah's Witness teachings as an adult, including the two-witness rule, higher education, and the impact those beliefs have had on her family.

If you've ever lived in a mixed-faith family, had a Jehovah's Witness parent, or wondered what life is like in a household divided by religion, this conversation offers an honest and compassionate look at the lasting effects.

In this episode of Ex Jehovah's Witness Women Speak Out, Darlenne shares her journey of becoming a Jehovah's Witnesses at a young age, bringing her own family into the religion, and eventually realizing she could no longer ignore the contradictions she saw.

From being baptized at just 14 years old to secretly leaving home in the middle of the night with nothing but a packed car and a note, Darlene opens up about the toll of growing up in a high-control religion.

In this conversation we discuss:
• Growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses
• Why critical thinking is discouraged in high-control groups
• Misogyny and the treatment of women in the organization
• Spiritual abuse and narcissism
• The pressure to pioneer and appear "spiritual"
• The UN controversy and other doctrinal questions
• Why she secretly planned her escape for weeks
• Religious trauma, healing, and rebuilding life after leaving

Whether you're an ex-Jehovah's Witness, questioning your beliefs, or simply interested in understanding how high-control religions operate, Darlenne's story is honest, insightful, and deeply relatable.

In this anonymous letter, a former Jehovah's Witness shares the heartbreaking story of growing up in an abusive household, surviving childhood trauma, navigating medical pressure over the blood doctrine, battling addiction, discovering the truth about how child sexual abuse is handled within the organization, and ultimately making the decision to secretly record one of her judicial committee.
What she heard after the elders asked her to leave the room confirmed her worst fears.

This powerful story explores:
▫️Growing up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses
▫️Domestic violence and religious trauma
▫️The blood transfusion doctrine
▫️Judicial committees
▫️Elder confidentiality
▫️Child sexual abuse policies
▫️Shunning and disfellowshipping
▫️Mental health and healing after leaving a high-control religion

If you've ever questioned the Jehovah's Witness organization or are recovering from religious trauma, I hope this story reminds you that you are not alone.

❤️ If this video resonates with you, please consider liking, commenting, and subscribing. Your engagement helps these stories reach others who need to hear them.

Are Jehovah's Witnesses a cult? It's one of the most common questions asked about the organization and in this video, we're taking an honest, evidence based look at the answer.

Instead of relying on stereotypes or opinions, I compare Jehovah's Witnesses to the BITE Model, a framework developed by ‪@drstevenhassan‬ to identify characteristics of high-control groups and undue influence.

We'll examine Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, and Emotional Control while looking at official Jehovah's Witness beliefs, policies, and practices.

Topics include shunning, the blood doctrine, higher education, preaching requirements, the Governing Body, information control, fear of Armageddon, and why many former Jehovah's Witnesses believe the organization functions as a high-control religion.

Whether you're an active Jehovah's Witness, an ex-Jehovah's Witness, questioning your faith, researching cults, or simply curious about the BITE Model, I encourage you to examine the evidence and draw your own conclusions.

My goal is not to attack individual Jehovah's Witnesses, but to encourage honest investigation, critical thinking, and support for those navigating religious deconstruction and healing from religious trauma.