(and Anyone Who Wants to Understand More)
Leaving the Jehovah’s Witness religion—or even beginning to question it—can be disorienting, lonely, and emotionally overwhelming.
This page gathers resources for:
- former Witnesses
- those quietly doubting from inside
- family or friends trying to understand
- researchers, artists, and the simply curious
You’ll find support communities, education, crisis lines, and culturally relevant material—including resources specific to The Bahamas.
1. Support & Recovery Communities
- r/exjw (Reddit): The largest ex-JW forum. Anonymous, supportive, and brutally honest.
- JW Support: Clear, supportive guidance for navigating life after the Watchtower.
- Witness No More: Straightforward guidance for life after the Watchtower.
- Recovering From Religion: Compassionate help for those deconstructing faith or recovering from spiritual trauma.
2. Crisis & Emotional Support
Leaving a high-control religion can trigger isolation, panic, depression, and identity collapse.
International Hotlines
Bahamas
- Bahamas Crisis Centre (242) 328 0922
U.S. / Canada
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Call or Text 988)
- Crisis Text Line (Text HOME to 741741)
UK
- Samaritans – 116 123
Help lines aren’t only for “emergencies.”
They’re for anyone carrying more than they can manage alone.
3. Understanding Jehovah’s Witnesses (Facts & Research)
Watchtower Doctrine & History
- JWfacts.com The gold standard for sourced analysis of JW teachings.
- AvoidJW.org Leaked Watchtower documents, letters, and internal policies.
Academic & Theoretical Resources
- The BITE Model – Steven Hassan: Framework for understanding high-control groups.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center: Education on cult dynamics and recovery tools.
- Stop Mandated Shunning: Working to end policies that break families and silence dissent.
4. Podcasts, Videos & First-Person Testimony
- Shunned Podcast: Stories from people who have been disfellowshipped or shunned.
- Stop the Shunning: Real stories exposing the damage of JW shunning and the fight to end it with Bethany Leger.
- Ex-JW Analyzer: Clear, analytical breakdowns of JW teachings and Watchtower tactics with Jonathan Leger.
- Welcome to the World podcast by Dr. Ryan Lee — All things related the process of waking up, walking out, and moving on from life as a former cult member.
- JW Thoughts: Where ex-JW stories meet comedy, sanity, and spiritual side-eye.
- Lloyd Evans Archive (John Cedars): Documented analysis of Watchtower structure and culture.
5. Books & Memoirs
By Former Witnesses
- Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz —Essential inside account from a former Governing Body member.
- Leaving the Witness by Amber Scorah — A memoir about faith, loss, and rebuilding.
- EXiting the JW Cult: A Healing Handbook: For Current & Former Jehovah’s Witnesses by Bonnie Zieman — Practical emotional recovery.
- I’m Perfect, You’re Doomed: Tales from a Jehovah’s Witness Upbringing by Kyria Abrahams — A darkly comic look at JW childhood and the long road out.
- Barbara Anderson Uncensored: Eyewitness To Deceit by Barbara Anderson — A revealing insider account that exposes the hidden policies, secrecy, and systemic abuse within Watchtower.
On Religious Trauma
- The Body Keeps the Score – Bessel van der Kolk
- Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving – Pete Walker
6. Identity, Healing & Therapy
Therapy Directories
- Secular Therapy Project — Therapists trained to handle religious trauma without evangelizing.
- Religious Trauma Institute — Guides, workshops, and trauma-informed support.
7. For Family & Friends of Former JWs
If someone you love has left the Witnesses:
- Don’t pressure them to “get over it.”
- Learn how shunning works — it’s structured, not personal.
- Recognize that they may be grieving multiple deaths at once: identity, community, family, friends, and purpose.
Recommended resources:
- Supporting Someone Leaving a High-Control Group (Freedom of Mind)
- Religious Trauma Syndrome (Dr. Marlene Winell) – Overview
- Truth Be Told (Documentary) A powerful documentary revealing the real lives shattered by JW shunning and secrecy
- Apostasy (2017) — A stark, devastating drama that captures the emotional cost of shunning.
8. For People Still Inside but Questioning
Many who contact ex-JW networks are still active Witnesses, often living double lives out of fear of shunning.
Safe, anonymous resources include:
- JWfacts.com
- AvoidJW.org
- Jw.Support
- Ex-JW PIMO (Physically In, Mentally Out) Support Threads on Reddit
Your curiosity is not apostasy.
Your questions are not sin.
And your life is not over.
9. Bahamian-Specific Context & Resources
Leaving the Witnesses in The Bahamas carries unique cultural challenges:
- The islands are small.
- Community reputations matter.
- Everyone is connected through schools, churches, neighborhoods, and extended family.
- Shunning is more visible, more isolating, and sometimes more severe.
- “Fading quietly” is harder.
- Elders often know your entire family personally.
Bahamian-Specific Considerations
- Mental health support in the Bahamas is limited but expanding.
- Religious stigma is intense, making secular therapy harder to find locally.
Local Support Options
(while limited, these are good starting points)
- Bahamas Crisis Centre – Offers counseling services, often used by people leaving restrictive situations.
- Bahamas Psychological Association — Directory of licensed local therapists (many familiar with religious trauma in Caribbean contexts).
- University of The Bahamas – Counselling Services — A discreet option for young adults navigating religious conflict.
For Bahamian Families Trying to Understand
- Understand that shunning is not a family choice—it is a doctrinal requirement.
- Understand that leaving is often an act of survival, not betrayal.
- Understand that many Bahamian ex-JWs carry unique cultural guilt tied to “respect,” “duty,” and “good name.”
10. If You Are Newly Out
Read this slowly:
- You are not wrong.
- You are not alone.
- You are not evil or lost or doomed.
- You are not betraying God.
- You are not betraying your family.
- You are reclaiming yourself.
A new life is possible.
Connections outside the religion are possible.
Love without conditions is possible.
A future without fear is possible.
And you deserve all of it.