About this episode

Carolyn shares her harrowing experience of being shunned by her community after reporting elder misconduct and sexual harassment within the Jehovah's Witness organization.

In this heart-wrenching episode, we hear from Carolyn , a 49-year-old former Jehovah's Witness who survived a lifetime of systemic trauma, from foster care and childhood molestation to a high-control religious environment that "eats its members alive". Carolyn shares the chilling reality of being "shunned while active," a state where she remained an exemplary member but was treated like a "leper" by her own community after reporting elder misconduct and sexual harassment. Her story exposes the dark underbelly of a congregation where elders protect abusers and engage in "fake gross" behavior, including stalking and rehoming a member's pet under false pretenses. The narrative reaches a critical turning point when the organization's cruelty extends to Carolyn's autistic son , who was bullied by elders and physically assaulted by a member over a bag of candy. Carolyn details her "miraculous" health recovery upon leaving the constant stress of the organization and her eventual choice to choose self-identity and "organic" living over a toxic, performance-based membership. This is a powerful testament to the strength required to stand up to a "hate machine" and the beauty of finding a…

People in this episode

Host: shunned

Guest: Carolyn

Topics covered

• systemic trauma
• religious abuse
• shunning
• sexual harassment
• personal recovery
• family impact
• self-identity

Keywords

• shunned
• Jehovah's Witness
• elder misconduct
• sexual harassment
• systemic trauma
• personal recovery
• bullying
• self-identity
• toxic membership
• organic living

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Jehovah's Witness

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• 221 – The Exodus Of Genesis – Because Happiness Comes From Within, Not From Abusive Relationships · June 1, 2026 · 2h 9m
• 220 – Jehovah Is Slow To Protect Children – How JW Policies Protect Predators And Punish Victims · May 18, 2026 · 1h 27m
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• 217 – How Jehovah's Witnesses Pushed Me and My Non-JW Husband Away From Their Religion · April 6, 2026 · 2h 21m

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