Has your struggle improved since you left?

Yes, I have so much more peace and happiness and I can read about the church or the scriptures without constant cognitive dissonance.

Anonymous

After I disclosed my faith transition, my struggle grew immensely more difficult as I sorted out all the difficult emotions that brought. It also meant confronting my rape trauma, which because of religious shame, went untreated for nearly three decades. It took about a year to feel stabilized and another year to settle into the new normal. It feels like each year is just getting better and better.

bethlundgreen

My struggle with depression and anxiety is so much more manageable now that I'm no longer a member.

kf7heh

Definitely, yes. I no longer feel like I have to uphold an image, and I no longer feel mentally torn apart.

autumn-phelps

The church has always made me feel extremely anxious and paranoid, but now that I've realized it's a scam, I've began to recover from these feelings. The church taught me to suppress who I am, but now I'm learning to really love myself. So yes, leaving the church has greatly improved my struggle.

alex

I no longer feel stressed by the shame and expectations. I have more to spend with people I love and topics I have interest in. My body feels better and I am immensely at peace.

The hardest part is disappointing family and feeling misunderstood.

livsters

So much! I found that my mental, social, and physical health all dramatically improved as soon as I made the decision to leave. I still have challenges, life doesn't just stop, but none of them are as catastrophic appearing or progress halting as when challenges would confront me while I was a mormon. My family is not supportive of this decision however, and we are still trying to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with this new dynamic.