surviving a cult upbringing: the bittersweet freedom of leaving everything you’ve ever known

hello collective and welcome back to another episode of how sebbie c’s it.today’s episode is a heavy one, but it’s also one that’s been sitting on my heart for a long time. i wanted to talk openly about what it means to grow up as a jehovah’s witness… and what it feels like to leave a world that shaped you, hurt you, and still holds so many people you love.i’ve been thinking a lot lately about grief, the kind that comes after survival.because when you finally make it out of something toxic… when you finally build a life that feels free and real… there’s this strange, bittersweet weight that follows you. it’s like you’re living the dream your younger self prayed for, but you can’t stop thinking about the people who are still back there. still stuck. still afraid.and i’ve been carrying a lot of survivor’s guilt.i talk about what it does to your nervous system to be raised in a high-control religion. how you grow up too fast, how you’re taught fear instead of unconditional love, how it seeps into your relationships, your choices, your sense of self.but i also talk about hope.because i truly believe that freedom is possible. healing is possible. and love (real love) exists outside of the systems that tried to shrink us.if you’ve ever felt like you had to start over, or if you’ve ever left something that broke you, i hope this episode makes you feel less alone.thank you for being here. thank you for listening. and thank you for letting me tell the truth.that’s how sebbie c sees it.follow me on tiktok & instagram: @sebastiancail