Episodes - Page 2 of 22

188 – An Autistic Bipolar ADHD ExJW Comedian Tells His Story – Shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Today we meet Mikey, aka Mikey J Havoc on the comedy stage, a stage that is very new for him in his life as he explores his past as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. In this episode we explore that past together, from the “divided household” that he grew up in, to growing up having to mask not only the fact that he didn’t believe, but also masking his autism while in the Kingdom Hall. Despite his obstacles he was able to go to college and get a degree, and now he’s added comedy. And if you grew up JW, you won’t believe the reason that his dad eventually left the Witnesses behind.

Watch Mikey’s first ever comedy set after taking just a very short bootcamp here:

And here is some of his artwork:

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a certified life coach with a focus on cult recovery. Click HERE for more information.

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

The song that Mikey chose to represent his journey is Get Better by Frank Turner

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

This podcast was made possible by my original podcast This JW Life. You can find it on any podcast app. It is a 9 part series about life as Jehovah’s Witnesses designed to help you understand how it worked in one comprehensive story and to help you process your own if you came from that environment.

Read my FREE online book, based on This JW Life, called Becoming Jehovah, in both English and Spanish by clicking here

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

187 – The Strength To Take A Stand – Kelsi is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

When Kelsi was a young girl growing up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, her head was filled with fears of great tribulations and doomsday scenarios. As most faithful Jehovah’s Witnesses would, her mom let her know that there would be no compromise, and that if push came to shove, she would choose her faith over her children. As she grew into her own person, Kelsi would realize that she would need the strength to to stand up for what she believed in, even if it wasn’t the same as what she had been taught, and even if it resulted in shunning. This is Kelsi’s story.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

186 – I Did Something Good – Megan is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

After a life growing up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, where she thought she was going to do something good but only found pain, Megan made changes. Today she may be shunned by a group that holds women down, but she has done something good with her life and wishes to inspire women to see the good that they can do too. Earlier this year she was recognized by Women’s Magazine as one of 70 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year, as her company provides sustainable solutions and furnishings for people in need, turning surplus into support.

Furniture Reuse Solutions

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

The song that Megan chose to represent her journey is Born For This by The Score.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Would You Like To Help Others? – Announcing ExJwHelp Day 2024

To participate by donating to the cause, you can donate here (I will personally match the first $200 dollar for dollar): https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/shunnedrecovery

You can also Venmo to @michael-shemwell-1 (last four digits of phone are 3279 if needed)

To learn more about this day and how you can go out and participate on your own visit: https://exjwhelp.com/exjwhelpday/

Episode 185 – It’s Too Bad, So Wrong, So Long – Jason is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jason describes his life like a cult version of the Nickleback song Too Bad and the accompanying video. The house was a bad day away from being condemned. Home was a place where his parents hated each other. His dad had an affair, got disfellowshipped, and took off. Mom was working at a cafe. Jason had to go fend for himself, and eventually his 15 year old brother was shipped off to stay with him. This is Jason’s story of waking up and leaving Jehovah’s Witnesses and changing his life for himself and his own family today.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

The songs that Jason chose to represent his journey are Never Too Late by Three Days Grace, Awake and Alive by Skillet, Liberate by Disturbed, and Left Behind by Slipknot.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

Episode 184 – Announcing Becoming Jehovah – A NEW Free ExJW Book

It all started in 2017 when I first told my story as the podcast This JW Life, the podcast that kicked off everything that has happened since, including this channel. Now, years later, that podcast has been turned into the book Becoming Jehovah, a book that can be read online at https://becomingjehovah.com/ in both English and Spanish. In this episode I talk about how this came about, the work that went into it, and share my hopes that with its accessibility online it can be shared to people that might need to consume such helpful content, some that may even need to read it in secret.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

183 – Black Sheep – The Worst Judicial Committee Ever? – NOBODY Should Be Treated Like This

Shayna was a person that stood up to bullies in school that were hurting other kids, but unfortunately the biggest bullies were the adults in charge of her care in life. A mother that left her with her alcoholic dad and that took the other kids when they split is just a small glimpse into what she was facing at home. But the later judicial committee discussing rape encapsulates why Jehovah’s Witnesses simply shouldn’t be allowed to exist. They should never have this much power. They should never be defined by any government as a charity. They are an abusive real estate corporation masquerading as a religion that truly destroys families and provides a narrative that buoys abusive individuals as well. This is truly one of the most egregious stories of abuse, and Shayna has had to be such a strong person to make it through.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

The song that Shayna chose to represent her journey is White Flag by Bishop Briggs

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

182 – Layers Of Shame – Hali is shunned by Jehovah’s Witnesses

Hali grew up in the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but also in what was thought to be a trap house. One of her first memories, at just 5 years of age, was a SWAT team breaking into her house, taking everyone out, and holding her father at gunpoint to arrest him. So she experienced the shame of being one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and having to be different from other kids at school, but she suffered a double layer of shame because her father suffered from addiction. Being third generation and born into a cult that is essentially a trap house for shame, that pattern would only continue throughout her life until she one day realized that she didn’t need to care what they thought anymore. She always felt like she wanted to go home but didn’t know what that meant for her, and although she has faced shunning, today she has found home in the form of a person, her husband, and the life that they are creating together, a life without shame.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel

181 – Trojan Horse ExJW Activism – Engaging Active Jehovah’s Witnesses

I have created a website with a trivia quiz to help reach Jehovah’s Witnesses online. The goal of the quiz is to get them sharing, talking, and above all, thinking. Through carefully crafted questions and answers, where even the wrong answer can introduce a person to something that they never knew, my hope is to help people have fun while learning about the very destructive thing that they are involved in. The website and quiz is available in English, Spanish, and Polish versions currently. It has been taken by people all over the world, and it was tested prior to release to make sure that at least some of those participants are active Jehovah’s Witnesses. You can find and share the quiz as part of your own activism at: https://jwtrivia.com/

Are you struggling in some area of life? Feeling stuck? Struggling with perfectionism, building a social network, codependency, or feeling like you’re not enough? Need an accountability partner or some encouragement? Need to talk to someone that understands cult life? Reach out and let’s talk. I have affordable programs to help as a Cult Recovery Coach. I work with many ex-JWs, along with ex-other groups, and your average person that has never been in a cult that wants better things in their life. Find out more here: https://storyworkscoaching.com

I also have an ExJW specific site here: https://exjwhelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Please consider supporting the show’s Patreon if you appreciate the time that goes into producing these stories, and get yourself some exclusive bonuses, at: https://www.patreon.com/shunned

Show notes and information on how to be a guest or find other resources for the podcast can be found here: https://shunnedpodcast.com/episodes/

Music provide by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself

An ExJW podcast and an ExJW YouTube channel

180 – How DARE You Make Me Look Bad – Daisy and Jehovah’s Witnesses

In the cult of Jehovah’s Witnesses, appearance means everything. It is your credibility, your social status, even your standing before god in their congregations. So when Daisy had moments that mirrored the pain she felt inside that manifested in a way that could be seen outwardly, her mother took that very personally. In fact, time and time again throughout Daisy’s story the need to look the part is put above the harsh realities of her daily experience. Eventually Daisy would have to find her way to freedom and real substance to leave the shallow and abusive environment of her past.

Support the show and get bonuses as well by donating to the cause on our Patreon page, Patreon.com/shunned

Want more resources? Go to my other website exjwHelp.com

You can join The Uprising Project and get help with your career, small business, and finances by going to: https://theuprisingproject.com/join/

Leave us a review on iTunes

Find shunned podcast on Youtube, including new VIDcasts here.

You can listen to the Shunned Podcast Spotify playlist here for all of the songs chosen by guests of the show.

Music provided by Jane and the Boy, entitled Save Myself.

An ExJW podcast and ExJW YouTube Channel