Cults to Consciousness26 Aug 2025

How Jehovah’s Witnesses Psychologically Tortured Me for 30 Years

Bethany Leger was raised in the Jehovah’s Witnesses, only to realize she had been part of a cult for thirty years. The psychological pressure cooker exploded in her 20s with quickly deteriorating mental health. The faux perfectionism drove her into an eating d*sorder as a means to gain any form of control over her life. When she could no longer pretend anymore, questioning authority and pursuing her personal freedom cost her, her devout family. She now has a YouTube channel where she discusses the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ h*rmful policies.

Click here to watch on YouTube

Find Bethany on social media:

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bethanyleger

website: www.bethanyleger.com

YT: https://www.youtube.com/@stoptheshunning

IG: https://www.instagram.com/bethanylegerwriter

Bethany’s book: Physically In, Mentally Out: Navigating Your Exit From Watchtower

The best way to reach her is via email: bethanylegerwriter@gmail.com

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**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks:

00:00:00 Intro

00:04:25 Defining the Jehovah's Witness religion as a cult-like group

00:06:02 What Bethany's family was like growing up

00:11:08 Core beliefs of the Jehovah's Witnesses

00:15:23 Bethany's gut feelings about the church and the obligation to fulfill duties

00:23:20 CW: ED Developing h*rmful behaviors and realizing how being a JW makes Bethany really feel

00:25:21 CW: ED Bethany's experience in high school that led her to evaluate the Jehovah's Witnesses

00:38:45 What Bethany's mom did to keep her in the religion

00:41:16 Bethany's parents' conflicting values and where that confusion ultimately led her

00:46:26 How self policing kept Bethany as a Jehovah's Witness after high school

00:49:30 The tension in Bethany reaches a breaking point CW: su*cid*l ideation

00:51:54 The last time Bethany stepped foot in a Kingdom Hall

00:58:29 The moment that changed Bethany's perspective forever

01:02:02 CW: SA Jehovah's Witness SA cases in Australia

01:03:12 CW: SA The two witness rule and how it allows rampant ab*se to fester for years

01:06:10 Barbara Anderson's story

01:13:59 New changes to how shunning works

01:19:09 How Bethany is doing now

01:22:51 Linda, listen

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