Question to ex-theists

[purplepurpose]

How many years you were angry and did you do something to speed up the recovery?

I’m not sure. Maybe 4 years? What I did was that I started to fix my life instead of just ranting about how horrible I had it because of the church. What was missing? I filled in those empty spaces. I don’t think anybody has an idea of how bad my siblings and I had it. When I tell stories, I can’t tell the whole thing because they might not believe it. So, I have quirks and phobias, traumas that still kind of haunt me, but there is so much more goodness in freedom that overpowers my past. I’ve learned to get out there and do what I want. Be happy. I am genuinely happy despite the annoying random appearances of my old self. Freedom from religion and from the things I kept from it fits better than hate and anger. I don’t want to waste my life dwelling.

Thanks for sharing. It really brings me hope that I can recover eventually and not be so bitter.

[Mister Agenda]

Raised United Pentecostal on my dad's side and Assembly of God on my mother's. Was probably 16 before I had real doubts (having just read the Bible through twice, once KJV, once Living Bible). It would be about 20 more years before I thought of myself as an atheist. Maybe because my process was slow enough to give me a 'soft landing', I didn't have a lot of issues with my religious upbringing by then. My parents did the best they knew how, like the vast majority of parents.

[Mr.Obvious]

Believed up to about 17, 27 now.
I regretted believing a few years.
It seems less important now.

[Natachan]

Raised mainline Christian. Held vague Christian beliefs until about 20. Been 11 years now. I don’t care anymore unless people raise the issue.