How do you deal with losing people you care about?
I (F21) moved out at 18 to live with my now fiancee. I left very abruptly without telling anyone I was leaving. I had stopped attending meeting prior, wanting to distance myself as much as possible from the people I knew I would be leaving in the following months. My witness parents are very proud people and did not tell anyone that I had a boyfriend who was a non witness because it would bring shame on the family. They highly disapproved and would question me endlessly about why I was doing this to them, why I wanted to stop being a witness, and shamed me for my feelings for him. They told me I would never have a good life without being a witness. The day I left, my boyfriend and his family came to pick me up, and my family tried to endlessly guilt me for leaving. When I was in the car they told me if I left right then they would never take me in again if I wanted to come back. It’s been 3 years since I’ve left. I never went back. It was the hardest, yet the best thing I ever did. I finally feel free to have my own life, my own feelings, and opinions about the world. One thing I’ve struggled with since is how to move on. Since leaving, I’ve been harassed by people I knew. Since I live in the same town, I see witnesses I knew regularly. It hurts constantly being looked at like I’m disgusting. How do I deal with it? I understand people being upset with me for abruptly leaving, however it’s been years now. I wish the looks and comments would stop. My parents told everybody I “went off the deep end” when I left, trying to blame my mental health issues on my decisions. Despite everything. I still care about these people. I still hope the best for them and their lives. I hope everyone is able to live their lives happily. Since I’ve left I’ve reconnected with some that left after me, those are the only people that know what really happened, not the fabricated stories that my parents told people. There are people that I thought I had good relationships with, who look at me now with disgust. How can I move on and not let it hurt me?