cleverjewishpun -“I made the choices I made because there was no room for me in the community and the huge sacrifices I made being frum no longer seemed worth it.
I just didnt see the need to keep up apperences if everyone around me already thought the worst of me.”
Let me ask you a question -Do you have kids? Do you want them to be Frum? Do you want them to suffer Forever? You are setting an example for them.
Even if you don’t, I’m more or less in the same place that you are/where -ya know divorce, loneliness, etc. E/o also thinks the worse of me, but you know what I said to myself -“that’s their problem”. Some people have the need to constantly bash others. IMHO, these are the ones Not Frum. Before my divorce -I cared a lot about others’ opinions -Now I don’t -I (try to) only care about Hashem’s opinion. In reality -that’s all that matters. People are so scared what others will think about them, but Hashem’s opinion – not that much. That’s why there are lot more Ganavim, then Gazlonim, esp. in the Frum community. I never heard of a Frum bank robber! By not having to listen to as many rank outs as I used to when I was married, my self-esteem has grown tremendously. Your value is Not dependent on others’ opinions!