When people go off the derech they imagine that somehow they will be happier. So they stop davening and keeping Shabbos and kosher etc. etc. Then they find out - it isn't all it is cracked up to be!!! Actually, it turns out that OTD people are by and large miserable [often more miserable than they were before the break] and quite a few suicidal [or actually commit suicide רח"ל] as studies and statistics show.
Two of the victims of the horrific pogrom at the Pritzus-Avoda-Zara-trance-dance party on Simchas Torah came from Charedi homes [one Breslov!]. They thought that somehow being פורק עול would make enhance their lives. It turns out that it ended their lives.
The Torah says that keeping mitzvos is life and aveiros are death. People say about OTD-ers "S/he chose a different path".
Right.
The path of death. No less.
[Note: I am not saying that the people there were killed as a Divine punishment for being at this party. I am not saying that these two boys were killed as a punishment for being at the party. I don't know what חשבונות שמים were. I AM saying that aveiros are a path of death. הַעִידֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ הַחַיִּים וְהַמָּוֶת נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה וּבָחַרְתָּ בַּחַיִּים לְמַעַן תִּחְיֶה אַתָּה וְזַרְעֶךָ .]
