TRIGGER WARNING!!! My life has been rife with challenges. I was born into an abusive marriage and conceived in marital rape. I went on to be abused and neglected by both my parents in different ways, including being raped by my father from ages 8-10. I was neglected and physically abused by my mother, who attempted to strangle me when I was 14. That's when I went onto the streets. I was homeless from right after my 15th birthday until I was 17. In that period, I was groomed and taken in, then sexually trafficked, by people I trusted. I escaped at age 17 and went into group homes to help me get on my feet. I was emancipated and got my first place at 17. I went on to be involved in multiple abusive marriages. Now in my mid forties, I have benefited from perspective, solitude, and therapy tremendously. I have learned how to listen to my gut, avoid entanglement with toxic relationships, and find peace and healing and personal fulfillment. I have learned to assert my boundaries.