I don’t feel timid and afraid. I feel in control. They won't get what I don't give them. Unfortunately, I used to feel the opposite. I was afraid they'd get whatever they wanted even if I didn't want to give it…. Why had I concluded that? Where did it all begin? I had no idea until I was 18… I was attending a conference that would help with the crisis coaching I was beginning.  One of the speakers, a Licensed Professional Counselor, covered the topic of abuse. As she began to speak on sexual abuse, for the first time ever, I actually sat there considering that perhaps I had been sexually abused.

As a kid I loved to have a good time, but as I grew I learned that life carried with it a lot of hardships and challenges and I had time for fun less and less…. I got to the point that I didn’t even feel comfortable having fun when someone invited me to. I was uneasy and wanted to get away from the atmosphere that was relaxed, happy and fun.

I grew up in a family of eight; I was the third of six children and the first girl… My childhood was good, but home-life was filled with tension and stress.

I was bound up. I didn’t even realize how restricted I was by the co-dependent way I was living. I just couldn’t seem to be OK if my husband wasn’t.