You’re welcome.

What did I do when my parents did this? I did nothing. To be fair I was only 16, but it was legal for me to leave, but I was too green and fearful to conceive such a notion. I did nothing when my parents coerced me to visit my country of origin were I caught a debilitating chronic illness and it was game over for me before I even hit 18.

That’s why I try to encourage people to not be me and to instead be brave and proactive because the abuse does effect you mentally and physically and everybody has a breaking point. I tell people to get out of the toxic environment (if you can) before you reach that breaking point.

My mum used to hit me well into adulthood, but because I used to restrain her or hit back in self-defence I never saw myself as the victim or realised how unhealthy it was. I should have confronted her and told her I would call the police. I’ll never forgive my for making me think such toxic behaviour was normal.

Things aren’t great now, but I’m trying to get better, but it’s so hard when you have a debilitating illness. I took a relative to court for non-recent sexual abuse, but I lost because it happened so long ago. I wish I had known to escape at 16 and had the courage to do so, my life would be very different today if I had.