My mother, a Suburban tomboy, met my father, a blue collar Arab ,in the Chicago area. They moved around the States, hardly any money in their pockets, and finally settled back in the Midwest. My sister was born into a town of about 500 and then I came along next. My mother took some pills when she was pregnant, which left me with multiple health conditions. My childhood was generally happy. The four of us lived and played in a larger small town and spent much time outside. At the age of six, things began to change. My mother asked for a separation and, eventually, a divorce. She came out as gay and began her long-awaited rebel phase. Mom began smoking, wearing leather, moved to the city, and whatever else. I was going to therapy to help with the divorce transition. I moved to the city to live with my mom. I was very depressed and began dieting around age seven or eight. I eventually became suicidal at the ripe age of about eight or nine (continuing to today). I was bullied relentlessly--teased, harassed, stolen from, physically hurt, sexually violated--and had few friends, if any at all in certain points of my life. As I aged, I became more and more mentally ill. Soon I hardly even saw people my age anymore outside of the academic buildings. I jumped around from high school to high school, nearly ending my life when I was a sophomore. I began abusing pain killers so I didn't have to experience a life outside of what I knew I had to do (school). My first love was beat to death. I got multiple surgeries to tweak the effects of my birth defects. Finally I graduated high school and went to college. I was sucked into a dark place. I got into many extremely toxic relationships, with drug addicts and abusers. I, again a sophomore, almost took my life. After I was quickly put onto medicine to stabilize me, I was raped. Then I was used again and again by men. I was put on probation at school and eventually flunked out. Finally I found someone who loved me and I loved back. Yesterday we ended our friendship, and here I am.