If you have suffered trauma due to war, an accident, illness, abuse, or anything else, I am quite certain your trauma details will be different from mine, yet many of our symptoms may be surprisingly similar.

For 18 years of my life, I dealt with harm daily. I suffered over 40 years with a substantial assortment of trauma-related manifestations. I had no understanding of what was wrong with me, since most of my pain was lost in a fog of forgetfulness. I personally suffered from the following disorders:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder which for me included flashbacks, trauma triggers, body memories, nightmares/night terrors, frightening thoughts, avoidance of thoughts and feelings related to the trauma, easily startled, feeling tense or on edge, difficulty sleeping, memory problems, negative thoughts about myself or the world, distorted feelings like guilt or blame
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Major Depression
• Suicidal thoughts
• Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)
• Panic attacks
• Anorexia
• Depersonalization/derealization
• Agoraphobia
• Essential tremor
• Endometriosis
• Addiction to a doctor-prescribed drug
• I suffered from 77 of the 99 after-effects of sexual abuse
• Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Food and environmental allergies

The devastation of the above problems began when I was a child and lasted until I was in my mid-40s. I know my story sounds bleak thus far but don’t be discouraged. Peace, laughter, joy, and happiness eventually came my way.

My personal traumas came from three different long-term sources. Incest was the first form of trauma which resulted from two family members. The second area of harm to me was due to faulty care and nurturing from a mentally ill parent. Lastly, bullying occurred at school during my formative years and affected me greatly. All three areas of abuse proceeded to bring on the above disorders within me.