My story of abuse starts early. It set off a chain reaction of abuse that I’m still trying to shake off.

I was sexually abused for over a year by a boarder (Monster #1) who lived in my house when I was seven years old. I won’t go into detail here, but there’s a reason that I can’t sleep near a window. There’s a reason that tying me up induces a panic attack.

Monster #1’s actions threw a shadow over the rest of my life. I’m still trying to escape it. I doubt that I ever will, at least, not entirely.

When I was in my early 20’s, I was in an abusive relationship with Monster #2. Unlike the first monster, this one started out charming and funny. It’s hard to think of him that way now, but at the time, he was. It was only later that his true…