I am a product of horrific child abuse who ended up a ward of the state for much of my youth. This left me without the necessary tools to make wise decisions as an adult. My abuse created this need for me to make others happy and that made me a target for people to continue the patterns of abuse in various forms throughout my life. My desire to please others allowed me to excel in my career, but fail in my romantic relationships and some friendships because people saw me as a benefit rather than a person. I am a successful school teacher who is only now learning how to deal with the affects of abuse. I have only recently come to terms with my childhood and my mistakes as an adult and have been on a journey of self actualization for some time now. This is my story and it is my hope that others who have suffered as I  have, will find hope for themselves in reading it.