My early childhood was full of trauma. I have one older brother and one younger step-brother. My older brother is developmentally disabled-- in other words, he has mental retardation. My dad died when I was six, so my step-father, John, served the role of a fatherly figure for most of my life. He has a son from his first marriage, Jonathan, who became my step-brother when John married my mom. I experienced divorce, re-marriage, and death before the age of 7. All these early traumas caused me to have PTSD. I began getting psychological counseling when I was 11 years old, and I continued with psychological treatment for most of my life.
