I’m from California. I grew up in a household affected by domestic violence. Over the years, I struggled with self-image, addiction, and abusive relationships. I’ve experienced deep loss, including losing my mother, and endured extreme emotional, physical, and mental pain. There was a time when I hit a mental health breaking point—fueled by drugs and self-defeating behaviors. But I chose to fight for my life. Through in-house treatment, intense counseling, NA & AA, and reconn

I come from a broken home. My father left when I was 11. It was a very explosive divorce. He was abusive. After he left, my mother was very abusive. So were my brothers. And the babysitter. And my mom's boyfriend's friend, whom we barely even knew. I tried killing myself several times. My brother actually succeeded. A lot of people hate me because they got burned by a fire that I have disciplined myself to keep away from others. I have never hurt anyone the way I was hurt, bu

I’m from a small town in the middle of Wisconsin. From a young age, various changes and events seemed to consistently occur in my life....

I grew up in the Dakotas and was raised by both parents. They were young parents; mom was 16, and dad was 20. I have a brother who's...

I was born blue, as the umbilical cord was wrapped around my neck, which required a C-section. This was the start of a long history of...

I was born in Madras, Oregon. I am enrolled in Warmspring, Oregon, but I was raised on the Yakama Reservation from 8 years old. My dad...

I come from a blended family where both parents were married four times each, and I lived in ten different houses by the time I graduated high school. My siblings had trauma histories, and that affected me in many ways, along with the inconsistency of where and with whom I was living. At times, my family was on church welfare, and at times, I lived a lower middle-class lifestyle. My family was somewhat religious growing up, which shaped my behavior to some degree, but my trau

Hi, Adrian Salliego here. My Mother is from Tuba City, AZ, and my father is from Cedar Ridge, AZ. I struggled with self-esteem most of my life. I picked my first drug at 9 years old. I've had suicidal thoughts since I was about 12 years old. My first failed attempt was in 1995 (rope), my second attempt was in 1998 (hit by a train), and my third was in 2001 (overdose on 55 sleeping pills). I'm very grateful to be alive today. I surrendered to the disease of addiction on Novemb

I am an immigrant from China. I came from a family with my divorced biological parents and chaotic environments that contributed to--what I learned much later in life--my developmental and attachment trauma. Poverty, immigration, discrimination, and ongoing family burdens have been major challenges I have faced in my life. In the past 10 years, I have worked on understanding attachment theory, becoming more aware of my own attachment wounds and their impacts on my tendencies

My name is Nikki, and I'm from the San Francisco Bay Area in California. I'm the daughter of a beautiful person who hadn't found her healing yet when I was born. When I came into the world, I was met with rejection and disappointment. Though I don't remember this, I do know that I have always had a deep knowing that survival meant pleasing my mother and ignoring my own wants and needs. I have always been a people pleaser, and I felt a sense of shame when I had needs. I did my

I am so very honored to be among the leaders at DTTI because I believe strongly in the mission. Like many of us helpers, I experienced...