It took me 50 years to realize my mother abused me for 50 years. The severe symptoms started when I became pregnant at age 39 and was hospitalized for depression during my first trimester. Although I was extremely close to my father, he abandoned me to her care when I was 8 or so. I was closer to him than most daughters are close to their fathers. I went fishing with him, even watched him shave. My X was a batterer, and so when I fled the relationship I returned to my mother's, left there and went to stay with my father's side of the family, realized they were no better, returned back to my mother's, thought everything was fine, there I remained for 5 years with my son, when I finally became a grown up and received a lucrative job offer and moved out, it was worse than leaving a batterer and I was in fear for my life. Thus I have been on a 9 year journey, trying to recover from PTSD, 4 hospitalizations, and most recently a diagnosis of Bipolar as a sub-component of the PTSD. During my last hospitalization the therapist recommended long term exposure therapy for complex trauma as well as dyadetic therapy. My psychiatry team is finally on board realizing that it is going to take more than prescribing meds for me to get well. But finally, also after 9 years, I am on the right medication. I also need a vast social support team. I hope it does not take you this long nor that you have to go through many of the challenges that I had to to figure out what I need to get well. Some folks never figure it out, and my confidence is higher than it has ever been. Like the Kelly Clarkson song channeling Nietzsche(sp?) "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger" - I always thought it was so cliche, but I just lived it. Good luck and thanks for posting.