Dear Louise: I can't let go of the hurt my parents caused me - how do I move forward?

"This is your life. You are in charge now; you are no longer at the whim of the frighteningly unreliable adults"

Louise O'Neill, author. Photograph Moya Nolan

Dear Louise, I’m struggling because I had a very unhappy childhood. I had severe anxiety as a child, and my parents didn’t understand this and used corporal punishment to ‘stop’ my anxiety attacks.

During my teen years, I struggled with my sexuality and turned to a much older male I trusted for support. He eventually started sexually abusing me. My mother found out and punished me severely.