Sharon, so much of what you say is how I feel in my family situation. The Gb certainly are cowards and bullies, but our lives go on. So many things are better in my life, and I know it is noticeable but the family things cut deep. It is not just to do with broken and difficult relationships for us with our children, but the effect of the madness on the relationships of our children with each other. Personally I think it is a mum thing. The cords that tie us to our children are strong, siblings do not have such a strong tie. I think that we never can let our children go, not really and hope always exists. It took a long time for me to break the ties to the borg, but break it I did. Everything has a reason and I think my daughter knows that, one day I hope she allows herself to acknowledge it and free herself. She knows somewhere in her being that I would not leave unless it was the right thing to do.

We have succeeded in breaking away, in carrying on, in evaluating who we really are and what we want from life. I know that I have refound myself and I am doing well in my life. Yes the journey has been difficult but so worth it. Once the scales fell from my eyes ...... well I now have trouble believing how long they lingered. I wish freedom had come sooner, but now is better than never and my cup is more than half full.