Parenting a combative kid is never easy, but when you have complex PTSD from early childhood abuse and bullying, the pressure of raising that youngster can bring you to your knees.

Between the ages of two and four, my son, Seth, hit and punched me on a regular basis. I didn’t learn this until he was sixteen, but Seth is autistic. He didn’t know how to express his discomfort any other way. Because of my history, however, our interactions triggered me – to the point I began to doubt I had the emotional strength to raise Seth successfully – but I knew I had to push through those fears and stop the cycle of abuse that plagued our family for generations.