When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a reporter when I grew up. I loved roller skating with friends and playing in my neighborhood until the streetlights came on. I never dreamed of becoming a drug dealer, addict, or prostitute, but I became all three. At age 13, I began drinking and smoking marijuana after my parents divorced. It was a terrible custody battle, and the loss of my family dynamic left me heartbroken and rebellious.
Read MoreWhen she was 8, Mia was molested. Her father was in prison, not around much at all. Her mother was addicted to drugs for much of her childhood. “When I was 10, she’d leave me for three days at home by myself,” Mia said.
Read MoreNadene’s earliest memories are as a young child getting beaten and her mother calling her a “whore.” Her mother would tell her, “I never wanted you.” Her rejection began as a small child by those who were meant to care for her and protect her. Heartbreakingly, when Nadene came to The WellHouse, she said, “I don’t know if I ever felt love.”
Read MoreI’ve heard many people say that prostitution isn’t a “career” choice. What I’ve come to learn is that prostitution is not a career at all. For most survivors, prostitution is seldom a choice. And even when it is, there is a history of sexual abuse, sexual brokenness, and complex trauma that leads the person to make that unfortunate choice.
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