I am a survivor of abuse.  I have become victorious over abuse and continue to grow in that victory each day.  Over a lifetime I learned how to be a victim.  I was taught those lessons starting as a child.  I was a quick learner and straight A student of those lessons.  One day, after finding the "basement floor" and realizing that "up" was probably the only place to go if I didn't want to stay there, I rationalized that if I was such a good student, I could be a good student at better lessons.  All I needed to learn better lessons were better teachers.  Teachers who would teach me not only how NOT to be a victim, but how to be empowered. How to go from victim to victorious.