I always held out hope that one day an adult would see that I was locked tin the basement and perhaps ‘rescue’ or ‘save’ me. No one ever came.

Growing up in Cambridge Ontario, my parents divorced when I was 5 years old. I lived with my father while I had a very limited relationship with my mother. I was an extremely introverted boy who really struggled with making friends and being sociable.

Living at home was terrible. My father was an alcoholic which has a long history in the family. Although he did not turn into a ‘monster’ or do bad things when he was drunk, he would not address issues that were important. Shortly after the divorce, my father met someone new, married her and she moved into my home.