Hi Lacey, have some patience. It takes time to turn certain learned behaviors around. It won't happen overnight.

Abuse, if not dealt with, will lead to all types of destructive behaviors. It's very common for woman to become strippers and prostitutes after being violated because they have learned to dissociate the mind from the body.

Once one gets used to the money from dancing or selling drugs it's hard to go back to being poor. It's not easy and feels like a set back, when in reality, it is actually a move in the right direction. When you remove these bad influences you will start to think clearly.

Ridding oneself of these behaviors will benefit your psyche in many ways because you have more room to add positive things in your life. If you don't have men constantly grabbing at you and saying derogatory things, you will learn boundaries and realize that this type of behavior was self destructive. It keeps the abuse going and the self hate alive.

Everyone has done something that has been risky and then in after thought wonders why? Who knows for sure why we do risky things when it's against our better judgment. Maybe we feel the need to test the waters, or look for something to take our mind off of our problems. The reasons can be endless. The thing is you realize it was not a good idea and your taking steps in the right direction.

Just hang in there and you will start to see positive changes.
Tammy