I don't know if this will help, but I am speaking from experience. It is possible to reinvent yourself somewhat. I had been abused by my ex, choked two times. I was emotionally exhausted from the trauma of what I experienced and drained from what my children needed from me. My heart was broken, I was angry with being cheated on, abused, and financially destroyed. I was broke emotionally, financially, and psychologically. That was when someone said to me to try and tell myself a new history, and tell it to others. The more I say it the more it will become mine, I was told. I had never heard of anything like that and at first, it felt like lying to myself, but eventually I invented a new me. I went from being a victim of abuse to a survivor and was lucky to escape such a disgusting person as my ex. I went from being a single mom abused and cheated on to a strong woman who had a new start in life to figure out who I was standing on my own two feet, free of my ex. I moved to a new country (I know this was talked about in another thread) and started over. The new culture helped enormously in recreating myself. I still had my memories, but as I told it to myself and others it was now as a survivor. Even in this thread I cannot write out the details of the abuse I experienced because I will not accept it anymore. When I tell you the basic of being choked twice by my ex - I feel like I am talking about a movie I experienced. I rarely talk about it anymore. My brain has removed it significantly, except when I return to the method of pushing it out of my brain. However, I still do have nightmares and I do still walk in my sleep. The last nightmare I actually ran all the way downstairs and made it to the front door trying to escape from what is buried deep in my brain. That is how I continue. Yes, I am still struggling with depression but I came a long way. I think my greatest suffering now is how two of my children suffer.