Women whose odds were stacked against them earlier in life but still did ok; what’s your ‘started from the bottom’ story?

13 comments

1. You marry rich husband

2. As a girl at Junior school I failed my 11 plus exams and was sent to senior school with none of my friends. I hated senior school and got the bare minimum qualifications that meant I couldn’t go directly to sixth form. However I found a junior job in finance. I worked for the same firm for over 3 decades and ended in a senior management role through hard work. All’s well that ends well!

3. Left my abusive marriage when I was 29. Went bankrupt straight away to clear my horrendous debts. Turned 30 living in a DV refuge with a 7yo son and a 10 year car.

   Had nothing – no clothes, no furniture, started from square 1. Rented a furnished unit.
   Went back to Uni. Studied fulltime and worked fulltime and raised my son. Attended 30 court cases relating to my divorce, AVOs and custody. Toughest three years of my life.

   Age 37 – bankruptcy cleared. Degree finished. Bought my first ever house.

   Age 40 – 6 figure income. Son graduated high school.

   Age 48 – remarried an amazing man.

   Now aged 52 – own a beautiful new home (2 years old), 3 investment properties. Son has a Masters degree.

4. i was sexually abused from 8 till 15, emotionally abused my whole life, and i got kicked out of the house at 18 (2 months before my court date to send my abuser to jail) and was homeless until i was 21. hopped from homeless shelters to church basements to friends couches until i met the love of my life. now, at 22 we’re living together and i’m a stay at home mom. we’re moving states soon.

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6. Raised by a single mother who was abusive, I essentially raised myself and my youngest brother as a teenager due to her mental health problems and frequent absences. I did well at school, went to a top university and left all that behind. Met my future husband there, graduated with a job lined up, did teaching for a few years before moving into higher education and I’ve been quickly promoted into senior management.

   I’m 30 now, own a house and cat with my husband, and we’re trying for a baby. I’ve got great friends, great colleagues and really enjoying life. I’ve struggled with poor mental health as an adult but I’ve had various bouts of therapy and I’m now in a great place health wise, both physical and mental.

7. I’m saving this post and someday I will get out of the bottom and comment on this post again just because.

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10. My parents were poor, very Christian (vulgo conservative sexist assholes) and mentally unstable (both with personality disorders that made growing up with them a living hell of trying not to trigger them all the time) when I was 7 I was sexually abused by someone from the church, and I was physically abused until I was 19, when I was 10 I was made responsible for our house, cooking, cleaning, taking care of my siblings and my parents because “I had to understand them”. Ugh.

    I studied, after my chores, I studied hard. I started working at 14 and saving money. While my friends were playing videogames, going out, I was studying and working both in and out my house.

    I moved out, started university, had 2 jobs, slept 4h a day living in a crapy apartment and I was fucking happy.

    I’ve had a abusive relationship when I was 18 with a 26yo that ended up with him stalking, trying to end me and himself, and after that I met the love of my life.

    We had similar goals, when we were 22 we bought our first apartment, we worked hard, we partied, we travelled the world, 2y ago we had a daughter, moved countries, and we are ridiculously happy.

11. i was sexually and physically abused by my parents from age 4-12. i was removed from my home and aged out of the foster care system. as a young adult, i was estranged from my abusive family and had to learn to survive completely on my own. so many years i spent struggling and figuring it out and making mistakes with no one to catch me if i fall.

    now at 35, i’m retired, a stay at home dog mom, and i live a life of ease and relaxation. i spend my time on my hobbies and meaningful friendships. i volunteer and am working on being a mental health professional, not for a career or for the money, but because it’s my truest passion. i drive a luxury vehicle. i have two homes, one to live in, and one for vacationing. i’m planning a trip to europe this summer with my fiancé. life is so good. and to think of all the times i nearly gave up.

12. When I was 4 years old, I was diagnosed with nonverbal autism. Parts of my brain were underdeveloped, and I never cried. I only used sign language to talk, and I was put in intensive behavioral therapy for five years.

    My parents were told that I would need support for the rest of my life, and they were prepared to take care of me past childhood.

    Thankfully, as I grew I became fully independent of my parents. I can drive, I got into college, and I can live on my own.

    My neurophysiologist called me a miracle case, and I was put in a medical journal as a successful study in early childhood intervention.

13. Dad’s a felon, mom’s native so I inherited all her generational trauma. They thought my mom was a junkie so they did testing on me all thru my childhood trying to prove I was slow. We moved around a lot, dirt poor. Eventually ended up living in a trailer w no water or electricity, so my mom gave me up.

    I went to live w my white grandma and she fucken hated me. Refused to feed me and instead sent me outside to forage for my food like a fucken wild animal at 8ish. Wasn’t allowed heat, new clothes, to leave the house for anything but school or church, had to be taught to be ‘a lady’ which was rlly just indoctrination into misogyny.

    Mom got us back, we moved again. CPS is still involved being dicks, dad’s working but theyre garnishing his wages so he’s making like $4 above the poverty line as the breadwinner. This goes on for several years. CPS apprehends both my my brothers and we go to court for a few years. We get them back.

    I was homeless once a month minimum in HS. Spent a lot of time outside and couchsurfing. Was almost kidnapped by a cab driver when I was 17. Eventually graduated. Was in a car accident and found out my baby sister had been raped by a pedophile and she was pregnant. She has the baby and gives it up for adoption. CPS is trying to chase her down and interrogate her (she’s 13)

    Lots more happened but this is the gist. I live alone now, moved out, aged out of the grasp of CPS. I’m working to go back to school and work in early childhood education