Congratulations for your article.
It is, indeed, a bravery act to share such thing with others. While I wasn't even close to being in such situation, I understand (as much as I can, without experiencing anything similar) the pain others have to feel when they are treated like that.
The only two things that I can say is that first, for me at least, no matter who you are and no matter where you come from, the only people you can call family are the ones that treat you like you're part of the family. Blood has nothing to do with anything. It is the way people behave to one another and the way they understand each other that makes a group of people a "family".
And second that, it is really important to learn how to love yourself. I suffer and have always suffered from sensitivity when it came to interacting with others. The simplest word could hurt me enough to make me want to stay inside, in my bed for days, if not even weeks, and the way my family was, and because no one understood that, I had to learn how to love myself, and I can say this is one of the best things you can do.
Congratulations for your article and for your bravery once again, and I wish you the best of luck!
Thank you so much! Very wise words! It is so true that we need to love ourselves and not wait for others to do it for us! And I totally agree with you on what "family" is! Well said!