'I knew all the warning signs of abuse. Except when it came to my own husband.'

When I was born, I was left unclaimed in the hospital for six weeks before I was adopted.

Unfortunately, when I was five, my adopted parent's marriage fell apart. So, my mother, brother and I moved away. 

It was then that my mother met the man who changed the course of all of our lives.

While on the surface he seemed like a nice person, he was an alcoholic, prone to violent outbursts. His rage would turn into verbal abuse. That verbal abuse then turned into physical abuse. 

Listen: In this episode of No Filter, Steph Tisdell opens up about walking away from abusive relationships, letting go of old versions of herself, and finding what truly matters. Post continues below.

For six years, my mother was abused and assaulted every single night. It was like a nightmare caught in an endless loop.

My brother and I tried everything to stop him — we'd throw apples, oranges and even potplants at him, in a desperate attempt to make him stop. But it never worked. 

On countless occasions, my mother would flee the house. She did this because she knew he'd follow her, and he'd leave us alone. 

Eventually, my mother left the relationship and we moved away for a second time. But this man always seemed to find us.

Moving from school to school, house to house, I could never make friends before we had to move on again. The next step was telling the police. But nothing changed.

A familiar pattern.

Then, one night, when I was 11, I woke up with a sharp pain in my eye. 

My mother's ex-boyfriend had thrown a cocktail bomb into our apartment and set fire to our car. Glass had lacerated one of my eyes, which still affects my vision to this day.

Finally, the police took my mother's complaints seriously. I thought this might be the day my pain and suffering would finally come to an end.

But I was still suffering from all of the trauma, pain and anger.

It only seemed fair that the world should feel at least a little of what I had been through.

I was constantly suspended from school, and I was always lashing out at people. I got into so much trouble I was eventually sent away to live in a children's home.  

By the time I was 15 years old, I was allowed back into my mother's care. But she had found herself in another violent relationship. 

At this point, living on the streets seemed like it was my best option.

After six months of barely surviving on the streets, my adoptive mother found me and told me some news. My biological parents wanted me to live with them.

Maybe this was my chance at having a stable home? Maybe a real family? But my biological parents were so different from me. They were raised in stable homes, with loving parents. 

Needless to say, it didn't take long for the fractures to appear and the arguments to begin. 

Then I met a man who I thought was 'the one'. 

He loved me. But after he drank, love turned to hate, and hate turned into abuse. A familiar pattern. 

But this abuse was nothing compared to the violence I'd seen in the past, so I simply coped with it. Then I fell pregnant, but that didn't stop the abuse. 

"Something ignited in me".

Then came the day I was knocked unconscious by my husband. I woke to see him pushing over our two-year-old, who was trying to help me. That was the moment I knew I had to leave.

I packed up everything and moved to my father's house. After life settled down and my father became a supportive figure in my life, I decided to continue my education. 

As part of my education, I undertook some volunteer work.As soon as I started volunteering, it was like something ignited in me. I felt inspired and passionate about something at last. I knew I had to work here.

"I've become someone who can inspire her children".

Another volunteer, who was my rock and greatest supporter, encouraged me to develop my understanding of trauma and domestic, family and sexual violence (DFSV) to help others.

Since then, I have developed a program that enlists domestic, family and sexual violence-informed staff to run workshops to help young people identify the cycle of violence. It also supports them to advocate for themselves in areas such as dating and communication.

Now I'm working in my dream job, helping young people who have gone through similar situations to me.

I've become someone who inspires my children, something I never thought I could do. They now want to help people too.

Youth Off The Streets is a not-for-profit youth services organisation that supports 12–24-year-olds experiencing or at risk of homelessness and complex disadvantage. An inclusive, community-focussed organisation with a unique service model that is trauma-informed and culturally responsive, you can learn more about their crisis accommodation services, accredited alternative high schools, cultural and wellbeing support for First Nations young people, and other services here.

Feature: Getty.