Often we have horrible histories that change who we were meant to become, but with tenacity of purpose and relentless repetition we can change who we will be in our future. Our belief and ideas of ourselves sometimes are so engrained that we become paralysed to change....and this is where it gets hard.
Finding at least one or two positives everyday can often be enough to galvanise our resolve to makes our lives just that little bit better. I do know for certain that looking back can be detrimental...and that laying blame is a fruitless exercise.
I hope that you can find those positives and move forward into a better life...one day at a time LifelongLoner, Even though at times its difficult, you can refuse to be what your past made you.