Childhood trauma support

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Hi. If this has been put in the wrong discussion section I apologise. I haven't been on this site in several years. I have childhood trauma from bullying and living in a Neurotypical world as an Autistic person. My therapist said I might strongly benefit from being part of an online support group, with other people who have had similar experiences. Is there already a group online for that? I've found a Facebook group but that's for people who were abused during childhood, and that's not what caused my trauma. If there isn't already a group like that, would anybody else on here be interested in talking about their experiences? I'll share mine of course, if people are interested. I think it would be useful to know that other people have been through the same things I have. I have an attitude of "I must be strong, and do everything by myself", but I don't think this is healthy. This attitude might be hurting me.

Childhood abuse is difficult because you grow up without a frame of reference for what is normal (not counting TV which has its own problems). I experienced physical and emotional abuse. However, I suspect my parents turned to alcohol more because they were disappointed with each other more than me. I dropped out of high school and went into the Army at a time of war to get away from home. Distancing yourself from the cause of the problem is a good first step.

I think there is a potential for long term problems if one turns inward and cultivates a root of bitterness or otherwise becomes too self-focused. My abuse was not bad enough to cause follow that sort of path. It was severe enough to make a permanent change in perspective such as cops, emergency room nurses, combat veterans, or crime victims might have. If one has a prolonged exposure to the brutality of life, one can never easily reenter a world of the superficial and one has less tolerance for BS.

Abuse is like being in a car accident. It can kill you, cripple you, or you can even walk away unscathed. Something like anger can be briefly useful if it helps one to make positive changes. However, it is toxic if held on to. I consider my parents as victims themselves as their own families and church completely failed them. They had expectations of life and no clue how to live it.

I have talked with those who suffered sexual abuse as children and often they find that they think it is in the past, yet have difficulty in recognizing how their ability to form relationships years later can be influenced by those past events. For these, it can be useful to consider how abuse both implants corruptive development as well as neglects positive development.

Being able to make a break to disconnect from past events (assuming they are over) is a good first step.

I don't know any support groups.

My traumas are just common traumas.

More like 'my parents were young, stupid and ignorant like any humans with human flaws' and less like 'my parent/s died/made me starve/abandoned/parentified/let something destroyed my home/abused/touched me'.

Not that I'm downplaying myself. I'm done with that.
I prefer to transcend past that and more.

I practice inner work. I would rather find ways to help myself.
Turns out I'm one of the few who actually can.

While it's annoying to be having to be responsible for something I didn't do, shouldn't had done, and had to put up with -- I'd rather not stay in one place.

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