i am also a survivor of mental, emotional, physical, sexual and some other forms of abuse. i am incredibly hyper vigilant my old therapist calls it, but after many years of treatment it has made me more sensitive to others in a good way. Better at listening to women i sponsor in a 12 step program, i can even tell when the kids or our animals are sick by their smell. i have some idiosyncrasies that may drive the people i love crazy when they want to hide things...i can smell alcohol on someones breath all the way across the house...awesome for raising teenagers and knowing when it was time to leave my husband...not so wonderful when the people shopping in the department store i work in go passed (yuck). I was able to feel my babies weeks earlier than i was supposed too. the day in my life came where i was no longer a victim and became a survivor within myself that all this began to help me. i still can break into tears at having to go to a social gathering, i still can make myself nuts at times wondering if my Master is mad at me, i still am very insecure about some things. The point i think you made so well is letting it shape who we are in good ways is possible. thanks!