Martin is a trauma survivor. Growing up, he experienced extreme violence at home. His father was an alcoholic, and his mother endured relentless abuse. Many days, Martin dreaded coming home from school, never knowing if his mother would be alive when he returned. As a boy, he was taught that expressing fear or sadness was a sign of weakness. "Men don’t cry," he was told. "Be strong, swallow your pain." So, he did—until the weight of it nearly crushed him.