It's so true - I've never had a huge number of friends, so the times I've opted to cut any loose have been a big deal to me and have made me feel really good about myself. Precisely the opposite of how their so-called "friendship" made me feel!

Thank you, I really like this site! I stumbled onto it when Gawker & Jezebel were doing too many similar posts and I wanted something new to read. There is so much great advice and tips.

It's been a year, which seems like a long time, but it really isn't. It's going to take a long time for those wounds to heal, and for you to re-learn how to see the world.

I give you credit for not using your size to manipulate people.

-Estrogen has absolutely no bearing in the conversation (there are plenty of insecure, weak men). I mean that in the sense women cannot simply be regarded as emotionally unstable and insecure just because of their hormones. Personal mentality and social context is just as important.

My mother is an old North Dakotan, and up there they do things a little differently. She's also one of the most cool headed and tolerant people I've ever met - and probably one of the smartest. She has a saying, and I keep having to tell myself it:

It's not always a choice. If you have an abusive boss, you may not be free to tell him or her off or quit. With family members, some people do want to try to preserve some semblance of a relationship.

I like how your comment begins, it brings to light that the general attitude today is "There is nothing wrong with me, everyone else just needs to fix themselves." I think this is a terrible isolationist sort of view, instead of working things out, it makes people feel like their stance or methods of handling…

I think there are people who are emotionally abusive by nature (or by practice) and confronting them won't do any good. I just choose to ignore them.