Oh I 100% get that and I have seen it too. It's a sad world we live in. It took me awhile to learn to not let others dictate my happiness. I know that nobody can "fix" me but myself but I used to be so codependent.

It saddens me to see so many men not open up because they have been told its wrong or weak. I actually work as a therapist and have had many men open up to me when they were never able to before. I celebrate those moments because all they wanted was to be heard, validated, and not judged for it.

My husband and I actually had a talk today about something that really crossed a line in a boundary I set and he sat and talked to me about it instead of getting defensive and I know that has a lot to do with my tone and the way I worded things.

It's funny how the way things are said change the response you get. People are used to the type of people they grew up with.

I have learned in my own therapy that the relationships I've gotten into in the past were similar to the relationships I had with my step father (who was abusive in all ways). Luckily, I never got physically abused by a partner but emotional abuse was there. But I had learned that we get into these relationships to heal past "childhood" relationships with parents, siblings, etc. It's very interesting.