I found out that an old friend / boyfriend from high school died. He and I were more like FWB, never a serious boyfriend. But we were each other's first sexual partners, enjoyed each others company, and had a lot of fun and shared a lot of good talks. I moved away and hadn't seen or talked to him for 30 years. We kept in touch for a few years after graduating, but it was a lot harder before the internet and cell phones, so we eventually lost touch. He went to a different school, so we didn't have a lot of mutual friends either. He went to an Ivy League college, which I knew, and ended up getting a Master's as well. Turns out he developed an alcohol addiction and strruggled for years. He eventually took his own life. I haven't seen him for so long, but I'm truly sad. I'm sad that a lot of people who knew him never knew the person I did. His handsome smile, his kindness, his ambition. Rest easy, Matt. See you on the other side.

I'm tired of any of this "awareness" crap in general.

Speaking as a Mom, I would never fault my kids for protecting themselves from an abuser, even if I weren't able to protect them from him. I would not be crushed. I would be glad that they found the freedom and strength that I couldn't. Anyone who isn't is sort of an abuser as well for emotionally manipulating them to allow themselves to continue to be mistreated so I'm not the only one suffering.

So over all this fake mental health awareness crap. People post memes without giving a flying fuck. They don't have time for people in their life who need help, they don't think how their shitty actions affect others. This society is one big fucking joke, nothing but inspirational memes while everyone ignores each other on their phone. Fuck all of this

I hate those stupid “life hacks" I've been seeing online everywhere lately. Usually zero percent helpful, to me anyway.

Also, everything has an aftermath and consequences, and you can't predict what's going to happen until it does. You cannot take one situation and apply it to everything. I had to cut my family off because they raised me in an abusive, borderline culty religious home and it caused my mother to develop a drinking problem. Did I feel guilt, pain and trauma over that? Absolutely I did. Were there longterm consequences? Yes, there was. And there would've been consequences if I'd stayed. That doesn't mean the fact that you feel the choice you made was wrong applies to every other unhappy family dynamic out there. And I don't think someone being described as an "aggressive bully" is a "minor inconvenience." Honestly that sounds like gaslighting.

You're still talking about YOUR situation, which is irrelevant here. Here's a different situation for you. A friend of mine ended up dead because she didn't cut an abuser out of her life, and he was not even violent to her or physically abusive, just extremely controlling and verbal/emotionally abusive until he was and he decided to kill her. It's really irresponsible to tell someone they should stay in someone's life when you have no idea what the situation is. It doesn't sound to me like a "minor inconvenience" it sounds to me like she has an abusive relationship with her father. She could literally end up dead. Your comments are irresponsible.

Respectfully, I disagree. I think we're more than willing to cut people off for even the most minor of inconveniences. We're even praised for doing so. But nobody wants to talk about the aftermath and consequences of cutting people out of your life. My mental health is no better than it was before, and my mom was abusive and did cause me to be suicidal. Everything she did to me affects my every day decisions even when I don't want it to. Obviously, everyone experiences things differently, but it's important to highlight the bad parts as well as the good.

Sorry about your dad, but you have no idea what the situation is. The word "aggressive" could mean many things, including physical. What if this is making her suicidal? What if he's physically aggressive? It's not appropriate to make suggestions like that without knowing the situation. Expecting someone to stay in an abusive relationship for the sake of someone else is not appropriate. if the other party loves you, then they will come around a lot of the time, it might also make them wise up and realise they deserve more than than a "nasty, aggressive bully" as a partner.

As miserable as it may be, stick to them. My biggest regret is that I cut out my abusive mom and it broke my dad. He died a year later. I lost an entire year with him because I wasn't willing to put up with her shit any longer. I regret that more than any other wrong thing I've done in my entire life.