Rhiannonsmoon, I commend you for standing up for yourself. My thought is you needed to be assertive after being bullied throughout your life.

Yes, being assertive can be abused. As I recently commented, we need to pick our battles responsibly. Some are not worth the effort and aggravation.

Friedrich Nietzsche reminds us, "He who fights monsters should look into that he himself does not become a monster. When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."

Be well.