I commend you for working on yourself and your recovery! You are working even though you don't receive a paycheck.

I can relate to feeling the need to justify to family. Therapy helped me with this and, well, my family is deceased now so that obviously eliminated the issue. I still find myself justifying to others, though.

I think a big part of it is accepting who you are - accepting yourself unconditionally. And realizing that others will not or can not always relate and may even disapprove, if that makes sense. That, however, is *their* issue.

*hugs*