Thanks, to the both of you.

I'm very aware of boundaries, especially since I barely had any for many year s. Though a lot of hard work with my therapist, I've made a lot of changes. Unfortunately/fortunately, many in my family/social circles couldn't cope with my new "rules of engagement", and I've had to step away for my own good, or for theirs.

I'm trying very hard to be easy on myself, but I can read him too well. He's really having a rough time with this. It's scary for him, especially because I am 100% blunt about how rough the battle is each day not to be overwhelmed by external and internal stresses.

Thanks to CBT, I can look at what's going on with my brain squirrels with cold objectivity. Not so much when trying to empathize with how it affects those I love.