I am in no way looking for pity- just thought I should say that so no one gets the wrong idea about why I'm posting this. I just want to know if anyone else has gotten to the point where they have accepted or are starting accept the fact that they are going to be without romantic love. I am a 17 year old bisexual girl and, being 17, I get a lot of my friends saying "You've got plenty of time!" or "You're still young!" to me when I confide in them about never having someone (no marriage, no common law, no serious relationship, etc). What I want people to understand is that I just feel like I shouldn't be that big a part of anyone's life. I don't think I'm ugly, I don't think I'm undatable, it's just that it's in everyone else's best interest if I just don't get involved with anyone. I realize that a part of this is that I've been through a very emotionally abusive relationship and that I've never really had a "good" relationship to look up to (parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles), but I've made the decision that I am better off without anyone. It's not really for my sake, as I do fall in love with people and do want to spend time with them, but more for their sake so I can't hurt them. First, I don't want them to go through what I have gone through in past relationships because of me. Second, I do deal with depression and anxiety and I am afraid that I won't be able to be there for them. Again, I am not condemning myself to a life of loneliness because I have no self confidence or feel that no one will ever love me, it's just that it wouldn't be fair to them. If I am fortunate enough to be in a relationship with someone, they deserve to feel just as loved as I do and, unfortunately, I am not capable of doing that. So, is that rational? Anyone else in the same boat?