I had that boyfriend once, for almost a decade. Don't ask why I stayed, because now, almost another decade later, I still can't put my finger on it. Pity, a savior complex, a this-is-what-I-deserve complex, I can change him, I've invested so much time in this, he needs me, I don't know how to be with anyone else, he loves me despite his addictions...? I don't know, all of the above and then some.

Getting out was crazy difficult. I won't even get into that. But I did. And that was one of the best choices I've ever made.

Advice-wise, I will say this. There are those times when he seems so coherent, so desperate for you, so loving, and that's what keeps us there, I think. You have to harden yourself to those times. They are just the manipulations of an addict trying to get another fix, only you are his other addiction.

You have to take care of yourself. That's all I really know. Best of luck.