My Therapist and I figured out that I have been in and out of toxic relationships for about 17 years. This includes only two Long-Term Relationships but there was very little 'single' time in between and I didn't do any serious dating. I was always still absorbed with Toxic Partner No. 1. while 'single' and well up into my LTR with Toxic Partner no 2.

In short, I've never taken the time to truly recover. I realized why this is so hard. I'm actually making a very real whole-life change. Like someone who's been addicted- I guess I'm recovering from co-dependency and toxic partners.

Has anyone else thought about it this way? Breaking the pattern in abusive partners as a kind of bad-drug and self-abuse recovery?

Maybe it's an obvious thing but for some reason this never clicked with me.