I think its different for everybody, the length of time.

And yes I DO feel better! It is still a bad memory. But it is a manageable one.

ps: by telling these people you don't want them in your life, etc, I think you did the right thing! You set a necessary boundary.

I think that with that book, it can really be applied to any kind of negative emotion regardless of if the situation has people in it or not. I hope it helps.