Therapy got me through a lot of it - both the fallout from the relationship and my unaddressed anger issues. I thought that by being angry I was controlling the situation. When I was little my dad commanded respect because we knew when he got angry all kinds of shit could go down. But when you're angry you're not in control of anything, unless it's through fear alone and of course that's no way to to through life. But my ex just knew she could wind me up, watch me go.

A blessing in disguise, really, to go through all of that. I still deal with anger, and sometimes in ways that leave things broken, but I understand it better and it has less of a hold on me. Times of stress, etc. Much better relationship now too, happy to say.