Dear Craig:

I suppose she made the right choice, it being between ending the relationship with you and mistreating you, or dragging you down as she put it. Good choice on her part.

In your original post you asked for: “Any advice on how to support her as well as support myself”- I would say let her go.

As far as how to feel (needing “some help on how to feel.”)- I don’t think we choose our feelings, but we can choose to think what is congruent with reality and if we do, helpful feeling will follow. Reads to me that reality is, as you pointed out, that the relationship with you added to her stress level, she couldn’t unload the other factors causing her stress, so she unloaded her relationship with you. And she did it without mistreating you.

anita