How about that, indeed! Good for you. It sounds like you really sorted something out for yourself, that is wonderful. I can hear the conviction in your voice, too, so you'll get where you want to be. Like NW said, it'll happen sooner than you think. Something amazing happens when we stop looking backwards for reasons and instead start looking forward for solutions.
I am so glad your friend is there for you as you are making your way through all of these things. I bet she is pretty impressed with how open and honest you are with her. From my own experience, I can tell you, a man willing to share his thoughts and feelings, especially ones as intimate as you describe here, and work so hard to make himself whole and happy is a rare creature. That kind of sharing makes a person feel deeply trusted - and that is a wonderful thing to build in a relationship. Knowing that your solutions are already inside of you is a gift to you and to her: to you because it is important to meet your own needs, and to her because it allows her to have the energy to do the same.
I am so happy to hear you will not try to solve your issues by finding another person to harm you. It sounds like you have figured out how to break a habit. Always tough to do, so good for you, Carlos.
