He is absolutely right in saying that people want to see you happy. I am going to suggest that you try not to have conversations about your situation w/family and friends. If you absolutely need to talk to someone, select one or two very good friends and use them as a sounding board. The decision to stand or not is yours and not your parents or your friends. People mean well...but they aren't walking a mile in your shoes so they do not understand what is going on.
As for time lines...toss them out the window. You are setting yourself up for disappointment and frustration by doing so. MLC takes a long, long time to work through, i.e., not a sprint, but a marathon. A crisis didn't happen at a flip of a switch. It took years to get to this point and it's going to take some time for him to work through those issues created in childhood that have been stuffed down for years and years.
Detach as much from the situation, try not to over analyze his every word or action. Make a list of things that you would like to do, but haven't since you've been married. Start exploring, learning and rediscovering the Grace that you were pre-marriage.
Time truly is a gift...live your life to the fullest. Don't waste another moment on the what ifs...keep the focus on you!
BTW, you will know when it is time to give up...trust me. If you are still waffling about things...then you aren't ready to give up.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
