But it took some filtering on my part to not absorb the more painful stories as my own or assume that was definately where I am headed. Situations are as unique as they are similar. I try to point that out as often as I can here because there is a tendency to generalize to the extreme.
I did/do leave the boards sometimes feeling worse about the situation or about him because I was absorbing things I needed to deflect... things that were not even remotely like who he is or the relationship I am in with him.
I was about to leave SR because I honestly felt maybe I wasn't being understood and I was tired of feeling that my compassion for him was a 'problem' or being yelled as co dependent for saying I missed him. But then Kindeyes (I believe) started a thread about the things you love about the A in your life. It let me see a different side of people and I found it very moving.
Those types of threads can be very very healing for all. There should be more of them because emotions do run high here at times.