GOOD FOR YOU!
e). I was worn out and shocked by the constant abuse.
Me too. But maybe more scarily (now) is how easily I accepted his behavior as normal. What I know now is that I was surrounded by struggling people, grew up in an emotionally unstable home, and sought out relationships with other people like me who easily overlooked unacceptable behavior. I can say now, without too much embarrassment, that a lot of my behavior was unhealthy also. I looked at healthy people and didn't understand them -- how could they be so carefree? How did life come to them so easily??? I didn't realize it was accessible to me, too.
So, my experience anyway was that not only was I exhausted and demoralized, but I had accepted exhausted and demoralized as my constant state of being long before AH showed up to put me down and siphon off my money. When he started these things, it wasn't that far from normal.