You have ups and downs, but you can't imagine your life without them. Sure, they can make you feel horrible about yourself. A mess. A failure. And what they say about you can affect the way others see you, too. They can also make you feel like you can move mountains. You're a winner. You can be the person everyone wants you to be. It's so easy to become attached to them. You think about them day and night. Every decision you make goes back to what they will say. You start to live for them, and your own self-worth falls by the wayside. Many of us live huge chunks of our lives in this toxic relationship. I've been walking the tightrope myself for as long as I can remember. In August I decided to cut ties and make my life about me again. I needed to be free. I deserved to be the only voice in my head telling me how to live, what to eat, how worthy I am of love.