Sense of Guilt

Remaining in a relationship or situation out of a sense of guilt or duty can be confused with love.  
In hindsight, I’ve been in such a place, and it produced ill-feelings toward the other person, coupled with a sense of guilt (in part because of the feelings) and entrapment.  

The way for me out of this did not come easy or automatically.  I had to work at it because guilt had a very stronghold on me since I was very young, and it was linked to my sense of self.  

But once I learned to acknowledge my feelings, without judgment and connect to my Inner Guidance through prayer, journaling and self-awareness, I was able to take small steps towards a healthier way of relating, then realizing that staying in an unhealthy environment was not loving at all.  Guilt was not going to control my life anymore.

Playing the victim and making the other person a victimizer was not a role I wanted anymore. I learned I had a choice to either leave, set strong boundaries, or learn to perceive things from a higher perspective.  The Guidance always came as to what to do next.