16.
Lastly: “Staying in an unhappy long-term relationship and cheating on them. My mental health was depleted, and this guy I’ve been friends with for years picked me up and consoled me back up to a better mental state. Six years later, I’m still in both relationships, and I honestly don’t know how I got here. I wish the guy I was cheating with was single, too, so I could leave the trash relationship I’m in now. I can see why people stay in mediocre, miserable relationships because it’s unrealistic to start over since I’ve spent more than 15 years with the man I’ve been cheating on. I know it’s wrong. It’s hard to deal with mental health when the resources are unaffordable, but I’ve been able to cope thanks to my other relationship, which has pulled me out from wanting to give up on life. We’ve helped each other through some dark times.”
—Anonymous, 36, Minnesota
