Thanks for the jittery screen tip... I tried it and it works. Now if I could just get the pages to load faster, I'd be back with a full swing...

About the quote you brought forward... I think it has been summed up in subsequent posts, but I'll illustrate, without detail, to explain how I woke up (a personal thing):

This one particular person called me all the time, almost daily and almost always in a tither. My natural self wanted to help her through what ever the disaster du jour was. Well, one day and in one call, the person crossed a line with me, actually verbally contesting what I was saying, even though it was simply my way of trying to help (kind of like you being cussed out, as you described in one of your posts). That exchange with this person caused a disconnect, which has yet to be mended. BUT -- here's the thing -- my days became more peaceful. Thing is I didn't realize it until the person called, out of the blue, one day weeks later. After that call, I felt my stomach start to act up, my nerves start to zap... along with a whole bunch of other bodily and emotional responses. I had never taken into consideration the toll this person and others with their needs/messes were taken on me and my health.
Note: When I have problems, I usually keep them to myself, not asking anyone for help... didn't even share problems with my mom... every so often I share something with BWS and one other cybergroup - but, as a general rule, I keep my problems all inside. In general, I'm usually the listener, the one trying to fix it for everyone else --- until that call and a couple of others after that one.
That call with other similars (I must have been primed) brought me to some realizations:

• People who are fed 'help' keep coming back for more.
• No matter what I was able to say or do was of little help in their development, their means of working to 'fix' their own problems --- problems they 'usually' invented or caused, themselves.
• I was using up my reserves for everyday 'cr**' when I needed to keep my reserves healthy for BIG problems, often times my own.

[*]I was forever in a mindset of needing to help/fix , the point I was making with my post you quoted. I thought I had to help. I didn't want them to continue hurting. I wanted to 'fix' it for them. I really thought it was necessary that I carry their burden... and so on. There was something in me that made me think I was obligated (maybe too strong a word, but it felt such) and the best person to 'help' them, after all they were calling me.

I say KUDOS to you for turning your phone off.