Jasmine sat stiffly in the therapist's office, her hands clasped together in her lap. The walls were painted a soft, neutral color, the kind that was supposed to be calming, but nothing about today felt calm. Her head was still pounding from the fight with Cameron, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she couldn't quite sort through.
Dr. Patel, her therapist, sat across from her, legs crossed, pen resting against her notepad. "You seem tense today," she observed gently. "Tell me what's on your mind."
Jasmine let out a breath, trying to steady herself before speaking. "Cameron and I had a fight."
Dr. Patel nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"It was bad," Jasmine admitted. "Worse than usual. She's been drinking a lot, shutting me out, and when I confronted her, it was like she—" Jasmine paused, searching for the right words. "She looked at me like I was the problem. Like I was ruining something by trying to help."
Dr. Patel tilted her head slightly. "What exactly did she say?"
Jasmine hesitated before repeating their exchange, every sharp word, every moment of silence, the way Cameron had laughed bitterly when she told her the drinking wasn't good for her. By the time she finished, her fingers were gripping the fabric of her jeans.
Dr. Patel took a thoughtful pause before speaking. "How did that make you feel?"
Jasmine almost laughed at the question. She felt everything. Angry. Helpless. Frustrated. But above all, she felt exhausted. "I don't know. I just… I wanted to help her, but she doesn't want my help. Or maybe she just doesn't want me."
Dr. Patel tapped her pen lightly against the notepad. "It sounds like you've been putting a lot of energy into supporting Cameron, even when she resists. That must be incredibly draining."
Jasmine swallowed hard and nodded. "It is. But I don't know how to stop. I feel like if I don't keep trying, she's going to completely fall apart."
Dr. Patel studied her carefully. "That's a heavy responsibility to carry. Do you believe Cameron is your responsibility?"
Jasmine's stomach twisted at the question. "I don't know," she admitted. "I just feel like… if I don't try, then who will?"
Dr. Patel leaned forward slightly. "That's a common feeling in relationships like this. When you care deeply about someone, it's easy to fall into the role of caretaker, even when it's not healthy for you. But Jasmine, let me ask you something—what happens to you in all of this? What happens to your well-being when you prioritize Cameron's self-destruction over your own healing?"
Jasmine looked down at her hands. She had been so focused on Cameron—on her drinking, on her self-sabotage, on trying to pull her out of it—that she hadn't stopped to consider what it was doing to her.
"I feel… trapped," she finally said. "Like I can't move forward because I'm always looking back, making sure she's okay."
Dr. Patel nodded. "That's understandable. You've spent so much time worrying about Cameron that you've forgotten to take care of yourself. And I have to ask—do you think Cameron actually wants to be helped right now?"
Jasmine hesitated before shaking her head. "No. She just wants to self-destruct."
Dr. Patel sighed softly. "You can't force someone to get better, Jasmine. No matter how much you love them, no matter how much you want to see them happy. People have to choose healing for themselves. And from what you've told me, Cameron isn't choosing that right now."
Jasmine's throat tightened. "So what do I do?"
Dr. Patel's voice was gentle but firm. "You make a choice for yourself. You decide whether staying in this dynamic is helping either of you. Or if maybe, just maybe, the best thing you can do for both of you is to step away."
Jasmine felt her chest tighten. The thought of leaving—of walking away from Cameron, of not being there to pick up the pieces—felt impossible. But at the same time, she knew Dr. Patel was right. They were dragging each other down, tangled in something neither of them knew how to fix.
"I don't want to abandon her," she whispered.
"You're not abandoning her," Dr. Patel reassured. "You're setting a boundary. You're acknowledging that you can't save her at the cost of yourself. And that's not selfish, Jasmine. That's survival."
Jasmine closed her eyes, letting the words sink in. For so long, she had convinced herself that staying was the right thing to do—that as long as she kept holding on, they could figure things out. But maybe holding on wasn't the answer. Maybe letting go was.
Dr. Patel gave her a moment before speaking again. "If you do decide to step back, that doesn't mean you don't care. It means you're recognizing that love isn't about losing yourself for someone else. And if Cameron ever does decide to seek real help, that's her journey. But you need to think about your own."
Jasmine nodded slowly. "I don't know how to let go."
Dr. Patel smiled gently. "You start by making the choice. And then you take it one day at a time."
Jasmine exhaled, the weight on her chest feeling a little lighter—not gone, but manageable. Maybe, just maybe, she could find her way out of this. Not for Cameron. Not for anyone else. But for herself.