OMG I need this thread! Although technically speaking I am seeing someone now, I have spent the last 10 years in or dealing with the fall out of dead-end relationships and feeling like my emotional needs were not being met or were outright either outreageous or irrelevant.
This was a huge drain on my self confidence. I cannot pinpoint the exact moment it changed (maybe when instead of finding myself in the same situation for the umpteenth time, I acknowledged that I'd actually put myself in that situation...) but when it did change, it was like a light switching on.
It sounds a bit wishy-washy but yoga mantras like "you are enough" and a counsellor (work stress) saying "your feelings are a legitimate reaction" started to actually carry weight in my mind.
I'd not say I've mastered it yet, but I love having my own space, naming my own priorities, having my own projects and being in charge. And as a PP has said, once you realise your own worth, you are far more selective about prospective partners.
for the women enjoying their independence.