I didn't hallucinate progress. Five years ago they moved out of a town they hated and quit jobs that made them miserable and became closer with family friends that made them happy. I moved out and set boundaries and they went from chastising me for speaking up to acknowledging what I had to say in mature ways and giving me the respect I deserved. If they misstepped, I withdrew and they acknowledged their mistakes and apologized - something they were incapable of a decade ago. "You thought they were magically getting better" is not a helpful comment and it is also a presumptuous observation based on information that you do not have. What would have been more helpful is, "How do you know they ever made progress? Are you sure it was real and not something you superimposed on them? It may be worth thinking about, just to make sure you aren't getting further trapped in an unhealthy cycle of empty promises."