Honestly, starting to stick up for myself has caused relationships to dwindle.

I think you set a precedent once you let things slide and don't establish boundaries and it's hard to reverse.

And again honestly, I feel like an asshole for saying no, which is weird because I said yes to all those other times when I wasn't comfortable because I was a buzzkill if I said otherwise. It's this strong desire to be liked and to compromise yourself to someone else's standards, even if you know it's not sitting well with you.

I guess the point is to be confident straight out the gate with people and be upfront with what you're okay with and what you're willing to deal with. And I agree, like with everything, it's easier said than done.

Part of not establishing important things right from the start is an important lesson to learn from, and unfortunately it's taken time to learn and different people and experiences to learn from. It is still hard for me.