You don’t need to say anything at all; not everything needs a response. Very few people know how to listen in an attuned and responsive way. Most of the time, people are telling you their own story – especially when they’re telling you what you need to do/shouldn’t have done. The vast majority of the time, when people are talking about you, they’re just revealing the emotional architecture of their own mind. You don’t need to defend, explain, or justify anything.

Also - be selective about the people with whom you share your story. Your story has value and dignity, and a lot of people simply don’t have the psychological/emotional capacity to hold complexity.