A few people began to really open up to me, and I, for the first time in my life, began to reciprocate that, and from it I started to develop the kind of friendships and relationships that are actually fulfilling to me, anyway.
It made me feel more valued and important, and allowed me a constructive way to vent instead of just becoming an asshole, and gave a way to slowly tell the secrets that were driving me insane with guilt and worry. It also probably stopped me from committing suicide.
I learned that I can't handle everything on my own yet, and even though I'd like to be capable of it, I'd rather have a very close friend or two that I can open up to when the need arises. I also learned that I love it when people confide in me.