How much emotional sharing is too much in a relationship?
I've had anxiety and depression issues for as long as I can remember. It's usually at a low-moderate level, but has gotten very bad over the past few months or so. When my anxiety gets high, it can attach itself to a particular area of my life; last time it was my health, this time it was my relationship. I had terrible anxious thoughts, always expecting my boyfriend to leave me, thinking he no longer loved me, that he didn't enjoy talking to me anymore, that he didn't think I was attractive. This was made worse by the fact that it's long-distance and he can't comfort me with hugs or kisses.
I ended up asking him for reassurance over and over, and he would give it to me, but it never seemed to help for very long. I've been terribly needy and overemotional. I recently found out that I have several hormonal imbalances, which may be contributing to my emotional issues, and am hoping to get that taken care of soon. But in the meantime, I still feel awful.
My boyfriend and I had a discussion last night/today, during which I wanted to address a few things which had been worrying me, especially my concerns that I was pushing him away with my negativity, and my concerns about whether or not we were on the same page with what we want from our relationship in the future. He assured me that he did still want the same things that I do and told me that he didn't feel I was pushing him away, but that my need to constantly discuss my emotions and ask for reassurance was kind of "grating on him." He told me that he didn't want me to need to rely on him so much and he wants me to be able to handle things on my own as well. We came to the agreement that I would work on processing my emotions on my own more but that he would still be there for me when I really needed him.
But I'm not sure how to differentiate between things that I should handle on my own and things that I should go to him with. I know that asking for reassurance or needing validation every time I feel a bit sad or worried is too much. Needing to lean on him on a daily basis is not healthy, right? How do I find the right balance?