Do we REALLY learn from mistakes?

Do we really learn from our mistakes or are we haunted by them? Do past experiences and problems prevent us from enjoying certain things later on?

So what brought this up? Well pretty simple really. Here I've been going on about this special someone and enjoying myself, yet I'm haunted by past relationships gone horribly wrong. So very afraid I will be hurt so badly that I won't be anything anymore. I was dead once, I really was. So dead, so empty, so nothing. Now that I'm myself again, something I haven't been able to say in a very long time, I'm terrified that if I allow myself to fall too deep in love that the same thing will happen. If it does, I'm not so sure I could handle it this time. It could be the final breaking point for me. The last time around, I was so numb that there were days I couldn't even move at all. Literally could not move. I fear that if I were to go through that again well it really would kill me.

Standing on the edge of reality and dream, afraid to move forward and afraid to go back.