What should I do?

What am I even supposed to do? My boyfriend of 8 years ended things with me. The problem was always that he never really knew how to console me when I was sad, and I gave him so many chances over the years. Now he's saying he can't keep hurting me and that leaving is the best thing to do.

What I don't understand is how he thinks I'll be okay if he leaves. Is it really right for him to just decide that on his own? When I ask him, "Then why did I stay all these years?" he just says, "I didn't force you to stay." That line honestly breaks my heart every time.

Part of me wonders if I should just go back and ignore this problem because I love him, but another part of me feels like I've already been doing that for years. I'm so confused.