I have family and friends that would honestly be completely devastated, and it would probably irreversibly darken the remainder of their lives. It's pretty hard coming to grips with that.
While I like talking and hanging out with them, deep down inside I know I need to start building distance and eventually just disappear from their lives entirely. Luckily, I have a habit of vanishing socially for years on end, so it's not entirely out of character for me. I may not have that kind of time, but I'll probably limit contact entirely until the time comes.
Romantic love was never an option for me. I'm wholly incapable of it, so that simplifies things quite a bit, too.