I am 16 and terrified of relationships. I recently became aware of that fact while talking with one of my friends. I guess I have always known this but I was never aware of it, or I refused to acknowledge it.

The problem is, I have trust issues because of my father. A year or two ago I found out the reason I couldn't see him or have contact with him anymore was because he had been molesting my older sister, Sarah. How can you trust somebody after your own father does something so grotesque and perverted to a person you love?

I realize I'm still young and I have my entire life ahead of me to deal with my problems, but I realized also that I have been using the excuse "I'm too young to date" as a way to avoid dealing with my problems. So used that to push people away. Now that I'm aware of my fear and why I have it, I'm wondering what I should do to move on. I have considered therapy, but I'm not sure if this calls for it or not.