It sounds to me that you are a very insightful and introspective guy. So you have a great foundation for healing to build upon. My childhood was actually similar to yours. So I can relate. Can I ask you if other people in your life have expressed dissatisfaction in how you treat them? Do THEY tell you they feel rejected, controlled, or tell you that you act better than everyone else? Or is this something you mainly get the feeling that you are doing? I think it would be most helpful for you to take a deeper look what makes up who you are as person. That is, what aspects of your personality (good or bad) have been formed in your childhood upbringing (nurture) vs. those that are innately yours (nature). If you've never done any of the personality tests such as Myers-Briggs or Keirsey Temperament, I recommend you do so. This has helped me to understand why I think and act the way I do in certain situations. Sometimes what we believe to be a weakness can actually be a positive if we learn how to view it in a new light, manage and use it to our advantage. As an example, my hypercritical, alcoholic father made me feel as though I was never good enough, leaving me with a deficit in confidence and self esteem. I learned from him that the reward of taking risks in life was not worth the prospect of failure and subsequent scrutiny and criticism. In the same token, I was labeled as a child as shy, too quiet, less likeable, not a "people person". I won the "Silent Sam" award in elementary school once. I always felt ashamed for being this way. Indeed, different is often tantamount to being weird or defective. But I have grown over the years to understand that this is just my nature. I AM different and that is a good thing. I think before I act, I am not impulsive, I am not a quick decision maker but usually make the right one the first time, I "measure twice and cut once". I really am a people person but deal better one on one or in small groups vs. crowds. I don't have to be ashamed of who I am. As you can see, things that are ingrained in us during a childhood marked by dysfunction and abuse can hinder our growth as adults. Learning who we really are can pay huge dividends in living a more healthy and happy life.