Thanks for the replies.

Sorry, I should've introduced myself better, I'm a man and I'm in my late twenties.

@Leed, I haven't really "joined" the family business as such, I help out on a day to day basis but I resist committing myself to it fully as it's not what i want to do with my life. I think maybe that's why I continue feeling guilt, or a good part of it anyway. I seem to keep myself in a sort of limbo situation where I don't commit myself to anything and I don't have any real identity. I feel like what i want to do is just a stupid waste of time and totally unrealistic, so I don't want to even tell anybody what it is, never mind try it.

@Mindinpieces, yes you are right I do feel trapped. I mean I have tried to become independent by going away to university but i think the constant guilt just started eating me away and grinding me down. Back then I didn't even know that I did feel constant guilt but I'm pretty sure now that is what was really making me feel so dreadful all the time at uni. Anyway I couldn't keep up with the work and eventually had to leave. I probably should've sought a counselor/therapist then but I didn't. I just feel that the constant guilt will wreck any attempt I try to make to build an independent life for myself. Intense guilt just makes social contact excruciating, I just feel like I don't deserve to be in anyone's presence nor have anyone like me or think well of me.

As for therapy, that two replies mentioned, I really feel like I need some relief from the guilt before I could try that. I know that sounds daft but I just could not bear the thought of people knowing that I'm going for therapy, my parents included. I suppose I just wanted to see if anyone here might have similar problems to me or suggestions about what I could do to get to that stage where I could actually bring myself to get some professional help.