I'm a scientist. So when I'm trying to come up with hypotheses, I like working with evidence.

Sure, I have a story. I've shared it before, and I do think there are themes that appear over and over in my life. I was called retarded and crazy as a kid--how could that NOT have affected my self-esteem? I had parents who subscribed to a "kids are to be seen, not heard" philosophy. I am sure this affected me somehow too.

But it's one thing to know that your upbringing shaped you and quite another to believe that your upbringing is why you are in the therapist's chair. I mean, maybe if I had parents who were more involved in my life and did all the "ideal" things, I'd have turned out worse than I did. How am I to know?

Stories that are speculative and abstract challenge my concrete brain. But stories that contain scientific facts, such as inherited genetic legacies and biochemical pathways, do appeal to me. My therapist has struck a good balance by interweaving both. As long as she keeps things neutral, I guess I'm fine with her stories.