Maybe I wasn't clear. I am continuing to work in therapy. But I had a very hard time finding someone who could work effectively with me on this stuff. And a lot of the theory and therapy about attachment issues, etc. is relatively new. Helpful and effective -- but I lucked out when a friend mentioned that she thought that a therapist I had been working with was not responding to me appropriately. I couldn't really see that because of my issues -- and where was there anybody who COULD help me see that? Certainly not the therapist, because of his own issues.

So, I consider that it was a miracle, a deus ex machina, that I had the good fortune to have such a good friend, whom I met in a support group. It wasn't the in "the system" where I found the "help" that I needed, in order to get the appropriate professional help that I needed. That's very scary. How many other people are out there who haven't had my luck?

Here's the point I would like to try to make: I think either (1) the professionals need to come up with a better way to deal with situations when they begin to realize they are "out of their depth", and/or (2) people seeking help for deep-seated issues of identity and sense of self need to come together to form an advocacy and referral network.

Or maybe -- PC is wonderful forum and I'm also talking with my current therapist, who does a lot of training for other therapists. Maybe that's all I can do.