Hi, Neena. First, thanks for wishing me luck. What a shame, you and I are happy to see a therapist to talk about stuff that still bothers us from long ago, but the bills won't let us. LOL. Like you, doing what I need to do to pay those bills keeps me pretty busy.

The reason I asked about what interested your brother about the past, though, was that I thought it might give you a clue as to how to point him towards getting some help, without triggering defensiveness on his part.

All I meant by my own remark was that I perk up at the thought of talking out, and resolving, things that still hurt but which I did not (always) cause myself, but I would feel a lot differently about therapy if anyone suggested it out of concern that my behavior or choices in life were not normal. Even if they were absolutely right.

I am amazed that your brother was well-off enough by the age of 40 to quit working without worrying about money. He must have been very good at what he did? Maybe he will eventually get lower on funds, and think about getting another job on his own.

Another question: When you said that he started showing signs of his problem in his 20s, did you mean the lack of girlfriend or friends? Or something else?