My dad is the same way silver queen!! But since he is part of my problem, and not educated on any of this, he was not the best person to listen to.

I listened to him for years and years and always quit therapy. This time, I didn't. Here is what I know now:

1. Although I have lived with my symptoms and know my behaviors, I was never able to put it altogether in any sort of manner to reach valuable conclusions and formulate with my T resolution to these problems. So, until now, year after year, the same symptoms and behaviors continued to wreak havoc on me and those around me.

2. Therapists are objective and do NOT HAVE AN AGENDA (except bad ones). When our friends and family give advice, they tend to tell you how they would handle a situation. Often, they know us but do they really know us and are they educated in how to help us in a crisis as some of us have here?

They also tend to skew their advice based on how they feel about you or a behavior that we subject them to. i.e. frustrated, too empathetic, play it down etc.

Let me ask you this, when a friend or family member tries to identify causes to a problem and help you resolve it and change it, does it work for you? or does it push you away, annoy you etc. and are any of them part of your problems?

For me, the therapist is a sort of authority figure and since he/she is 1)educated in these matters and 2) objective with no agenda other than my well-being, I have made significant changes in my life.

I hope this helps you. This is a great question and now that I've typed this out, I have a response the next time my dad starts his @$&%@ on the matter...