Anne, your post made me think...could some of the "authority figures" for me be someone around my own age and place in life, who I dated, for example? I think of a couple people that I dated--one particularly stands out, but also a longer-term boyfriend in college--where I felt they had some authority over me. Like, for the one, I felt inferior to him and like I was trying to be accepted. The college one, we both had mental health issues, but he'd put all the blame on mine and say I needed counseling, while he didn't. But with him it felt like...how he felt about me determined whether I was OK or not. It was a rather tumultuous relationship at times, like he might say at one point he wanted to marry me, then a few weeks later want to break up with me, then a few weeks after that talk about marrying me again (in retrospect, think he may have had bipolar I). But it was like my self-worth revolved so much around him (and he was my age). Is he (and the other guy) someone you'd think should be listed as "authority figures" of some sort? I guess I'm thinking of both people who had power over me based on their role (like a teacher) and then also those to whom I granted power. Also thinking of another guy, who said, when I broke up with him, that "A few months ago, you wouldn't have been strong enough to break up with me." Like he'd made me stronger.