To the Teddybear lady:

If you're going to launch an ad hominem attack (attacking my reputation and credentials rather than my advice) at least make it a good attack. A formal degree or formal training is neither required nor sufficient for perspicacity.

To Storm:

The point in my questioning your therapist's commitment to you wasn't to affirm how much he/she loves you, but to make you confront your fear that he/she doesn't, and to show you that as bad and scary as it may be, you're still okay without it, and still okay with a little discomfort

To Pachyderm and the rest of the hugging committee:

There is a difference between support and coddling. People who give good advice know that coddling others and suffocating their problems with hugs and affirmations do very little to combat issues in the long run, but very effective in the short-run. They're like bubblegum: good for about 15 minutes, until it loses it's potency and you need some more. And more. And more.

Mature advice-giving recognizes:

1) What the problem is.
2) What the short-term solution is. (Avoidance - which is exactly what Storm was talking about when she said "pick me up" in two posts above this one.)
3) What the long-term solution is: acceptance of discomfort.
4) That there are hurdles to that long-term solution (e.g., all the resistance I'm getting from Storm, Teddybearlady, and the like) because it involves confrontation rather than avoidance.