I believe books can be great for skills. But practicing skills, learning how to relate to people, learning how to process thoughts and feelings... I believe therapy is the best route for me. My goal in therapy is not to "grow out" of it, but to build on everything I've learned. I'm a "lifer" and do want to grow old with L. She will retire one day, and from then, I don't know what our relationship will look like. But I do know we will still have a relationship. And for me, knowing that there's at least one person who knows me and still wants to be with me, is so healing.