Dear Lily:

You wrote: “my parents did not sit down and explain this to me calmly”- they  should have.

“I don’t feel like they (parents) tried to see my side… I also wasn’t able to see their side at the time”- it was their job to see your side, not your job to see theirs.

“So much time and energy of my childhood was spent fighting for my religious freedom… And the freedom to be who I am” – it is admirable that you fought for your religious freedom and you did set yourself free from your parents this way. I hope you also fight for your freedom to say No to men and to everyone else in your life.

“I think if I truly believe in something, I will stand up for  it”- I do hope you believe  in yourself as the worthy person that you are and make sure you accept respectful behavior from  others, nothing less. When you accept and accommodate others’ disrespect for you, you accept that arrogance and belittling that you referred to in a different context (“can’t stand the arrogance of wanting to convert others… Or belittling someone’s religion..”)

I am glad you are feeling better and hope your therapy continues to be helpful to you. Please do  post again with your thoughts, feelings and life experiences any time you’d like.

anita