Dude, I'm going to grad school for rhetoric next year -- I question EVERYTHING!

And yeah, I have thought about the unhealthy side of this lifestyle too. I know that some of my submissive feelings, for instance, are rooted in my less-than-perfect relationship with my father. My dad and I love each other, but he has always had impossibly high expectations and I've always felt like I'm not good enough because I can't live up to them.

I have thought a lot about this, talked about it with a therapist, etc. In the end, I know that my parents will love me even if I don't get my PhD at 24 and go on to win a Nobel prize, and I try to relate to them in a healthy way and be grateful that I have loving parents who really care about my life. That's all I can do about that issue, as far as I'm concerned. I may not be 100% healthy, but I am doing my best.

Meanwhile, being in a D/s relationship helps me deal with feelings of inadequacy and guilt by constantly reassuring me that even if I do something wrong or need to be punished, I will still always be loved and admired. It helps me remember that making a mistake isn't the end of the world. So even while it comes out of an unhealthy situation, I think that this is a healthy way to make the best of it.