I'd like to add, that this isn't a specifically religious/Christian problem. We all have rules and "dogmas" imposed on us from our culture. Most of them are actually helpful, (like being polite rather than rude, or giving your set to elderly). We all have to do soul searching and figure out what is right for us in our heart.
I had my own demons to combat, but from the feminist direction. I was living with feminist dogmas where submission of women to men was inherently evil. I've got nothing against feminism. It was just that it has coloured Swedish culture pretty strongly.
We all have our internal battles to fight. I think that as long as you go to yourself instead of going to any external person, (priest, father, mother, boss, golf partner, husband, philosopher, scientist, etc) will only end well no matter the outcome. Only the road will differ. Letting other people tell you what is right for you obviously won't work. They aren't you. But that doesn't mean that their words aren't valuable. That priest you mentioned might say tonnes of great and wise things, but you have to decide which of them apply to your specific situation.
Every nugget of wisdom always has a specific scenario in mind when formulated. That is true of the Bible and its true of everything ever said. And few people fit that scenario perfectly. Maybe a little bit, but not perfectly.