I Need to Feel Loved and Appreciated

Much of my personality was shaped by my dad's parenting. He was emotionally distant. He always pushed me to achieve, and I believe that I never quite satisfied his expectations. I was always trying harder and harder to win his love and acknowledgement; never got it. This made me a very competitive, very driven, high achiever for most of my life. I am also very confident on the outside, but have a very well hidden basic insecurity on the inside.


Now, realizing what this has done to me and not really knowing how to relax, I have spent the last few years trying to undo this.


I would like to hear from anybody else who has experienced this.