You're listening to an I-Heart podcast.

I'm Lori Gottlieb.

I'm the author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone,

and I write the Dear Therapist Advice column for The Atlantic.

And I'm Guy Wynch.

I'm the author of Emotional First Aid,

and I write the Dear Guy advice column for

Ted, and this is Dear Therapists. This week, we're going to check in on a guest from season

two to hear how they're doing a year later. First, a quick note, Dear Therapist is for informational

purposes only. It does not constitute medical or psychological advice and is not a substitute for professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician, mental health professional, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition.

By submitting a letter, you are agreeing to let IHeart

media use it in part or in full, and we may edit it for length and clarity. In the sessions

you'll hear, all names have been changed for the privacy of our guests. So today we're

catching up with Doug, and his episode was called Doug's Fear of Intimacy. And a year ago,

Doug was finally in a healthy, loving relationship after the breakup of a long-term relationship

that left a lot of emotional scars. And we tried to help him to understand why intimacy was so

scary for him and how much his earlier romantic

relationship affected him and how he could be vulnerable in his current relationship in order to

feel safe and cared for. Here's what was going on with him back then. I feel like I can be

much more open and honest with Lucas and I feel like I have been much more open and honest with Lucas, and I feel like I have been.

There are definitely times when I get in my head,

...