It’s important to keep the temperature of who we are, but we need some help.

It’s rarely a good idea to Google your symptoms. The internet is good for research but only if you’re able to sort and discern what’s important and accurate and what might mislead you down a horrible path of doom or a sunnyside delusion of what you want to be but isn’t.

The problem with self-diagnosis is the limit of our own perception and assessment. If you take a vehicle to the mechanic and tell him or her what’s wrong, they’ll fix what you want, but if you’re wrong, you’ve wasted your money. If you go to counseling, the therapist can only help you with the information you provide. If you are unwilling or unable to reveal pieces of the truth, the therapist can’t accurately put pieces together.

Self-diagnosing can result in using a good tool for the wrong task.

Others are important in our lives. We might want to rely on experts, and people trained in various fields are important when it comes to professional advice. But when we let people get close to us, when we’re willing to share life transparently with them, refusing to categorize and mask with them, we have access to some of the best experts of our lives. People become familiar enough with us that they provide insights and feedback no one else, including ourselves, can give. They not only know us well but they also care for us well. They’re invested in our lives. They know our history. They know our weaknesses. And they care about the next steps we take.

Let others help you. Listen well to them. You might just learn something.