[blueflame]

I grew up in a family that was pretty big on "tough love". We always teased/playfully insulted each other as a sign of affection. We never really used compliments. I've found that I'm particularly bad at accepting them without looking like a jerk. They're just so unexpected sometimes that I'm not sure how to react. At first I would even forget to say thank you, stare at the person, and usually take some time to gather my thoughts. By then, when I'm ready to react more politely, I usually have made the other person lose interest because they think I'm being rude. I'm also pretty bad at accepting help, and I will almost never ask for it. A lot of times I don't even think or realize that help would make things easier. It has gotten better as I've worked on it, but its still difficult for me to ask. I'm not quite sure how to correct this behavior and haven't gotten very far in changing it. Anyone know any way at all to deal with this? It's really getting to be an issue, especially when I really need help.