I have been playing for less than a year and all I can tell you is what happened to me. I taught myself for a while until I hit a wall. It is rather hard to teach yourself something you know nothing about.
At least for me.
I searched around my area and after advice from several music stores and other people I picked a guitar instructor. He has been a studio musician for 35 years and really knows his stuff. The best move I ever made. He has corrected a lot of flaws I picked up while "teaching myself" and has put me back on the right track to learn more about music in general and the guitar specifically. I can now play songs and use techniques I would never have learned on my own.
I would look for a good instructor, after some research, and go from there. It made all the difference in the world for me.