Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           Atfirst,Ifeltawful.Butthen,afterafewminutes,Ibegantogetangry.HisobjectionshadlittletodowithwhatIwasactuallysaying,Itoldmyself.Andwhatthehell?JustbecauseIdon’thaveakidwhodieddoesn’tmeanIhaven’texperiencedterriblepainmyself.

           ButthenIactuallyappliedmyownadvice.Ichosemyproblem.Icouldgetmadatthismanandarguewithhim,tryto“outpain”himwithmyownpain,whichwouldjustmakeusbothlookstupidandinsensitive.OrIcouldchooseabetterproblem,workingonpracticingpatience,understandingmyreadersbetter,andkeepingthatmaninmindeverytimeIwroteaboutpainandtraumafromthenon.Andthat’swhatI’vetriedtodo.

           IrepliedsimplythatIwassorryforhislossandleftitatthat.Whatelsecanyousay?

           GeneticsandtheHandWe’reDealt

           In2013,theBBCroundeduphalfadozenteenagerswithobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD)andfollowedthemastheyattendedintensivetherapiestohelpthemovercometheirunwantedthoughtsandrepetitivebehaviors.

           TherewasImogen,aseventeen-year-oldgirlwhohadacompulsiveneedtotapeverysurfaceshewalkedpast;ifshefailedtodoso,shewasfloodedwithhorriblethoughtsofherfamilydying.TherewasJosh,whoneededtodoeverythingwithbothsidesofhisbody—shakeaperson’shandwithbothhisrightandhislefthand,eathisfoodwitheachhand,stepthroughadoorwaywithbothfeet,andsoon.Ifhedidn’t“equalize”histwosides,hesufferedfromseverepanicattacks.