Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           AndthentherewasJack,aclassicgermophobewhorefusedtoleavehishousewithoutwearinggloves,boiledallhiswaterbeforedrinkingit,andrefusedtoeatfoodnotcleanedandpreparedhimself.

           OCDisaterribleneurologicalandgeneticdisorderthatcannotbecured.Atbest,itcanbemanaged.And,aswe’llsee,managingthedisordercomesdowntomanagingone’svalues.

           Thefirstthingthepsychiatristsonthisprojectdoistellthekidsthatthey’retoaccepttheimperfectionsoftheircompulsivedesires.Whatthatmeans,asoneexample,isthatwhenImogenbecomesfloodedwithhorriblethoughtsofherfamilydying,sheistoacceptthatherfamilymayactuallydieandthatthere’snothingshecandoaboutit;simplyput,sheistoldthatwhathappenstoherisnotherfault.Joshisforcedtoacceptthatoverthelongterm,“equalizing”allofhisbehaviorstomakethemsymmetricalisactuallydestroyinghislifemorethanoccasionalpanicattackswould.AndJackisremindedthatnomatterwhathedoes,germsarealwayspresentandalwaysinfectinghim.

           Thegoalistogetthekidstorecognizethattheirvaluesarenotrational—thatinfacttheirvaluesarenoteventheirs,butratherarethedisorder’s—andthatbyfulfillingtheseirrationalvaluestheyareactuallyharmingtheirabilitytofunctioninlife.

           ThenextstepistoencouragethekidstochooseavaluethatismoreimportantthantheirOCDvalueandtofocusonthat.