Monday, November 20, 2006 2:28 PM

A holiday obsession

by Katie

Brief update: A few days after I last posted, my dad, step-mom and little sister decided not to come to Thanksgiving with my mom. They couldn't figure out what to do with the dog and my dad threw his back out, so they just decided to stay home. Oh well! It would have been fun, but I guess I won't have to be on my toes as much without them there.

I'm excited for TDay though. I love sweet potatoes, stuffing and mashed potatoes. I really want to make this recipe or do something chocolatey -- how good do these look? But basically, I just help out and taste test in the kitchen. I don't know what I'm going to do when I eventually have to host the whole thing!

Do you help out or bring a signature dish for the holidays? Are you hosting or attending this year?

In other news, and this is totally off-topic from the holidays, but my little sister was just diagnosed with OCD last week. She had 2 panic attacks, went to see a psychologist, and was diagnosed on her first visit. It's so strange to me and part of me thinks she needs a second opinion, but I don't know much about it.

Basically, she doesn't have any of the classic symptoms like obsessively washing her hands, being a neat freak, none of that. And she does obsess, especially over a recent breakup, but she's 16, what teen girl doesn't obsess over a boy who broke her heart?

Needless to say my fam is going a little nutty over the diagnosis. We're all doing research, my sister now has weekly psychologist visits, and my dad and step-mom are going to the psych for solo appts on how to deal with it. It's good. But I still feel it's odd to hand this diagnosis out after a one-hour visit. Do any of you know anything about OCD? Anyone have the type where the symptoms are just panic attacks?

Okay, well have a great Thanksgiving -- and please tell me any traditions you do that make TDay even more fun.

Posted by The Nest Editors

Comments

re: A holiday obsession

Personal opinion:  I think some doctors and psycologists are too eager to treat the problem before even knowing if there is a real problem ... like ADHD, ADD, and even OCD.  I would want a second opinion too if it requires further "treatment"

Thanksgiving:  I am attending, and sort-of-hosting.  Attending my in-laws bringing sweet potato souffle.  Then sort-of-hosting a small family Thanksgiving/birthday dinner at my mom's house (she's not allowed to do a thing) and making the turkey & escalloped corn and pecan pie.  My sister is doing the rolls, salad, and pumpkin pie.  

Christmas is my big premier for hosting a holiday.  I have never hosted anything more than a simple casual meal.  I've got big plans, but a small budget and a time crunch.  Our anniversary is on the 24th, no cleaning allowed that day!  ;)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving

And a lovely day!  

Posted by RJ    Tuesday, November 21, 2006 7:55 AM


re: A holiday obsession

About your sister: OCD simply means Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It doesn't have anything to do with cleaning. In less severe cases it could look like a simple nervous tick like lickin your lips, or not stepping on tile grout. In more severe cases, it can affect a person's life more greatly like having to step back and forth through a doorway ten times, or repeating a certain word several times. It's an unneccisary action that a persion feels an obsession for and an uncontrolable impulse to carry out.

Perhaps the psychologist doesn't mean that she is obsessing over the boy, but that the break-up is what triggered the OCD. Often, OCD is trigger when a person feels like they have no control over anything, so they obsess over insignificant things that they can control.

I don't know everything that's wrong with your sister, so I can't for sure tell you what is wrong with her or whether or not it's a misdiagnosis. I would love to try to help out, my e-mail is vampyre_lexia@ yahoo.com if you'd like to talk more.

Posted by TheMermaidBride    Monday, November 20, 2006 3:05 PM


Anonymous comments are disabled