[e_sort]

my parents were visiting this weekend and while it was nice to see them, the two of them are so OCD and don't realize it. or they do, but they think it's just funny. my dad talks about all the things he does to keep order in his office, systems, etc, how he can't stand it if his desk blotter is not even with the edge of his desk and he repeats things a lot; my mom less so but still constantly pokes random objects into line.

By themselves these things are harmless enough or even beneficial. We all thought of ourselves as quirky. But the past few years have really had some problems for me, where i couldn't sleep or sit still or enjoy anything, and after we moved to a particularly problematic apartment earlier this year, starting drinking a lot and staying up all night.

anyway I had some very low moments but I got a therapist and I got medication and my sainted husband agreed that we should move to a new apartment, and I am much, much, much better now.

the thing is it's hard for me to cope with my parents treating this 'quirkiness' thing as a joke. they aren't naive about mental health issues, and they don't make fun of me or anything, but when i told them about going on meds earlier this year i had one phone conversation about it with my dad and it was never addressed again, no matter how i tried to bring it up. i think they must think i was just being dramatic or hysterical, not toughing it out like they would have (or did, especially my dad).

my husband says it doesn't matter what they think, even if they do think that.

but maybe it's not fair for me to say they should take it more seriously when for them it's not serious. unless it is, and they're not being forthcoming about it. i just don't understand why they don't want to talk about it.


(p.s. by the way I don't blame my parents for anything, they are good parents and I love them and we get along.)

[Sannah]

Hi e-sort, I have met few people whose families are wonderfully supportive with this sort of stuff. They probably feel really guilty about it. You can still heal without their support and understanding. All the rest of us have made progress without it.....