<a href="http://helpmypatients.com/ep/gary-38.html">HelpMyPatients ep#32: Gary - Session#38</a>

Dr. Fletcher

(writing notes) Amy Cooley wrote on www.helpmypatients.com: "Whenever Gary has his problem of repeating back everything that's said to him, he should take a drink. That way he'll either find a way to avoid it or drink his way out of the anxiety. He's a winner either way."

Dr. Fletcher

Gary, at the end of last session you started saying some interesting things about your childhood. So I wonder if you want to get back to that.

Gary

I want to get back to that. Yeah.

Dr. Fletcher

So why don't you pick up where you left off?

Gary

I'll pick up where I left off.

Dr. Fletcher

I'm sorry - are you having an episode of repeating today?

Gary

Am I - I'm having an episode of repeating today.

Dr. Fletcher

OK, you know what, I wanted to try something that - I know that the newspaper didn't really work for you, but there's another approach in the same vein. Take this.

(Hands Gary a bottle of gin.)

I want you to take a drink of it every time that you repeat. I really think that's something that might help you to move on from this pattern. OK, so just put that out of mind and try not to repeat.

Gary

Try not to repeat.

(Takes a drink.)

Well, I'm off work.

Dr. Fletcher

OK, so you were talking a lot about the games with other children.

Gary

I was talking about the games I was playing with other -

(Takes a drink.)

Anyway, so I grew up in a small town and most of my time on the weekends, after school and stuff was spent playing dodgeball, stickball and kickball with kids around the neighborhood. But the problem was - at the time I didn't really know what Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder was. All I knew was that at certain times people repulsed me, things repulsed me, things were contaminated and I had to extricate myself from those situations.

Dr. Fletcher

So you must have had a hard time figuring out what was going on inside you.

Gary

I had a hard time figuring out what was going on inside me and -

(Takes a drink.)

I'm starting to get a little buzz. Anyway, so I was playing dodgeball one day and I was the last person in on my team.

Dr. Fletcher

That's a lot of pressure, isn't it.

Gary

It's a lot of pressure, and -

(Takes a drink.)

Dr. Fletcher

And it's a sport that involves a lot of pressure to begin with.

Gary

Involves a lot of pressure to begin with.

(Takes a drink.)

Let me finish this time. Anyway, so I just ducked out of the way and then I got hit in the ass when I ducked out of the way. And so from that point on everyone in the neighborhood called my pussy-willow. I didn't even know what that meant.

Dr. Fletcher

You knew basically what that meant but you had a hard time understanding it.

Gary

I had a hard time understanding it.

(Takes a drink. Drops the bottle.)

Dr. Fletcher

What's going on, Gary? This is the part that you have to work through.

Share with a friend! Close