Stubborn or Stuck

To this day, Adam and I still talk about Jordan's level of stubbornness. But was/is she really being stubborn? When she was young, I was positive that yes, she was behaving the way she did on purpose. And it drove me nuts.

Just the other night Adam described it in a different way. He feels as if she actually gets "stuck", which goes way beyond being stubborn.

I agree with him. Why would anyone choose to not eat enough, to the extent that they feel like crap? Or, why would someone choose to stay in bed until 3:30, while the rest of the world is going on around them?

I am positive that she doesn't choose to suffer from the symptoms of dermatillomania, and recently, trichotillomania, which involves her pulling out some of her eyelashes and eyebrows during very stressful times (like packing for a Disney trip).

But she still does these things. She really must be getting stuck.

I can't imagine not having control over my decisions and my actions. Just the idea of that scares the living crap out of me. So sayings and quotes such as this one, written by the poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace), kind of take on a whole new meaning. 

Because for so many people who suffer from things such as addiction, depression, OCD, ADHD, anxiety, Aspergers, anorexia, bulimia... they actually don't have the ability to rule their minds. So I guess sometimes, their minds end up ruling them.

Ultimately, whether a person's actions are a conscious choice or not, doesn't really matter. For whatever reason, it's a part of their reality. So it becomes the reality of the loved ones who surround them.

For those who are lucky enough to have the ability to "rule [their] mind", their mission should be to help, and be patient with, those who are not so fortunate.

Thank you,

Us Too