DEAR ABBY: I'm a 13-year-old girl who suffers from what I'm afraid is obsessive-compulsive disorder. I have known for four years, but I never told my parents. I finally opened up to them a few days ago, and I thought they wanted to help. But later I heard them mock my condition and laugh about it.
Abby, I thought my parents wanted to help me, but it's becoming clear that they don't. They have offered me therapy, but I'm scared they will mock me for that, too. Now I'm afraid to go. Should I? -- O.C.D. DAUGHTER
DEAR DAUGHTER: When people don't understand something, unfortunately they sometimes laugh at it. However, are you absolutely certain that what your parents were laughing about concerned you and not something else? I find it hard to believe that loving parents would laugh at their child's discomfort.
You should by all means take them up on their offer of talking to a therapist. It is the surest way to find a solution for your problem. And when you do, tell the therapist you think you heard your parents laugh about your problem, because if it's true and they are not aware of how serious the problem may be, the therapist can explain it to them.