January 31, 2016

Robert had a rough week at his program. Maybe because he was not feeling great.  Maybe antibiotic irritated his stomach. Maybe he was just bored with the task he had to complete. But of course, the biggest problem is that he cannot tell what is bothering him.  Instead his  OCD like behavior is spiking.

For two days during last week, he kept asking obsessively his job coaches to write in his notebook.  Since the instructors  write in his notebook just before Robert leaves for home I assume that Robert just wanted to go home.  He believed that by writing in his notebook, the instructors would accelerate the flow of time. So he kept asking over and over, “Notebook, notebook, notebook.”

It would be so much better if he could say, “I feel sick.”,”I want to go home.”, or even “I am bored.” ,”I need a break.” “I’m tired”.  but he doesn’t say that.  He says, “Notebook, notebook, notebook.”

Unfortunately, his frustration with the slow-moving time is all too easy to see and impossible to be soothed.