Friend’s OCD has resulted in a crocheting obsession

Dear Annie: I have a friend, “Sarah,” who openly admits to having obsessivecompulsive disorder but isn’t receiving any kind of treatment for it. She’s a middleaged housewife. Now she has taken up crochet. What could possibly go wrong?

She buys huge quantities of the cheapest, coarsest yarn I’ve ever seen. Then she crochets it up. It’s obvious she has no concept of counting stitches, paying attention to detail or even looking at the finished product. I was there when another woman tried to tell her, very kindly and politely, what she needs to learn. That just made Sarah angry.

Sarah has covered her house with this stuff, and now she’s started giving it to me. I thank her kindly and then throw it out. However, I’m starting to feel like some kind of enabler.

Now Sarah’s hands are all cramped up. Her doctor gives pain medication for it, and she keeps on crocheting. Her adult daughter who lives with her says Sarah has a crochet hook in her hand from the minute she wakes up until she falls asleep.

Do you know any way I could suggest to Sarah that she needs mental help for her OCD rather than medication for her over-stressed hands?

Worried for My Friend

Dear Worried: You can and should express your concerns to Sarah. Do so with an open mind and without judgment, to avoid putting her on the defensive. Ease into the conversation by asking general questions. Then tell her you’ve noticed that the crocheting seems to be impacting her health, with the hand cramping. You might ask whether she’s ever followed up about her OCD diagnosis and say that though you know it’s up to her, you think it might be really helpful for her to see a counselor for some insights. Cognitive behavioral therapy can be a very effective treatment for OCD and could give your friend a much better quality of life.

Seeing as an adult daughter lives with her, you might try having a private conversation with the daughter about your concerns and see whether she will join you in encouraging Sarah to seek help.

As for when she gives you her crochet creations, it’s perceptive of you to suspect that you are enabling her, and I think you’re probably right. Gently but definitively put your foot down and say you really can’t accept any more.

Dear Annie: I’m not a coffee drinker, but I still wanted to let you know that you propagated a common error in your column by saying, “Coffee causes dehydration — so in the long run, drinking too much coffee will slow you down more than speed you up.” Coffee and other caffeinated drinks do not cause dehydration. Caffeine itself is dehydrating, and taking straight caffeine could make one dehydrated. However, caffeinated drinks are only less hydrating than noncaffeinated drinks. The loss of fluid from the caffeine content is less than the hydration provided by the water in the drink. If this weren’t the case, there would be a lot of dried-up husks wandering the streets, as there are way too many people who drink only caffeinated beverages! Dear Steve: After looking into this, I see that you’re right that coffee does not actually dehydrate drinkers. I apologize for printing misinformation. Thanks for setting me straight.