I'M OBSESSED WITH CLEANING. GERMS CAN AND WILL KILL YOU. DO YOU SEE THIS STAIN? OH, MY GOD, NEIL. IT'S JUST OUT OF CONTROL. CAN YOU STOP NOW? LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF
ON IT, THOUGH. WE CALL THAT A COMPULSION. I NEED EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP. I NEED EIGHT HOURS OF CLEANING. I'M A ROCK ADDICT. I NEED TO HAVE THESE ROCKS
AT ALL COSTS. IT'S A ROCK,
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. LOOK AT HOW PRETTY
THEY ARE. BELINDA WILL PUT HERSELF
IN DANGER. WOULD YOU CONSIDER
STOPPING? THAT SENDS UP, LIKE, "WARNING,
WARNING! IS THIS THE ENEMY?" I'M SEEING THE TEARS
IN YOUR EYES. --<font color="#FFFF00"> Captions by VITAC --</font><font color="#00FFFF">
www.vitac.com</font> CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS Cyntrelle:
MY NAME IS CYNTRELLE. I LIVE IN CHICAGO. I'M 21. I'M A STAY-AT-HOME MOM,
AND MY ADDICTION IS CLEANING. GERMS JUST MAKE ME SICK. I ACTUALLY JUST TRY TO CLEAN
AS MUCH AS I CAN, BECAUSE GERMS CAN AND WILL
KILL YOU. IT'S ALMOST LIKE A BURNING
SENSATION IN MY FINGERS, LIKE I HAVE TO CLEAN. CYNTRELLE CLEANS, I CAN'T SAY
24/7, BECAUSE SHE SLEEPS, BUT IT GETS OUT OF CONTROL. Cyntrelle:
I CLEAN EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. MY CLEANING ROUTINE USUALLY STARTS WITH ME
STRIPPING THE BEDS. I CLEAN THE LINEN,
CLEAN THE TOWELS, AND THROW IT ALL
IN THE WASHING MACHINE. WASH IT, BLEACH IT. CLEAN MY BATHROOM,
CLEAN MY BEDROOM, CLEAN THE HALLWAY,
CLEAN THE DOORWAYS, CLEAN OFF THE WINDOWS,
CLEAN OFF THE WALLS. THEN I CLEAN THE KITCHEN --
THE STOVE, REFRIGERATOR, THE DISHES. THAT'S THE AVERAGE DAY. MY SWEET LITTLE EMERY --
HE IS ALWAYS SO HELPFUL. NOW COME BACK AND GET THE BOTTOM
OF THE WALL. GET THE BASEBOARDS FIRST. WHEN HE CLEANS, I GET EXCITED. WHOA, LOOK AT THAT! THAT'S WHY YOU MY FAVORITE. WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE IN MY HOUSE
AND THEY'RE LIKE, "WHOA, I SMELL THE BLEACH," AND IF THEY CAN SMELL THAT
AND I CAN'T, LIKE, WHAT DOES THAT SAY
ABOUT ME, THAT MY BODY
IS IMMUNE TO TOXIC FUMES? I STARTED
BECOMING AFRAID OF GERMS MAYBE WHEN I WAS ABOUT
SIX OR SEVEN. EVER SINCE SHE WAS LITTLE,
SHE'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. THE OLDER SHE GOT,
THE WORSE IT GOT. Cyntrelle: ALL MY TEACHERS KNEW
I HAD A PROBLEM. WHEN I COME IN,
I'M GONNA WIPE OFF THE TABLE, I'M GONNA WIPE OFF THE CHAIR, THEN I'LL SIT DOWN
ONCE IT'S DRY. Sherrie: IT HAS AFFECTED HER
MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY. IT'S JUST OUT OF CONTROL. IS GARBAGE
ON THE COUNTER?! AT LEAST ONCE A DAY
CYNTRELLE WILL SCREAM THAT SOMETHING IS DIRTY. YOU KNOW BETTER THAN THIS!
THIS IS RIDICULOUS! WHY I GOT TO COME AND CLEAN
THE MICROWAVE OUT EVERY DAY?! EVERY DAY! IT SEEMS LIKE SHE'S FOCUSING ON
THE CLEANING THAN ANYTHING ELSE, SO I FEEL THAT I DON'T MATTER
TO HER. Cyntrelle: GROCERY SHOPPING
FOR ME IS VERY PAINFUL, MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. WHY ARE YOU ACTUALLY
WIPING THAT OFF? CAN I TRY A PIECE OF YOUR HAM,
PLEASE? NEVER EVER TAKE FREE SAMPLES. NEIL,
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? EVER. DON'T DO IT.
DON'T DO IT. OKAY, HERE. THANK YOU. CAN YOU PUT ANOTHER BAG ON IT?
JUST ONE MORE? THANKS A LOT. COULD YOU JUST PUT A LITTLE
HAND SANITIZER ON, PLEASE? THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS
FOR TOO LONG. IT'S TIME THAT IT STOPPED. Cyntrelle:
I NEED EIGHT HOURS OF SLEEP. I NEED EIGHT HOURS OF CLEANING. I'M BELINDA,
AND I LIVE IN PORTLAND. I'M 49 YEARS OLD, AND I HAVE A ROCK HABIT
THAT'S OUT OF CONTROL. THIS ONE IS SHARP. THIS IS A SPECIAL ROCK
'CAUSE IT'S GREEN. I LIKE THE SMOOTH ONES, ALMOST LIKE THE WORRY STONES
PEOPLE USED TO HAVE. GROWING UP IN THE NORTHWEST,
I REALLY RESPECT NATURE A LOT, AND MAYBE THE ROCK IS
A CONNECTION FOR ME WITH NATURE. IT CERTAINLY GIVES ME
GOOD ENERGY. I CAN FEEL IT,
JUST HOLDING IT IN MY HANDS I FEEL MORE BALANCED AND
CENTERED AND [SIGHS] AT PEACE. WHEN I'M WALKING AROUND THE CITY
IN A PRIVATE YARD, SOMETIMES I SEE ROCKS,
OR IN DRIVEWAYS. I DROP SOMETHING
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BEND DOWN AND QUICKLY GRAB THE ROCK. THE NEXT THING I KNOW,
I'M JUST HOARDING THEM. I'LL FILL MY POCKETS,
AND THEN I'LL FILL MY PURSE. I NEED TO HAVE THESE ROCKS
AT ALL COSTS. ROCKS ARE SORT OF
THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE WHEN YOU'RE WALKING UP
TO THE HOUSE. THEY'RE PILED BY THE STAIRS
LEADING TO THE PORCH. THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE. Belinda: I DON'T REALLY WANT
TO COLLECT MORE ROCKS. I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THE ONES
I HAVE, YET I FIND MYSELF
DRAWN TO COLLECTING MORE. IT WAS LIKE
A SEVEN-YEAR STRUGGLE. I WAS A PRINCIPAL SECRETARY. THERE WERE PEOPLE
THAT DIDN'T LIKE ME THERE, AND SO NO MATTER WHAT I DID,
IT WAS JUST A LOSING BATTLE. I REALLY FIND ROCKS COMFORTING. I USUALLY HAVE ONE IN MY POCKET,
OR SEVERAL, AT ALL TIMES. THIS IS THE AREA
THAT I WASH THE ROCKS. THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING,
FUN PART FOR ME BECAUSE WHEN THEY'RE --
WHEN I'M GATHERING THEM, I DON'T ALWAYS SEE
HOW PRETTY THEY ARE. I SPEND A LOT OF TIME
SORTING ROCKS, TOO. IT'S ACTUALLY
STRESS-RELIEVING FOR ME. RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA SORT
THE BIGGER ROCKS OUT SO IT'S JUST THE LITTLE ONES. I LIKE TO STUDY THE ROCKS
FOR CHANGES, AND I HAVE
THIS WONDERFUL MAGNIFIER HERE. THIS IS SO COOL. YOU CAN SEE THE ROCKS
REALLY CLOSELY AND NOTE ANY PARTICULAR CHANGES
THAT ARE HAPPENING. TO ME, THEY'RE SPECIAL. THEY'RE NOT WORTH ANYTHING, I'M
SURE, BUT I REALLY ENJOY THEM. Tristan: WHEN SHE DOESN'T SEEM
TO UNDERSTAND THAT PILES OF ROCKS ALL OVER
COULD BE AN ISSUE, IT SORT OF MAKES YOU WONDER, YOU KNOW, LIKE,
WHERE HER HEAD IS AT. THIS ROCKING IS BECOMING
A PROBLEM IN MY LIFE. MY BACK WILL BE KILLING ME, AND I'LL STILL BE
JUST DIGGING AWAY, AND GET BACK IN MY CAR
AND THINK, "WHAT AM I DOING?" UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. WE ARE CREATING DUST,
NEIL. I GOT THIS. IT'S NOT JUST A PROBLEM --
IT'S AN OBSESSION. YOU WANT A SHOVEL
OR SOMETHING? WELL, LET'S JUST FIND
WHAT YOU NEED AND LET'S GET
THE HECK OUT OF DODGE. MY NAME IS CYNTRELLE, AND I CLEAN OBSESSIVELY
AND COMPULSIVELY. IT REALLY AFFECTS MY BOYFRIEND,
NEIL, BECAUSE HE REALLY FEELS LIKE
MAYBE I'M NEGLECTING HIM. NEIL, STOP! I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING. YOU STANDING BY ME -- YOU
HAVEN'T EVEN WASHED YOUR HANDS. Neil:
WHEN CYNTRELLE CLEANS, IT SEEMS IT'S MORE IMPORTANT
TO HER THAN OUR RELATIONSHIP. I WANTED TO TAKE CYNTRELLE
TO A HOTEL, TRY TO GET HER OUT OF
THE DAILY ROUTINE OF CLEANING SO THAT WE CAN SPEND
A LOT OF TIME JUST TALKING AND BE ROMANTIC. THIS IS NICE. WHAT DO YOU REALLY THINK? YOU KNOW
WHAT I THINK ALREADY. Cyntrelle: YOU DON'T SEE
THE DUST FLYING AROUND IN HERE? WHERE? EVERYWHERE. Neil:
WHEN I GO TO A HOTEL, I WANT TO SIT BACK AND RELAX,
TAKE MY SHOES OFF, BUT WHEN CYNTRELLE COMES
INTO THE ROOM -- TOTAL CHAOS. LOOK AT ALL
THIS BLACK STUFF. ARE YOU SEROUS? CAN I SIT ON THE BED? NO. OR CAN I TOUCH THE BED?
THAT'S THE QUESTION. I BOUGHT A KING-SIZED
MATTRESS COVER, SO WHY DON'T YOU PUT THAT
ON THE BED FIRST? WE ARE CREATING DUST,
NEIL. WE CAN'T KEEP UNDOING
THE SHEETS AND SHAKING AND SHAKING
AND SHAKING LIKE THIS, OKAY? I GOT THIS. DO YOU SEE THIS STAIN? OH, MY GOD, NEIL.
THIS IS JUST TOO MUCH. THAT COULD BE BLOOD. OH, MY GOD. AND YOU WANTED
TO LAY ON THAT. OH, MY GOD.
WHERE IS THE PHONE? I THINK THEY HAVE
A CART OUTSIDE. OH, BOY. HI. HOW ARE YOU? I WAS WONDERING, CAN I HAVE ONE OF YOUR SHEETS
OFF OF YOUR CART? YOU KNOW, AS PATIENT AS I AM,
PATIENCE RUNS OUT. DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE
THIS CLEANING HABIT, THIS REALLY, REALLY
BAD HABIT? SOMETIMES. BUT THEN I THINK ABOUT
THE DANGERS OF ME QUITTING IT. WHO WOULD CLEAN UP
AFTER YOU? WHO WOULD MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING WAS SANITIZED? I CAN DO THAT ON MY OWN. SOMETIMES I FEEL, YOU KNOW,
LIKE, IS IT WORTH IT
TO STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP THAT CLEANING
TAKES THE PLACE OF ME? I WANT TO BE NORMAL.
I DO. AND I'M AT THE POINT WHERE
I'M REALIZING THAT I'M NOT HAPPY AND I'M NOT HEALTHY
AND THERE'S A PROBLEM. I'M BELINDA,
AND I'M A ROCK ADDICT. THAT'S A COOL ROCK. COLLECTING THEM,
GATHERING THEM, ROCKING -- THAT'S WHEN I FEEL OUT OF
CONTROL, WHEN I CAN'T STOP. Renee: BELINDA'S ROCKS
ARE EVERYWHERE -- IN THE BATHROOM, IN THE KITCHEN,
IN SHELVES, IN BOXES, IN CANS,
UNDER THE COUCH, NEXT TO THE COUCH,
IN THE FRONT YARD. I THINK THERE'S AT LEAST
A MILLION. Belinda:
YOU WANT TO GO WITH ME? I WANT TO GO GET
SOME MORE ROCKS. YOU HAVE PLENTY OF ROCKS. IF ANYTHING,
BRING OUT YOUR SPARE ROCKS, THE ROCKS
THAT ARE IN BOXES. BUT, SEE, I NEED TO PUT
SOME MORE RIGHT HERE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GO TO THEIR
GARDENS TO TAKE THE ROCKS OUT. I LIKE THE COMPANY.
YOU KNOW I'M GONNA GO. I KNOW, BUT THEN
I'M JUST SITTING THERE. WHAT ELSE ARE YOU DOING? Belinda: MY FRIEND RENEE
IS VERY TOLERANT. IT'S NICE HAVING SOMEBODY ELSE WHO AT LEAST KNOWS
WHAT I'M DOING AND I DON'T HAVE TO HIDE
THE BEHAVIOR FROM HER. DO WE REALLY
HAVE TO GO IN THE RAIN? YOU KNOW THE RAIN
MAKES EVERYTHING SLICK. OH, IT'S HARDLY RAINING. I KNOW, MISTING,
BUT MISTING IS WET. IT'S EASIER TO FIND
THE PRETTY ONES. IT'S A ROCK,
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. LOOK AT HOW PRETTY
THEY ARE. I KNOW, BUT THEY'RE ROCKS.
THEY'RE ROCKS. BUT THEY'RE
BEAUTIFUL ROCKS. BUT THEY'RE STILL ROCKS. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.
I'LL GO WITH YOU. IT'S NOT JUST A PROBLEM --
IT'S AN OBSESSION. SHE CAN'T CONTROL IT. BELINDA WILL PUT HERSELF
IN DANGER. I'LL GO WITH HER BECAUSE I DON'T
WANT ANYTHING TO HAPPEN TO HER. YOU WANT A SHOVEL
OR SOMETHING? WELL, LET'S JUST FIND
WHAT YOU NEED AND LET'S GET
THE HECK OUT OF DODGE. Belinda:
I'M REALLY GETTING WORN OUT
WITH ALL THIS ROCK COLLECTING. MY BACK IS KILLING ME
ALL THE TIME, AND MY HANDS ARE JUST,
YOU KNOW, A MESS. THOSE THAT ARE
REALLY CLOSE TO ME REALIZE THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW,
NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR. IT'S NOT BEHAVIOR
THAT SHOULD CONTINUE. YOU GONNA START WITH THAT
ALREADY? YEAH. LORD HAVE MERCY. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN
GET THROUGH THE REST
OF THE DAY WITH YOU. I JUST DON'T WANT TO DIE. WHEN YOUR FRIEND
COMES OVER AND YOUR MOM'S ACTING
LIKE A LUNATIC -- THAT WAS PRETTY EMBARRASSING,
TO BE HONEST. I'M SORRY. I'M BELINDA, AND I COULDN'T BE
MORE IN LOVE WITH ROCKS. I FEEL COMPELLED
TO PICK UP THE ROCKS THAT ARE NATURALLY SMOOTH
AND SHINY. Tristan: HER FINGERS
ARE RAW AND BLEEDING, AND, YOU KNOW,
I JUST KIND OF THINK, "YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW,
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF BETTER," OR "MAYBE JUST STOP
COLLECTING ROCKS" WOULD BE THE EASIEST SOLUTION
TO THAT. Belinda:
TRISTAN PUTS UP WITH MY ROCKS. FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS,
THOUGH, HE DOESN'T COME
AND VISIT ME MUCH, AND I REALLY KIND OF MISS HIM. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, WE'LL
MEET HERE AT THE COFFEE SHOP SO I CAN KEEP UP WITH HIS LIFE. I WISH YOU WOULD COME
AND VISIT ME MORE. I MISS YOU. YEAH, I MEAN,
I MISS YOU, TOO, BUT IT CAN BE PRETTY STRESSFUL
AT YOUR HOUSE AT TIMES. GROWING UP, THE HOUSE
DIDN'T LOOK LIKE IT DOES NOW. IT WAS A NICE PLACE
TO LIVE. WAS IT EMBARRASSING FOR YOU
WHEN YOU WERE A KID? DO YOU REMEMBER
WHEN TONY AND I CAME OVER AND YOU WERE
FRANTICALLY SCRUBBING ROCKS IN THE KITCHEN SINK? WHEN YOUR FRIEND
COMES OVER AND YOUR MOM'S ACTING
LIKE A LUNATIC -- THAT WAS PRETTY EMBARRASSING,
TO BE HONEST. I'M SORRY. I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT YOU
THAN ME. IT'S REALLY SWEET
THAT YOU WORRY ABOUT ME. YOU TOOK CARE OF TWO BOYS. NOW IT'S OUR TURN TO WORRY
ABOUT YOU, AND WE ARE WORRIED. ARE YOU AWARE
THAT IT'S A PROBLEM, I GUESS IS THE FIRST THING,
I MEAN IN GENERAL? YEAH, I GUESS IT IS
A BIT OF A PROBLEM. WOULD YOU
CONSIDER STOPPING? THAT SENDS UP LIKE,
"WARNING, WARNING! "RED FLAG.
IS THIS THE ENEMY? HE WANTS TO GET RID
OF THE ROCKS." I CAN'T MAKE YOU
DO ANYTHING. SINCE IT KIND OF
SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE HARD FOR YOU
TO QUIT ON YOUR OWN, I WAS THINKING
MAYBE TALK TO A COUNSELOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IT'S KIND OF ODD FOR ME
TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SOMETHING
REALLY PRIVATE I HAVEN'T REALLY SHARED
WITH PEOPLE. I'M KIND OF
EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT. I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME
THAT WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, FIGURE SOMETHING OUT. IT WAS REALLY AN EYE-OPENER
TO TALK TO TRISTAN TODAY. HE HAS NEVER TOLD ME
HOW HE FEELS, AND WHEN HE BROACHED
THE SUBJECT OF COUNSELING, THAT MADE ME STOP AND THINK, "TRISTAN'S A GOOD MAN
AND HAS GOOD JUDGMENT AND I SHOULD PROBABLY
TAKE HIS ADVICE." MY NAME IS CYNTRELLE,
AND I'M OBSESSED WITH CLEANING. I CAN'T GO ANYWHERE. I CAN'T REALLY BE AROUND PEOPLE
BECAUSE I'M SO AFRAID OF, WHAT TYPE OF TOXINS
ARE THEY CARRYING WITH THEM? MY MOM THINKS THAT MAYBE I
SHOULDN'T CLEAN AS MUCH AS I DO. WHEN I GO OUT TO EAT
WITH CYNTRELLE, IT'S EMBARRASSING BECAUSE
OF THE WAY SHE DO THINGS. YOU GONNA START WITH THAT
ALREADY? YEAH. IT'S BEEN LIKE THIS
FOR TOO LONG, AND IT'S TIME THAT IT STOPPED. CAN YOU STOP NOW? LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF ON IT,
THOUGH. LIKE, COME ON. OKAY. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG
WITH IT. LORD HAVE MERCY. I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN
GET THROUGH THE REST
OF THE DAY WITH YOU. I JUST DON'T WANT TO DIE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE,
EITHER. NO ONE'S TALKING ABOUT DYING
HERE. LOOK, NOTHING'S PERFECT. YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE
TO GET AWAY FROM GERMS. WHY YOU LOOKING AT THE FOOD
LIKE THAT? I JUST NEED TO WIPE
A COUPLE OF THINGS. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SEE IT
DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T SEE IT. I CAN SEE IT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH IT?
YOU DID IT. YOU WOULD
SCRUB EVERYTHING... BUT THAT WAS JUST TEACHING
Y'ALL RESPONSIBILITY, TEACHING YOU HOW TO BE CLEAN
AND RESPONSIBLE EVERY DAY. ...WIPE OFF EVERYTHING
ON THE WALLS, DUST EVERY 25 MINUTES, AND WASH YOUR HANDS, WASH
YOUR HANDS, WASH YOUR HANDS. SO, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW
IS THAT IT'S MY FAULT, NOW? NO, BUT I'M SAYING
YOU PLAYED A VERY BIG PART. I FEEL LIKE I'VE FAILED. MAYBE I PUSHED HER TOO HARD. SHE NEEDS HELP. SHE MAY NOT WANT TO ADMIT TO IT, BUT SOMEONE NEEDS TO HELP HER. I LOVE YOU,
BUT SOMETHING GOT TO GIVE HERE. YOU GOT SOME PROBLEMS, AND SOMEBODY NEEDS
TO REALLY HELP YOU OUT. I KNOW. YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE
ABOUT IT? YEAH. Cyntrelle:
HER SUGGESTION -- THERAPY -- IS LIKE,
MAYBE I'M NOT PROGRESSING AS WELL AS I THOUGHT I WAS. MAYBE I'M GETTING WORSE. I KNOW YOU CAN'T HELP
THE WAY YOU ARE, BUT YOU CAN GET BETTER AT IT,
THOUGH. MAYBE THERE ARE SOME THINGS
THAT I SHOULD CHANGE AND SOME THINGS
I SHOULD WORK ON. I WONDER
WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE TO LET GO
OF SOME OF THE ROCKS. WHEN YOU SAID THAT, I FELT MY WHOLE BODY,
LIKE, CLENCH. Belinda: I HAVE A PROBLEM
COLLECTING ROCKS. PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSE TO ME
THAT CARE ABOUT ME ARE A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT ME. ONCE I START COLLECTING THEM,
I DON'T WANT TO STOP, AND I'M HOPING
THAT IF I SEE A COUNSELOR THAT MAYBE WE CAN, YOU KNOW,
ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE CAUSING
THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR. WOULD YOU SAY
THAT THE ROCKS ARE TAKING UP
SO MUCH SPACE THAT ROOMS
THAT ARE INTENDED FOR -- LIKE, THE KITCHEN'S INTENDED
FOR COOKING -- ARE THE ROCKS TAKING OVER
THE USES OF THOSE ROOMS? YEAH. IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE I CAN'T REALLY CONTROL IT
ANYMORE. MY KIDS HAVE JUST ABOUT
DISOWNED ME NOW. I WONDER
WHAT IT WOULD FEEL LIKE TO LET GO
OF SOME OF THE ROCKS. WHEN YOU SAID THAT, I FELT MY WHOLE BODY,
LIKE, CLENCH. I'M SEEING THE TEARS
IN YOUR EYES AND THE PAIN
THAT THIS CAUSES TO YOU. I'M KIND OF
AN EMOTIONAL PERSON. IF IT'S CAUSING YOU
DISTRESS, THAT'S ALL
WE NEED TO KNOW, AND WE WANT
TO LOOK AT WAYS TO TAKE DOWN
SOME OF THOSE STRESS LEVELS. SO,
LET'S PRACTICE SOMETHING. WANT TO TRY IT? SURE. FOCUS AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
ON PHYSICAL SENSATIONS AND GETTING JUST RIGHT INTO
FEELING THE PRESENT MOMENT, GIVING THE MIND, THAT BUSY MIND,
SOMETHING TO SETTLE ON. AND JUST NOTICING
HOW EACH IN BREATH FEELS AND EACH OUT BREATH, SO EMPTYING OUT THE AIR
THAT'S THERE. GOOD JOB. Dr. Gour: WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN
TO HELP IS TRAINING THE MIND TO RESPOND IN A DIFFERENT WAY
TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS -- USING A CALMING BREATH RATHER THAN IMMEDIATELY
GOING TO THE ROCKS. BASICALLY, YOU'RE
SHORT-CIRCUITING THAT BUSY MIND THAT'S GOING
ALL OVER THE PLACE WHILE YOU HANG IN THE MOMENT,
RIGHT? THAT'S GOOD. Cyntrelle: I CLEAN ABOUT
10 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR. MY MOM AND NEIL HAVE REALLY PUSHED ME
TO MEET WITH THE THERAPIST, AND I DON'T THINK
IT'S A BAD IDEA. I THINK WHEN TWO PEOPLE
ARE ON ONE ACCORD, THEN MAYBE IT'S THE RIGHT THING. HOW LONG
HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON? THE EARLIEST
WOULD BE PROBABLY ABOUT -- I'LL SAY SEVEN. MY MOM STARTED TALKING CRAZY
ABOUT GERMS. EVER SINCE THEN,
I STARTED BECOMING MORE OBSESSED
WITH BEING CLEAN. IT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE
IT'S CONSUMING. AND I'M REALLY SICK OF IT. WHEN I GO PLACES,
I'M ALWAYS AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT
AS CLEAN AS MY HOME. IT'S JUST SO MUCH ANXIETY. ANXIETY IS OUR BODY'S RESPONSE
TO A FEAR, WHETHER IT'S FEAR OF REJECTION
OR FAILURE OR DEATH, EVEN. THAT'S WHAT YOUR BODY IS
RESPONDING TO, THAT DISCOMFORT. IT SOUNDS LIKE CLEANING RELIEVES THAT DISCOMFORT
FOR YOU. YEAH. OKAY. AND WE CALL THAT
A COMPULSION. Dr. Hussain: FOR CYNTRELLE, THE
MORE SHE USES THE COMPULSION TO RELIEVE HER ANXIETY, THE WORSE IT'S GONNA GET BECAUSE IT WON'T HAVE
THE SAME EFFECTIVENESS ANYMORE. ONE OF THE WAYS
TO DEAL WITH IT IS TO, FIRST OF ALL,
LOWER THE ANXIETY IN GENERAL. DIFFERENT WAYS TO LOWER
YOUR ANXIETY IS TO EXERCISE, BECAUSE ANXIETY IS ENERGY, AND EXERCISE ALLOWS PEOPLE
TO KIND OF WORK OUT THAT ENERGY. THAT MAKES SENSE. ONE THING THAT ALSO CAN HELP
IS JOURNALING -- WHAT ARE YOUR FEARS
AND YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS THAT YOU'RE HAVING
DURING THE DAY, AND START CHANGING THOSE
TO MORE POSITIVE THOUGHTS. WELL, I NEED TO JUST GET
SOME MORE PATIENCE, AND I'M GONNA GO GET
A JOURNAL. I MEAN, THAT'S A START,
AND THEN I CAN WORK FROM THERE. CYNTRELLE IS DEFINITELY
IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF WANTING TO MAKE A CHANGE. THE SEED HAS BEEN PLANTED THERE
TO SEEK OUT HELP, SO IT'S A GOOD SIGN. I NEED
TO START ADDRESSING THE ISSUES AND NOT BEING
SO ANXIOUS TO CLEAN. MY LIFE HAS ALWAYS BEEN
LIKE THIS. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ELSE. I SEEM TO HAVE LOTS OF EMOTIONS
RIGHT NOW, AND IT ALL, LIKE,
KIND OF CAME OUT. I HOPE TO LEARN HOW
TO HANDLE STRESS SO THAT I DON'T CHANNEL IT
INTO ROCKS. I'M GONNA GRADUALLY
CUT MYSELF OFF FROM SPENDING
SO MUCH TIME DIGGING ROCKS. I LOOK FORWARD TO RENEWING MY
BOND WITH MY KIDS AND MY FAMILY. I'D LIKE TO START SPENDING
MORE TIME WITH THEM, AND MAYBE LOOK UP
SOME OLD FRIENDS THAT I'VE KIND OF
LOST TOUCH WITH, AND REGAIN
MY SENSE OF CONFIDENCE. I DON'T WANT
TO JUST STOP ALTOGETHER BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THAT
THAT'S GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL, THAT I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO,
YOU KNOW, CONTROL THE BEHAVIORS, BUT I THINK IF I GRADUALLY DO IT
LESS AND LESS, I'LL BE ABLE TO BRING IT
UNDER CONTROL.
