The following morning, Nancy was in fact able to secure an appointment for that evening after everyone was home from work. Megan’s conflicted feelings about regression lay on her mental backburner all day as she returned to the pharmacy. Surely enough, Josh commented on her ‘weird mood’ and surely enough she dismissed it as nothing. However, she made no blunders and drew no further attention to her imminent evaluation.
Hours later, alongside her parents in Helen Schrieber’s office, Megan began to tense up. She felt stupid for having pulled such a ridiculous stunt and even worse for already fouling up what had the potential to be a great summer. Helen’s initial words to her were of no support.
“Megan, when I mentioned regressive tendencies, this was not what I had in mind.”
“You said it was OK!” she rebutted.
Drew looked at the counselor skeptically.
“In small doses,” Helen corrected.
“Great,” Megan sobbed. “I’m a freak.”
“Honey…” Nancy began, attempting to comfort her.
“Quite the contrary,” Helen interjected. “What you are describing is an acceptable form of release for many people.”
“Mrs. Schrieber…” a concerned Drew began.
“Please. Helen.”
“Helen. Are you honestly going to tell me that my 19 year old daughter wanting to wear diapers all the time and being treated like a baby is normal?”
“The desire to regress is not at all uncommon. However, feelings of guilt and shame often preclude it from being acted upon.”
Nancy seemed tentative. “Shouldn’t there be some guilt? I mean, I’d like to think we did a good job of raising her. Why would she want to go back and do it again if we didn’t?”
“That’s not it, Mom,” Megan explained.
“This is crap,” Drew denounced. “Total crap.”
“Honey, you were supportive at first,” Nancy reminded him.
“That was because I thought she had a legitimate medical problem! Not ‘regressive tendencies’….”
“Mr. Alder,” Helen sternly interrupted. “You are only adding to her guilt.”
Drew huffed and appeared cross and displeased, but said no more.
“Megan?” Helen asked. “Do you still wish to spend time with your friends?”
“Yes.”
“Are you still interested in boys?”
“Of course.”
“What about family?”
“Sure.”
“Does that strike either of you as abnormal?”
Nancy and Drew looked at one another and shrugged.
“I still don’t get it,” Drew affirmed.
“It’s a conflict you’ve probably experienced yourself, albeit in different terms.”
“I don’t think so,” he said dismissively.
“What about the motorcycle?” Nancy asked.
“Motorcycle?” Megan perked up. This was news to her.
Drew sighed. “I was 18, maybe 19 and had just started college and I wanted to get a motorcycle. My parents forbade it. I kept saying, “I’m an adult!” and they kept saying “you won’t have a motorcycle as long as you are under our roof.”
“Did this desire come to you suddenly?” Helen asked.
“Well, no,” Drew confessed. “I wanted one when I was 5.”
“So in many ways, this was a childish aspiration.”
“I suppose,” he grumbled.
Helen smiled. “Diapers are to Megan what the motorcycle was to you: a symbol of the past to identify with in an ever-changing present.”
“You don’t need a helmet and a license to wear diapers,” Drew contended.
“You could have gotten one anyway,” Nancy reminded him. “You were always careful.”
“I suppose you’re right,” he admitted at last.
“Here is what I propose,” Helen suggested. “You afford Megan one day to act out this regressive fantasy. It is possible that once it loses its symbolic value and becomes a reality, she will no longer desire it.”
“Isn’t it also possible she’ll want it to continue?” Nancy asked.
“Well…yes,” Helen confessed. “But all I ask of you right now is one day. Does that sound fair?”
They both agreed that it did.
“Megan? Is that fair to you?”
She nodded. The prospect of being babied for a whole day was exciting to her. However, if something went wrong or she got sick of it, she could just as easily go back to normal the next day and never have to think of it again. It sounded perfect.