If you are a parent of a child who has OCD, you know only too well how easy it is to get entangled in an endless argument where you try to use logic to no avail.

As I’m stepping out of my office into the reception area to get my next patient, Michael, I can see that he is distressed.

“What’s going on?” I ask as we take our seats.

When experiencing a negative emotion, we often try to ignore it, pretend it's not there, or distract ourselves.