Meditations of an African Woman

I was born a people pleaser. I’m sure you’re familiar with this disease that is as debilitating as it is devious in nature. But before I share my own experience with PPS (also know in some African countries as ‘Follow Follow’), let me describe the known causes of the disease, its symptoms, reasons why it is notoriously difficult to diagnose and the available cures.


CAUSES OF PPS

1. Some believe that PPS is a genetic disease that can be passed on, where even one parent is a dormant carrier (i.e. either they had a parent with PPS or were cured of the disease. Research shows there is a potential for the illness to still become active in their children, through improper understanding of the push and pull effect in childrearing). The disease is able to skip a generation and naturally not all children of a carrier will become symptomatic, but the chances are markedly increased when the gene is active in one or both parents, automatically doubling from a 2 in 5 probability to 4 out of 5, that their children will become symptomatic.

2. Another school of thought argues that PPS merely mimics congenital illnesses, but is in fact transferred as a result of nurture not nature. In other words, children who are reared under the influence of parents who have PPS, are more likely to become symptomatic themselves.


SYMPTOMS OF PPS

1. One of the most common symptoms of PPS is an inability to take action without the requirement of external validation. PPS is a graded disease. Stage 1 PPS sufferers may likely only display a difficulty, usually sporadic, in acting without external validation. Whereas Stage 5 PPS will present with little or no brain activity in the patient, making it impossible for them to act without being told what to do by someone who is perceived by patient as an authority or power figure.

2. PPS patients have a speech impediment that causes them to use phrases such as, “Everyone knows…”, “No one thinks…”, “The right way …” etc with a high degree of frequency. They will also frequently leverage the first person plural “We”, and the possessive adjective “Our” to add weight to statements or claims they are making.

3. Late stage PPS patients are generally incapable of original thought, and will obsessively refer to “official” reports, statistics, and random statements made by perceived authority figures, which they present as their own opinion. Early stage patients may exhibit lack of confidence in their ideas when challenged persistently and intensively on them, especially when the challenge is presented by an admired or respected figure.

4. Patients may suffer from lazy eye in one or both globular organs, which cause their eyes to dart around the room when speaking in search of support or validation from the nearest perceived power figure.


DIFFICULTY IN MAKING ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS

1. PPS is difficult to diagnose because of variability in the power figure that sufferers defer (and refer) to. The power figure can be a parent, a spouse, any member of a perceived stronger sex, an employer, elder, priest or pastor, and sometimes even a group of people who patient perceives to have admirable or desirable qualities. (NOTE: There is no requirement for real, evidential authority in the power figure, merely patient’s ‘perception’ of that authority.) This variability makes PPS very difficult to diagnose, compared to other illnesses such as ‘Mama’s Boy’ or ‘Teacher’s Pet’, which have a singular underlying root cause.

2. PPS is a highly transferable disease, and sufferers will often change their preferred power figure throughout their lifetime.

3. Symptoms of PPS can be very easily misrepresented or mistaken for ‘loyalty’, ‘respectfulness’, ‘niceness’, ‘quietness’, ‘piety’, etc. Unless the one seeking to make a diagnosis is careful to remain mindful of all the symptoms described above, a PPS sufferer can very easily slip under the radar.


POSSIBLE CURES

1. The first step in attempting to cure PPS is acceptance by the patient that they display symptoms of the disease. It may be apparent to the onlooker that an individual is symptomatic, but unless patient is willing to self examine or be examined by a professional, they will no doubt continue to live with this dangerous disease, and eventually pass it on to their children, who may also pass it on to theirs.

2. There is a 6 week intensive shock treatment available to PPS patients. Unfortunately Marilyn Manson is regularly on tour and may not be available to accept new patients into his care, at this time.

3. The next available option is to seek professional counselling and CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) to adjust the patient’s people pleasing behaviour, as caused by the disease.

4. It is possible to THINK ones way either into a lower grade of PPS or out of the illness completely. This is the most painful (also much less fun than shock treatment with Marilyn Manson) and difficult option to curing PPS. It requires a high daily dose of courage, acknowledgement of the imperfection of human beings, and a strong belief in one’s own inner power and authority, whether or not this is sanctioned by any divinity.


I am a Grade 1 PPS sufferer. And I am determined beat this disease or die trying! I inherited it from my parents at a very early age and have been making strides to live with and cure the illness via the power of THOUGHT. Every year, I observe my PPS become less of an intrusive force in my life and look forward to being completely symptom free one day. Life without PPS is the very definition of freedom. It is a dignified and contented life, in which one if free to pursue happiness as they define it.

If you think you may suffer from PPS, or know someone who appears to present with the symptoms above, please feel free to copy or forward this free informational post to them, so you and/or they may take the first steps towards claiming a life that is PPS FREE.