Sinister: OBAD-the hidden menace to today's society%

[Sunset .]

It’s an alarming fact that today’s youth are falling foul to an obsession 
that grips their mind. Perfectly sane individuals are becoming victims of a 
mind-altering condition.
In this exclusive report I bring you tales of what is commonly known as 
obsessive belle and Sebastian disorder (OBAD)

OBAD has been known to strike at random. Its victims appear to all intensive 
purposes to lead normal life, of course with a disorder of this nature this 
can not be the case.
OBAD is a condition appropriately named after the band thought to cause the 
disorder. The music created by the band causes strong emotional effects on 
its victims. Their catchy tunes make the disorder incredibly contagious. 
What is more alarming though, is despite the virulent nature of the band, to 
date there is no known cure.

In my research I have interviewed a sufferer and will bring to you the 
heartbreaking tale:

Miss X, a young woman with her whole life ahead of her.
Watching her enter the room it is hard to imagine the intensity of this 
obsession. To the untrained eye she is just an ordinary women, but the 
glazed look in her eye clues to the condition she is suffering.

-So Miss X how when did you first realise you were suffering from OBAD?
- Well firstly I would like to point out that I'm not actually suffering 
here... I’m quite happy with "the state that I am in"
      (She smiles while unknowingly displaying two key symptoms of the 
disorder:
1) An amazing self deception that the condition is a positive aspect of her 
life
2) The compulsion to quote lyrics from the band)
-In that case could you tell me in what way OBAD effects your day?
-I suppose it can be quite variable. On some days I might simply hum a few 
songs to myself or look at the world through the eyes of a belle and 
Sebastian lyric. On the other hand I might return from work and put on a B&S 
CD and end up listening to the music all night. Sometimes that is the only 
thing left to do.


Many sufferers from OBAD have turned to a frightening type of self-help 
known as the sinister mailing list. Unfortunately for the suffers instead of 
receiving the kind of professional help that they obviously need they are 
offered advice and understanding from other equally obsessed individuals. 
The list is not without its health warnings. An ex-member of the band who 
obviously left after seeing all of the suffering he had caused has felt it 
his duty to caution suffers with the message "sinsietr is a bit freaky”. 
Although its obvious his heart is in the right place I feel his words 
trivialise this debilitating condition somewhat.

I left Miss X singing quietly to herself. Although there was a smile on her 
lips I was certain that an unhappiness lay within. OBAD is a serious threat 
to the population and unless more is done to combat it who knows how many 
victims it will claim.



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