Third Little Pig Mythology

The original fairy tale is about three little pigs who all build houses, the first one of straw, the second one of sticks, and the third one of bricks. After these houses are built, a wolf comes and blows down the straw and stick houses, eating the pigs within. However, when the wolf comes to the third pig’s house of bricks, he is unable to blow it down and eat the third little pig. The wolf tries to trick the third pig into leaving his house, but after failing multiple times he tries to enter the house through the chimney. When he comes down the chimney, he is greeted by a pot of boiling water and is cooked to death, after which the third little pig eats the wolf.
In the twisted tales version, the wolf is a mental practitioner who tries to
convince the three little pigs who all have different mental disorders to open up their houses and let him in. The wolf, being a psychiatrist, eventually convinces the three little pigs by showing them possible treatment options for their disorders, which is a mix of drugs and differing types of therapy. The wolf’s method of treatment is primarily from a biological perspective, but he also has some influence from behavioral and cognitive psychology. His recommendations are mainly biomedical treatments, but he also promotes some other common treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy or group therapy.
The story starts out when the wolf receives a request by a mother pig to help her three little sons, who all have been behaving strangely as of late. The wolf accepts her request and meets with the first pig who refuses to let him in because he is far too and scared. Initially suspecting social anxiety or agoraphobia, the wolf tries to question the first little pig to see when these anxiety symptoms occur. The first pig explains to the wolf that there is no real situation that causes his symptoms, and that they are just constantly there day after day. Now realizing that this must be generalized anxiety disorder, the wolf tries to establish a therapeutic alliance so that the first pig might relax and let him inside. After the pig is calmed down, the wolf enters his home and tells the first pig about cognitive behavior therapy and antianxiety drugs, which could help treat his disorder. After he is done speaking with the first pig, he moves on to the house of the second pig, where the second pig refuses to admit him because he has a delusion that the wolf is a government spy sent to kill the pig because of his thoughtcrime. The wolf explains to the second pig in rational terms that he is in a state of psychosis, to which the second pig counters by saying that the wolf’s psychology is a sham because of people like Freud and his Oedipus Complex. While the wolf has to begrudgingly agree that Freud was not the most empirical of doctors, he also explains that in his branch of clinical psychology, evidence-based practice is commonly used and most psychiatrists like himself only diagnose based on the DSM-5, so as to avoid any personal biases.After the wolf convinces the second pig to let him in and examines the pig, he finds that the second pig has had many other delusions and also has experienced hallucinations at some points in his life. Recognizing the telltale signs of schizophrenia, he recommends to the second pig antipsychotic drugs, which should help remedy the problem. Since the second pig is obviously still suspicious, the wolf goes into extra detail about how it works, explaining that the antipsychotic drug is an antagonist that seeks to block an overactive dopamine system. The wolf also goes into detail at some of the side effects of the medication, including the potential problems of tardive dyskinesia and symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.
His job with the second pig now finished, the wolf moves on to the third pig’s house.
The third pig does not let the wolf in, saying that “there is nothing you could possibly do for me anyway, you are just wasting your time.” Seeing that the third pig’s problem might be a mood or personality disorder, the wolf continues to question him and discovers that the pig has been having the symptoms of a mood disorder. He asks whether or not the third pig has experienced situations similar to manias, and finds out that the third pig has not. Therefore, the wolf concludes that the third pig is most likely suffering from major depressive disorder and not bipolar disorder. Compared to the first two cases, the wolf is relieved as there is much more varieties of treatment when it comes to depression so that the third pig can consider a vast array of options and choose which one is best for him. The wolf begins by telling the third pig about the simple and easy treatments, bringing up antidepressants first. He explains what a typical antidepressant does and states possible reasons for why it might be effective, ranging from how it will increase serotonin levels which would help alleviate the chemical imbalance in the brain to how it will promote neurogenesis which is also cited as a reason for why antidepressants work. He also explains the benefits of the common forms of talk or group therapy. The wolf then moves onto the more fringe treatments like repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, or therapeutic lifestyle change. After much deliberation, the third pig finally settles on a therapeutic lifestyle change, as he figures that in addition to alleviating his symptoms it will also promote a healthier lifestyle and help build up his
resilience.