Don't Let Me Be Lonely Lesson Plan

Why is it ironic that the speaker's sister is a psychiatrist? How does this same irony appear in the speaker's observation about adult/child Tylenol dosages?

The speaker's sister just lost her entire family—husband, son, and daughter—in a car accident. Even though she is a psychiatrist, and therefore an expert on mental health drugs, she is not legally allowed to prescribe herself any medicine. The speaker finds this ironic and arbitrary—illustrative of the absurdity of contemporary life. This theme appears again when she is discussing the instructions on the Tylenol bottle, which make a distinction in dosages for adults and children. She realizes that she lives in a...