She is sitting in a pale, dust-ridden chair, rocking herself to obtain a deeper sense of calm. Her Primary Care Physician believes she is showing signs of Bipolar Disorder. She wants to refer her to a therapist, someone she trusts. The air in the room is thick with guilt. A faulty door swings open and a nurse in tattered scrubs alerts the doctor to her next patient who has been waiting for fifteen minutes.
“Danielle, I have to go. I have another patient waiting. I will call Dr. Dominguez myself and schedule a consultation for you. Are Fridays still best?”
But, Danielle is drowning. The rocking chair is now a carousel and she cannot halt the spinning. There is no sound. The muffled words of Dr. Norman attack her ears but leave no depth. She is trapped within herself, bracing for glory that does not come.
“Danielle?! Are Fridays still best for you?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, Dr. Norman. I didn’t hear you. I was…”
“I know, you were not here. *sighs* We will get you better in due time. I will call Dr. Dominguez this evening. Make a follow up appointment with Clara at the checkout desk for three months. I want to check your iron and ferritin levels at that time. And… your weight.”
Danielle shifts on the plastic bed in the paper thin gown. She gathers her things one by one and returns her outfit to her body. Facing the world is never easy. At least today, someone listened.
Someone finally listened.
A Cornered Gurl 
Ah. I relate to this very much. Too often people don’t listen. Sometimes it doesn’t matter (most of the time it does). Sometimes it matters a lot and that’s when irrevocable harm can be done. Working for years with clients in the mental health field I heard time and again stories (horror stories) of not being heard, of being judged, dismissed or just downright incorrectly treated. It is awful. And this is a great insight into that.
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Thank you for reading. 😊
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I felt so helpless reading this. Like I wanted to shake the Doctor and force her to pay attention. Turns out she was anyway, and I just missed it in my empathy for her. Wonderful.
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She was paying attention to her. And yes, I can see how it could be missed at first read.
Thank you for reading, Lisa.
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An excellent post bringing light on the issues of Mental Illness, kudos Tre for using your voice for this important topic ❤ a rampant issue in this world today, glad she was heard 🙂
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Thank you, Kim.
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Unfortunately, this feeling is so real. Being trapped within yourself, held hostage by your own thoughts, feeling like everything is moving and you’re cemented to the floor…this is so real. Mental illness is a serious situation.
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It is, it definitely is. Thank you for reading.
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Trapped within herself – that is such a true feeling and suffering!
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Thank you for reading, Pragal.
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My pleasure, always 🙂
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Being heard makes all the difference in the world.
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Amen.
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You’ve written about Danielle with such sensitivity, Tre. Yes, the doctor listened, but Danielle is only one of many patients, all of whom need help.
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You’re very right, Mags. Thank you for reading. 😊
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💛💚
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