Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Dr. Primetime


Dr. Primetime
Every so often throughout the year I’m forced to go to the doctor for my allergies. I’m allergic to everything – fruit, paper, bullshit – you name it. I don’t subscribe to clinics of any kind, so my allergist, regular doctor – even my dermatologist – are at the same hospital. Today, while visiting my allergist, I commented that I have had difficulty sleeping for months and that I could stand to be prescribed a sleep-aide or some antidepressant of some kind. For the record, I’m a former pharmacy technician and can probably prescribe my own medication, but I like to make my doctor feel empowered. That said, my doctor suggests I visit a friend of hers – a psychiatrist on staff – to discuss what may be the underlying reason for my insomnia and maybe provide greater insight on getting myself back on track. With the greatest of ease, the allergist dials the head doctor a few floors away and asks if she would squeeze me in for 30 minutes. Let me preface this little piece by saying that I have never visited a psychologist – much less a psychiatrist. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it, but I just don’t think the alleged pros can provide me with any greater insight that I provide myself (I know, delusional) and really don’t like talking about the BIG issues with anyone who isn’t really invested in the nuances of my life. So I stroll in to see Dr. Primetime who quickly ushers me back to his comfy office. Once there I sit on his sofa and he sits in a chair adjacent to me and smiles before announcing, “I’m going to ask you a few questions to get acquainted, please answer as honestly as possible.” I shrug and say, “Sure,” thinking that at this point I’ll settle for a hammer and a fifth of Scotch to get my rest. Midway into the questions, I find myself becoming more and more animated, my hands joining my colorful stories – the picture of a Puerto Rican mime explaining the theory of relativity. Doctor P had stopped writing anything on his trusted pad 15 minutes earlier and yet he seemed completely engrossed in my story. At one point I answered a quick telephone call before returning to my elaborate storyline and Dr. P never even shifted in his seat. More than 45 minutes later, I realize that he hadn’t asked me a thing in quite some time and yet I was still yammering away about my sitcom of a life. Realizing this man wasn’t following the time limits I’ve so often seen on televised psych sessions, I stopped and asked, “Hey doc, how long is this little introductory session suppose to go?” He laughed heartily and said, “Have you ever considered writing a book?” My face must have said it all because he quickly caught himself before saying, “You have quite the interesting life,” his pen now writing furiously, “I’d love to see you regularly if you’d like.” My head felt light, but I stood up and announced, “I actually would prefer you gave me a sleep aide and maybe I’ll just forward you a copy of my book when I write one doc.” He smiled nervously and apologized profusely for his choice of words before settling on a simple, “Please consider coming in again.” I thanked Dr. P and reluctantly went to the drug store to get my knock-out pills. Seems like even the professionals think my life is some sort of entertainment.

On Blast

Do you believe repressed feelings surrounding life experiences have an effect on your daily interaction with others?

Keep passin’ the open windows…

9 comments:

EsLocura said...

oye nene, if you are going to be in caguas, yes absolutely give me a call, love to see ya. as for repressed feelings, yes no doubt they affect your interactions with others on some level and will forever do so unless resolved. trust me. lo digo por que asi es.

Darius T. Williams said...

This is hilarious. And you know what's even funnier is that I can imagine you being more and more animated. I can see those hands flailing all up in the air and carrying on.

Anyway, of course. Our repressed feelings always have an impact on our day to day and sometimes without us even knowing it. Now ain't that something. It's not until we delve deep into why we have those repressed feelings do we then understand much more about who we really are.

Anonymous said...

"let's get unconscious baby" Madonna, Bedtime Story

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k3G62fri90

That Dude Right There said...

I think that I have gotten all (or at least most) of my repressed feelings out, and they still affect my day to day interactions.

Joey Bahamas said...

Yes, I believe they do! I've visited shrinks before at various stages of my life and they've actually helped. I've been an insomniac for as long as I can remember. And, I know my thinking and emotions keep me up. Maybe you should consider seeing him again. Luv!!

JB

Shannon Lee said...

First off, let me commend you on taking advantage of an opportunity to open your mind and heart with regard to "talking to someone" besides your friends and fellow bloggers. It's a big step and a huge decision. Even if you've found you're still not comfortable with continuing with it...I think it's great you at least gave it a shot. Seems to me though that you were comfortable enough to "yammer" for nearly an hour non-stop. Clearly you needed to express your thoughts and feelings babe...perhaps you should consider one more visit and see what happens...

To answer your question: Definitely. Repressed feelings, whether they still be repressed, or whether they've come to the surface, are absolutely going to influence how you interact with others. Particularly in areas of sexuality, trust and love.

Great post boo!

xoxo

deonte' k said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
deonte' k said...

To answer your question i do believe repressed feelings surrounding life experiences have that effect.. .... your funny too lol! ;-)

nudeindc said...

Definitely. For me repressed feelings are merely the imprint that our life experiences have made upon us. It is why southerners behave slightly differently than northerners, etc. We're all victims of our culture because our culture/experiences define what is normal and expected.

This is often good since it allows us to learn from our parents, but also promotes bad as well such as racial stereotyping.

To me, repressed feelings are the same thing just on a more intimate, personal level.