All We Could Afford
So, I had my first episode with psychosis when I was about 13, but I recovered and didn’t need care or medicine. The second time it happened was when I was 16, and it was so much worse. I saw a psychiatrist at my local health department; my parents had no money so this was all we could afford.
This “doctor” specialized in mental health for teenagers. He even had an article in the local paper once a week. For a bit more background, I had always been overweight, but still, I always aspired to be an actor. Well, in less than an hour, he completely took all my confidence and dreams away.
I looked up to and trusted my elders, so I thought this man knew what he was talking about. Not to mention that I was extremely vulnerable at the time. He said, “You know, most actors and actresses are slim and attractive.” Then he asked me, “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?”
He even wrote it on a piece of paper, and circled the word “extra.” “Most people are just ordinary, not special. It’s okay to just be one of those people.” I never really got over that, and I’m 43 now.
I figured if I can’t handle my senior year of high school and I had a nervous breakdown, how could I ever handle Hollywood or New York? A doctor’s responsibility is to help their patients heal.
This guy cut a wound in me so deep it still hasn’t healed at all. I’m sure he said more messed up things to me in that session but I don’t remember because of those two things. Story credit: Reddit / Workig_Account_925