[col]They needed her help. Rather, any help. And she would have offered it for free... selfish, personal motives aside, of course. But when they offered to pay her a consultant fee, there was no way she would be turning that down. Illogical to refuse.
She had been given a patient at the Asylum. Just for differential diagnosis, a second opinion, considering psychology was not her primary practice. Of course, primary practice was a loose term she played with. Sure, her official titles were general physician and pharmacist but she considered herself a generalist. A Jack of All Trades, Master of Some sort of deal.
That was perfectly fine for her. In fact, she rather enjoyed the occasion when she could put her knowledge of the mind to good use.
But when she spied the initial diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder on the patient's files, she had to stop herself from throwing a chair out the window. Breathing techniques to calm herself down helped. She didn't want to scare the teen with a display of violence anyway.
Not when the patient sat there, looking at her. Already wary and nervous.
「 Lazy. Sloppy. Unacceptable. Must be an intern's diagnosis. DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder medically unsound.」
Yes. She considered possession (drug, demon or otherwise) a more likely scenario than full blown DID. She's seen things like that before, after all. Things that most would write off as a psychological problem. It was, for most, the lesser of two evils. But, as far as she was concerned, true DID would be ugly. People with disabilities had to live with those disabilities for most of their lives. At least, if it were of a demon possession, exorcism and the likes were viable options. Besides, possession had a higher likelihood of occurring especially with shinobi. With how often they interfered with things outside of just the human realm: offsprings that turn out to be half demons, contracts with those outside of this world, defying the laws of physics and logic and all that.
As far as she could tell, it was no possession anyway.
PTSD.
She'd chalk it up to that. Prescribe treatment and medicine and so on. But she couldn't be too invested with the case. She was here as a consultant. Temporary. Fleeting. Nanami would have to hope for the best, give her two cents on it and hope that the local doctors would trust her diagnosis.
The violent mood swings was not a primary personality but rather the person itself. And the secondary personality? The scared child? Symptoms, of course. They'd taken to calling it a child's personality, infantilizing the boy's feelings because of the average shinobi's emotional standards. Like they expected each and every one of them to just get over trauma such as that.
Some would ask if it could be the other way around and the teen had always been soft hearted and the whole experience has turned him violent during his moments. Negatory. PTSD did not make an individual violent. The disorder fed off fear rather than anger. And even if fear response hinged on a fight or flight factor, PTSD was one for flight. Those who suffered from the disorder were victims of violence, rarely the instigator of it.
The cold, scientific part of her wanted to trigger the teen. See if her train of thought lead to the correct conclusions. The boy had been quiet thus far. Would he burst out into tears or try to harm her if she brought up the death of his parents? But she wasn't cruel. And it was unethical and not a part of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
The doctor refrained.
「 Check biochemical records.」
She had no doubt, was ninety nine percent sure (with a one percent leeway, on the off chance that she was wrong) that this was PTSD. So why was he afraid? Had she triggered him without realizing?
Nanami started writing on her notepad, her pen quickly scratching away and leaving behind the barely readable script often associated with doctors. "I suggest that you speak with your counsellor for therapy... but, I will not force it," she told him. Slowly, as opposed to the quick, bullet like speech she used with fellow doctors. "But I will prescribe sertraline and amitriptyline as well. If the doses aren't working, I can inform your doctor about it so that they can either increase the dosage or switch you to an alternative. Exercise is also recommended an-"
Her speech halted as she was slammed against the wall, hands around her neck.
Rage. Hate. Anger. Fear. Those burned in the boy's eyes.
But there was none of that in the doctor's. Even if she had every right to be angry, to be fearful. No. She just smiled. The boy had some fire left in him. And, with a case like him, a little fire was a good thing. He'd survive this, she could see. He was still alive.
The boy collapsed a moment later.
The needle with a sedative gleamed in Mizushima's hand. A needle that was quickly put aside as she straightened her lab coat, fixed her hair and straightened her glasses which had gone askew.
"You'll just be alright, kid. Just keep fighting. You still have a whole life ahead of you."|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]
She had been given a patient at the Asylum. Just for differential diagnosis, a second opinion, considering psychology was not her primary practice. Of course, primary practice was a loose term she played with. Sure, her official titles were general physician and pharmacist but she considered herself a generalist. A Jack of All Trades, Master of Some sort of deal.
That was perfectly fine for her. In fact, she rather enjoyed the occasion when she could put her knowledge of the mind to good use.
But when she spied the initial diagnosis of Multiple Personality Disorder on the patient's files, she had to stop herself from throwing a chair out the window. Breathing techniques to calm herself down helped. She didn't want to scare the teen with a display of violence anyway.
Not when the patient sat there, looking at her. Already wary and nervous.
「 Lazy. Sloppy. Unacceptable. Must be an intern's diagnosis. DID. Dissociative Identity Disorder medically unsound.」
「 PTSD. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Much more likely.
Possession? Even more likely than DID.」
Possession? Even more likely than DID.」
Yes. She considered possession (drug, demon or otherwise) a more likely scenario than full blown DID. She's seen things like that before, after all. Things that most would write off as a psychological problem. It was, for most, the lesser of two evils. But, as far as she was concerned, true DID would be ugly. People with disabilities had to live with those disabilities for most of their lives. At least, if it were of a demon possession, exorcism and the likes were viable options. Besides, possession had a higher likelihood of occurring especially with shinobi. With how often they interfered with things outside of just the human realm: offsprings that turn out to be half demons, contracts with those outside of this world, defying the laws of physics and logic and all that.
As far as she could tell, it was no possession anyway.
PTSD.
She'd chalk it up to that. Prescribe treatment and medicine and so on. But she couldn't be too invested with the case. She was here as a consultant. Temporary. Fleeting. Nanami would have to hope for the best, give her two cents on it and hope that the local doctors would trust her diagnosis.
The violent mood swings was not a primary personality but rather the person itself. And the secondary personality? The scared child? Symptoms, of course. They'd taken to calling it a child's personality, infantilizing the boy's feelings because of the average shinobi's emotional standards. Like they expected each and every one of them to just get over trauma such as that.
Some would ask if it could be the other way around and the teen had always been soft hearted and the whole experience has turned him violent during his moments. Negatory. PTSD did not make an individual violent. The disorder fed off fear rather than anger. And even if fear response hinged on a fight or flight factor, PTSD was one for flight. Those who suffered from the disorder were victims of violence, rarely the instigator of it.
「 Intrusion. Re-experiencing of trauma is noted.
Nurses said so.
"Childlike personality" being the symptom? Avoidant symptoms.
Increased arousal symptoms. Present as well. Obviously.
Possibility of it not being PTSD? Other more violent diagnosis?
TBI. Traumatic Brain Injury? Anger issues even before the incident?
Substance abuse? Drugs? Alcohol?
Either or. Still dangerous.」
Nurses said so.
"Childlike personality" being the symptom? Avoidant symptoms.
Increased arousal symptoms. Present as well. Obviously.
Possibility of it not being PTSD? Other more violent diagnosis?
TBI. Traumatic Brain Injury? Anger issues even before the incident?
Substance abuse? Drugs? Alcohol?
Either or. Still dangerous.」
「 Still not DID.」
The cold, scientific part of her wanted to trigger the teen. See if her train of thought lead to the correct conclusions. The boy had been quiet thus far. Would he burst out into tears or try to harm her if she brought up the death of his parents? But she wasn't cruel. And it was unethical and not a part of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
The doctor refrained.
「 Check biochemical records.」
「 Low cortisol levels.
Low serotonin levels.
Low dopamine levels.
High catecholamine levels.
High corticotropin releasing factor concentrations.
Altered HPA axis.」
Low serotonin levels.
Low dopamine levels.
High catecholamine levels.
High corticotropin releasing factor concentrations.
Altered HPA axis.」
She had no doubt, was ninety nine percent sure (with a one percent leeway, on the off chance that she was wrong) that this was PTSD. So why was he afraid? Had she triggered him without realizing?
Nanami started writing on her notepad, her pen quickly scratching away and leaving behind the barely readable script often associated with doctors. "I suggest that you speak with your counsellor for therapy... but, I will not force it," she told him. Slowly, as opposed to the quick, bullet like speech she used with fellow doctors. "But I will prescribe sertraline and amitriptyline as well. If the doses aren't working, I can inform your doctor about it so that they can either increase the dosage or switch you to an alternative. Exercise is also recommended an-"
Her speech halted as she was slammed against the wall, hands around her neck.
Rage. Hate. Anger. Fear. Those burned in the boy's eyes.
But there was none of that in the doctor's. Even if she had every right to be angry, to be fearful. No. She just smiled. The boy had some fire left in him. And, with a case like him, a little fire was a good thing. He'd survive this, she could see. He was still alive.
The boy collapsed a moment later.
The needle with a sedative gleamed in Mizushima's hand. A needle that was quickly put aside as she straightened her lab coat, fixed her hair and straightened her glasses which had gone askew.
"You'll just be alright, kid. Just keep fighting. You still have a whole life ahead of you."|</FONTFACE>[legend="[b]Out of Character Notes[/b]"]
- S-Rank Self Modded Mission with Pre-approval
The following information on PTSD may not be wholly accurate. Please take at face value.
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