A magic wand please?

A young boy ,all of 16 , comes to my O.P.D room just as its lunch time for me. He has visited  some other O.P.D in the hospital and has been referred to a higher centre for Psychiatric counselling.The hospital I work in doesn't have a psychiatry department.

He has come to me to tell me that his teeth strike against each other and dance when he walks.

I am taken aback. One look at him and I know he is not kidding. He is in utter distress.

He says he needs his “Brain”  checked too.He says he gets palpitations and keeps thinking negative and feels scared.

I ought to look at his teeth and tell him all is well in his mouth and that he doesn't in any way, need a dentist’s intervention. That’s about it.So I look at his teeth and mouth in all earnest. I already know he has good teeth and I tell him that his is the best set of dentition I have seen since morning.(I have seen 60 patients today and I am NOT lying to him)

He has come to the hospital alone-no grown up with him to whom I can explain that he probably needs just some tender love and care to start with,he probably needs “not” to be alone. My heart goes out to him. He looks healthy otherwise .He looks like he belongs to a family that gets the three square meals a day definitely.

Now I  talk to him for quite sometime. Its lunch time. I can afford to.His father works in a dye factory,his mother loves him ,one elder sister who is married,one elder brother who is studying. They stay in Haryana but they belong to U.P . And so forth. His father wanted him to go to school.He wanted out.Left home and came to Delhi to find work here. Works as a waiter somewhere now.(Who employs 16 year olds?)

I ask him why he is unhappy if he is doing what he wanted to do. I know he is not telling me everything obviously.I tell him so.He smiles.He won’t tell me more today. I tell him to quit his job and go back home ,to be with the family who he says cares for him and is willing to provide for him yet.I tell him I am here to listen to him if he wants to come and tell me anything more. I don’t have time during O.P.D hours ,can only afford to talk to him during my lunch hours.

My own son, the one I dote on ,the one I am fiercely protective about is just 4 years younger than this young man sitting in front of me. This young man who won’t look me in my eye, who sits with his  head drooping down. I am dying to give him a hug and tell him everything will be okay.The world is a good place to live in. Insecurities come and go. You have to hold your head high and spirit higher. You gotta be brave. Everyone gets by!

Anyway, I write him some placebos. He goes to fetch his medicines from the pharmacy, comes back twice to my room under some pretext or other. Only, I can’t give him more time . I have patients now. He needs a shoulder to cry on. No one likes to feel  lonely.

I have to learn not to get emotional about my patients.

But I could do with a magic wand. Any leads?

Okay, Gaurav is 5 years old, he is super cute. I plonked him on my table post treatment and he told me his ( girl)friend’s name is Kaya. He also graciously agreed to take a selfie with me. He got two candies from me. He is saving one to give to Kaya at school tomorrow......

Life goes on!!!