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Just My Fantasy
Sep. 17th, 2004 12:18 pmWhen I was thirteen or so, I had weekly sessions with a psychiatrist. Her name was Dolores. I think I called her by her first name; she may've been the first adult that I did that with. I always felt a little awkward about it.
I read a lot as a kid, mostly fantasy and science fiction. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as an adult, but "writing fantasy" was definitely high on the list. One session, Dolores and I were talking about my fantasy life: the books I read, my fantasies about them, my imagined people and worlds, the role-playing games I'd been involved in.
Dolores told me, "You'll have to give that up someday, when you grow up."
And I got very upset with her. I didn't plan to give it up. The books I was reading were written by adults, the games I was playing were created by adults. They were played and read by adults. I didn't see why I would have to give it up.
But she insisted: "These are childish things. You'll outgrow them. You have to live in the real world eventually."
Afterwards, I asked my mother what she thought. She took my side, and she told me something every patient should know about psychiatrists: "Most people get involved in the field of psychiatry because they've had mental problems of their own. They're human, too. You may have just hit on a sensitive issue for her."
( These Childish Things )
I read a lot as a kid, mostly fantasy and science fiction. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do as an adult, but "writing fantasy" was definitely high on the list. One session, Dolores and I were talking about my fantasy life: the books I read, my fantasies about them, my imagined people and worlds, the role-playing games I'd been involved in.
Dolores told me, "You'll have to give that up someday, when you grow up."
And I got very upset with her. I didn't plan to give it up. The books I was reading were written by adults, the games I was playing were created by adults. They were played and read by adults. I didn't see why I would have to give it up.
But she insisted: "These are childish things. You'll outgrow them. You have to live in the real world eventually."
Afterwards, I asked my mother what she thought. She took my side, and she told me something every patient should know about psychiatrists: "Most people get involved in the field of psychiatry because they've had mental problems of their own. They're human, too. You may have just hit on a sensitive issue for her."
( These Childish Things )
