I could feel the finger pointing

Even touching my chest

But I listened, did my best

As she sobbed and told me about her anxiety

Stomach pains

Tingling in the depths of her brain

Tension almighty! 

Her job was stressing her out 

I nodded, with stooped shoulders, and didn’t doubt it

She was my 18th patient of the day

And I considered as she babbled how we all seem to be in each other’s way

She said Zepbound didn’t help 

And Zoloft left her feeling like someone other than herself 

She said a lot of, “You guys said….”

Turns out we had said a lot of things 

And we were the reason behind everything

Mainly her work stress and why she had nothing left 

Another sting: “YOU guys!!!”

The tears dumped out of her eyes 

Therapy was elusive 

Her negative thoughts so intrusive 

I just listened, didn’t get defensive

I thought of the self-help book I recently read 

About how anger, anxiety, and depression are all in a person’s head 

Other people can’t make you feel a certain way 

Just like this woman couldn’t make me feel guilty or incompetent 

After talking with her I surely felt spent 

But wisdom is to allow people their problems 

She was looking for meat in the milk department 

I didn’t even dish my usual allotment 

Just a therapy referral 

She was as restless as a squirrel 

Sure, exercise would do some good too 

And I hoped she could realize the problem is never YOU (someone else)

And all my little bubbling emotions that stirred as she spoke 

Were my own beliefs about triggering events that awoke

Beliefs and reality should mirror each other, as the book says

In this disjointed matrix 

Where irrational beliefs have legs 

If we give way to them 

So tonight I reflect on my shortcomings and cynicism 

I supposed we’re all somewhere on some textbook’s spectrum 

Remember that the problem is never them 

Look at reality and at the mirror 

What have YOU said?

What’s in your head?