Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 96 Painting

Chapter 96 Painting
Li Minglu's smile wasn't a stiff, socially obligatory twitch of the lips, but a very natural smile that involved his eyebrows, eyes, and the entire face.

Quite natural.

However, although he simulated as many characteristics of "laughter" as possible, there were still some shortcomings in the details.

For example, deep within the eye.

If Nan Zhuren hadn't possessed the skill of "micro-expression analysis," he might have been fooled.

Is it precisely because of this "performance of smiling" that he was granted permission for referral, even managing to deceive the professional team at Jiangda University and be transferred to Yan Nuo's fledgling consultation center?

Nan Zhuren frowned slightly inwardly, but maintained a gentle smile on his face: "My name is Nan Zhuren, you can call me Teacher Nan."

The visitor smiled and said, "Hello, Professor Nan, my name is Li Minglu."

They seem to be equally matched masters of facial expression management.

……

Using a smile to mask the real problem is also a form of defense.

Considering the visitor's situation, it could also be a form of extremely strong defense.

Now, I just hope that this kind of "defense" is only in daily life and not in counseling, otherwise Nan Zhuren may have to spend several counseling sessions to overcome this problem.

Nan Zhuren composed himself and continued with the opening remarks he used to put visitors at ease.

"I'm sorry for spending so much time working on those scales."

“…I understand.” Li Minglu smiled, seemingly comforting Nan Zhuren instead.

“When I was doing consultations before, I also spent a lot of time doing these things, and I understand their purpose... I also know that these are necessary after coming to see you, Teacher Nan.”

After speaking, Li Minglu hesitated for a moment: "Teacher Nan looks very young. May I ask how old you are?"

"I'm 24 this year."

Nan Zhuren observed the other person's expression.

[Longing? Envy?]

“…Being a psychological counselor at 24 is really great…” Li Minglu said.

Nan Zhuren smiled and got to the point of the consultation.

First, let me explain the consultation plan.

"This is our first consultation today, so I need to understand you from multiple perspectives. In addition to your past feelings about yourself, I also need to know about your general interactions with your previous psychologists and therapists, is that alright?"

Unlike before when she would actively guide the conversation, Nan Zhuren explained the process in great detail this time.

On the one hand, this client had undergone long-term drug treatment and counseling intervention and was quite familiar with the counseling process; in such cases, if one tries to maintain an air of mystery or deliberately hide something, it is easy to backfire and damage the counseling relationship.

At the same time, for depression, Nan Zhuren hopes to increase the client's sense of participation and even control in the counseling process as much as possible.

This is also part of the consultation.

Li Minglu maintained his smile, and unconsciously pursed his lips: "...Okay."

"The materials say that you went to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment on your own initiative the first time. Can you talk about what you were feeling at the time that made you do that?"

"……OK."

Li Minglu quieted down.

Of course, Li Minglu remained quiet throughout.

But his previous silence was a disguised silence.

At this moment, the smile on his face gradually faded, revealing a numbness that Nan Zhuren was quite familiar with, like a statue.

Only the occasional trembling of his eyes suggested that he seemed to be lost in memories and thoughts. If Li Minglu before was a quiet piece of wood, standing silently in a corner, then now, this piece of wood seemed to be slowly seeping out black sap, even beginning to stain the surrounding environment, thus attracting attention.

This situation actually put Nan Zhuren at ease.

The defenses have been downgraded.

His defensive stance is directed at daily life, not at counseling, which will save us a lot of trouble later.

This makes sense; visitors who actively seek help are unlikely to be overly defensive during counseling.

As Li Minglu pondered, he spoke slowly:

"...It was about a year and a half ago when I first saw a doctor."

"...I am a painter, and my painting style...is rather melancholic. This style seems to be quite popular, so I have been painting in this style."

"At first, I just felt uncomfortable at night, really uncomfortable. I didn't think much of it, because people in my line of work often feel this way, and sometimes we even need some negative feelings to stimulate inspiration."

"But after such a long period of time, one day I suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable. I suddenly threw down my paintbrush, curled up in a corner and started trembling. After trembling, I rolled around, my body and various paints mingling together."

Li Minglu pursed his lips: "I felt like I was out of control at that moment."

[A depressive episode? It also sounds a bit like a panic attack.]

"During that time, I couldn't sleep or eat anything all day. I couldn't concentrate on drawing at all, and I got tired very quickly."

Sleep disturbances, changes in appetite, decreased energy, declining cognitive abilities...?

Nan Zhuren didn't speak, but silently compared Li Minglu's statement with the symptoms of depression to diagnose the severity of his episode.

According to the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases) criteria, this meets at least four additional symptoms, and the duration is quite long... I wonder how many of the typical symptoms are present.

"After that, I lost interest in drawing..."

Li Minglu's eyes were fixed on one spot as he spoke; he was narrating, and he was filled with sorrow.

“I only like drawing, and I have always liked drawing. But after that, when I pick up a paintbrush, my mind goes blank, and I can no longer find joy in drawing.”

"But I have to draw because it's my job, so I force myself to use some very formulaic methods to outline those lines. It's tedious, just to complete the work..."

At this point, Li Minglu paused for a moment.

Nan Zhuren, having already empathized with the situation, tried to understand the other person's thought process and guided the conversation with a question: "But you don't like painting like this?"

"Yes, I don't like it."

Li Minglu nodded.

Nodding was the first action he made during such a long narration.

"So later, whenever I touched a pen, my whole body would stiffen and my mind would go blank."

Loss of enjoyment in life – this is the most important and typical symptom.

“I knew this wouldn’t work, so I went to see a psychologist.”

Nan Zhuren looked down and asked, "Did you go to the psychiatric department of Jiangdu University Affiliated Hospital?"

"Correct."

　The author was scammed online and went to see Uncle Hat three times today.

　　It's very mentally taxing, so I'll probably only be able to write one chapter a day for today and for a short period of time afterward.

　　Furthermore, after communicating with the editor, the possibility of a second revival is unlikely, so we'll prepare to put it on the shelves soon.

　　Once it's released, updates will become more consistent...