"Robert knew that he hurt, that he was a damaged person; he could see his blood upon the pavement, taste it in his mouth and see it on his hands. And yet, like all other human beings, he too could desire narcissistic distinction in his misfortune, along with the desire even more for narcissistic comfort. Nobody wants a picayune headache: since a headache must be endured, let it be so colossal that only the sufferer could endure it. Human pride is so curiously good and comforting! Therefore, Robert's attention was doubly directed to two vital issues of comprehensible importance to him by the simple statements, 'That's an awful lot of blood on the pavement. Is it good, red, strong blood? Look carefully, Mother, and see. I think it is, but I want you to be sure.' "
Examination proved it to be good strong blood, but it was necessary to verify this by examination of it against the white background of the bathroom sink. In this way the boy, who had ceased crying in pain and fright, was cleaned up. When he went to the doctor for stitches the question was whether he would get as many as his sister had once been given. The suturing was done without anesthetic on a boy who was an interested participant in the procedure.
Although Dr. Erickson has a local practice, many of the patients who come to see him have traveled considerable distances. Patients will fly from as far as New York or from Mexico City to be relieved of their troubles almost as if visiting a surgeon, and others commute irregularly from the West Coast. In recent years both his practice and his teaching have been curtailed because of illness. When he attends an occasional meeting now it is in a wheelchair, and his work load at home is reduced.
Copyright © 1967, Jay Haley Taken fromAdvanced Techniques of Hypnosis and Therapy: Selected Papers of Miton H. Erickson, M.D.. Grune and Statton Publishers, New York, pp. 1-6. [Reprinted with the permission of the author]
正在提交中...
