The price of Exaggeration

Dr Aditya Rattan mulls over the negativity created by the habitual use of hyperbole and suggests curbing this tendency to keep away undesirable energies

- Dr Aditya Rattan

It was an extremely busy day in the OPD, and I was getting edgy. I enquired from the reception and got to know that only two more patients were left to be examined. A lady in her mid-fifties entered the cabin; it was her first visit. She started narrating her symptoms, explaining every aspect of the pain a doctor needed to know, like the location of the pain, its triggers, the duration of the episode, and the frequency of such episodes. It amused me that she could go on and on without me having to work hard at extracting all the clinical information. She explained the exact location and could trace the pain to the back of her head very specifically and added that this was disturbing her sleep of late and interfering with her schedule. I consoled her and prescribed her some medicines asking her to revisit me after a week.

Her exit paved the way for the last man waiting to enter my chamber. This young guy had come for a follow-up for his stomachache. It didn’t take me much time to modify his prescription and wrap up the morning session after he replied he was feeling better.

Spreading negativity