Its the little things that matter.

Started Child Psychiatry this week under my Psychiatry postings. Can't believe we've only got 1 week for Child Psych. I wish it was longer :(

Anyways, saw a 16 year old girl today with a really long history. Basically my consultant asked me to sit in on his one-to-one session with her where he was asking her a lot of questions regarding her mood and what not.

A little bit of history: this girl took 24 Paracetamols and 2 Ibuprofen a couple of months ago in an attempt to commit suicide but was rushed to the hospital by her mother. She was severely depressed due to the recent death of her grandmother and uncle, was being bullied in school because she had seizures and had really low self esteem. She was also self-harming in the form of cutting.

She seemed well today when we saw her. She talked about her suicide attempt and how she felt like there was no point in living at that time and how easy it was to end it all. The self harm, she said, was a much easier pain to bear than the emotional hurt she was going through. She says now though that she knows what she did was wrong and she's getting better. One of the things she said when the consultant asked her how she got better really struck me.

" People think I got better due to the counselling and psychiatric visits. Well, it did help a little, but what helped the most was the little silly and random things my friends and family did for me. Just being there, even when they don't say anything, helped."

It was too emotional a session for me. I just wanted to run out of the room and cry. *sigh* I know. WEAK :(

Anyways, it got me thinking, sometimes we take all the little things in life forgranted. Got to be reminded that it's not always about the big picture, because sometimes, it's the little things that matter.

xoxo, elvyna.