When Worlds Collide (Taynew)

episode ✍️ 36

The doctor began explaining quickly, "When New was brought here as a child, he was terrified. He couldn’t sleep at night because of constant nightmares, which led to severe panic attacks and uncontrollable crying. His family first took him to other hospitals, but nothing worked. They tried therapy, but it wasn’t effective, so they brought him here. At first, we couldn’t understand why the nightmares were so intense. Most people have nightmares occasionally, and some might even experience mild panic, but New was different. He was so traumatized by the incident that every night, he would relive it in his nightmares, crying and having panic attacks. We tried therapy, but it wasn’t working.

"I discussed his case with a friend of mine from America, and we came to understand that certain parts of his brain couldn’t handle the sudden shock of what happened. Some people can process bad events over time, but others can't—they become overwhelmed by the trauma. For New, the memory of the incident was so terrifying that he would think about it constantly, leading to nightmares and panic attacks. His family and I were worried because he wasn’t sleeping at night. We were afraid he might fall into depression.

"We ran multiple tests and consulted specialists, including my American friend, and finally, we found a new therapy that helped. Gradually, he began to improve, but he became extremely afraid of the dark. So, we suggested that his family keep a light on everywhere in the house so that New would feel safe whenever he opened his eyes. This strategy, along with keeping him busy with play and other activities, worked. We also provided some medication that helped him. However, about three months later, a school incident set him back. Some of his school friends intentionally locked him in a dark room. He was only there for about 30 minutes, but it was enough to cause him to pass out. His teacher found him unconscious, and his family told me what happened.

"After that, his condition became more complicated. We re-examined his brain, and some areas started to show signs of shutting down. We sent him abroad for better treatment, and he did improve, but we advised his family to be extremely careful. They’ve been very attentive, even hiring bodyguards for him. New eventually got used to the bodyguards, though it made him wonder why his family was so much more protective than other parents. But day by day, he got better, and we were all relieved. His family stayed in touch with me, though recently, I’ve been busy, so we haven’t talked as much. New didn’t know that, and we didn’t want him to.

The doctor continued, "I think I should examine him again. Something must have triggered these recent nightmares." Tay nodded and then explained everything that had happened.

The doctor listened carefully before saying, "It seems like he's bringing all his old memories back together. One positive thing is that he hadn’t had a nightmare for some time after the incident—until now. But seeing you fight someone so violently must have stirred those memories again."

Tay nodded in agreement.

The doctor went on, "What's different now is that it looks like he trusts you a lot. That might be why you’ve been able to calm him down and even help him sleep properly. His whole family used to struggle to get him to sleep after his nightmares."

Tay remained silent as the doctor suggested, "Let me examine him, just to be sure." Tay nodded once again, and the doctor called New in for a series of tests. The examination took about two hours, and when the results were finally ready, the doctor looked at them and smiled.

Tay, still worried, asked, "Is everything okay?"

The doctor replied, "Yes, absolutely. He's actually doing better than before."

New, who had been listening in, smiled and said, "See? I told you I’m okay. You brought me here for nothing!" He then headed off to play with the kids again, leaving Tay and the doctor to continue their conversation.