Thursday, January 31, 2008

You Eat Donuts Like A Psychiatrist

So I'm sitting in Dunkin Donuts having an apple fritter when this nice cleancut young guy walks up to me and says, "You should be eating a muffin."

I looked at him. He was nicely but casually dressed, in an Old Navy/Gap kind of way. I was sure I didn't know him. "Pardon?" I said.

"Dr. Ellen says you should be eating a muffin. She compared a bagel with cream cheese to an egg McMuffin, and said the muffin was better."

At this point I was rather intrigued. He engaged me in a long discussion of nutrition, exercise, the importance of balance in life. He was animated, gestured a bit, talked a lot but not too loud or fast.

"You're doctor, aren't you? You seem nice." he said.

OK, that spooked me a bit because I hadn't told him anything at all about myself. I admitted I was a doctor. Then he went on to tell me about his family (aging mother caring for father with Alzheimer's, multiple brothers and sisters overly involved in his life) and I began to catch the drift that he was having a bit of trouble breaking away from the conversation. I wasn't surprised when he mentioned he had bipolar disorder. By this time I was expecting it.

"You're a psychiatrist, aren't you?" he said.

OK, spooked again. I definitely didn't mention I was a psychiatrist. I know I've never seen this guy before.

"Uh, yeah," I said.

"I thought so. You seem nice."

He told me about his psychiatrist (someone I know, a non-Shrink Rap colleague of mine), his clinic (not too far away from my prison). He handed me a religious brochure, told me to "keep doing what you're doing, God bless you," and then left. He promised to say hi to his psychiatrist for me.

I still don't know how he pegged me as a psychiatrist. I guess I eat donuts like a psychiatrist.

10 comments:

Dinah said...

Wow. I want this to be my post.

ClinkShrink said...

I kept thinking of your 'eating salad like a psychiatrist' post, which for the life of me now I can't find.

Rach said...

Clink - you mean
this one?

NeoNurseChic said...

Don't people with certain psych disorders sometimes have moments that seem like clairvoyance? I know I read that somewhere...

At any rate - good post. Seems quite nice of you to have listened to him!

Take care,
Carrie :)

Anonymous said...

I had a psychiatrist I'd never met before peg me as depressed just by standing in an elevator with me for 5 floors. I found that spooky.

ClinkShrink said...

Thanks Rach! Link added.

Carrie: He was the highlight of my day.

Michelle: Wow, and I get criticized for short appointments!

Rach said...

Gonna be nit-picky here:

Is an apple fritter the same as a donut? Maybe you eat apple fritters like a psychiatrist, but donuts like a regular person? Maybe I need to spend more time in Tim Horton's?
Am I psychoanalyzing your carbohydrate intake too much, Clink?

ClinkShrink said...

Rach: If I call it a donut then no one can say I'm frittering away my time.

Anonymous said...

I wish I would have gotten his name and phone number! I was looking for a psychiatrist at the time (after 3 failed attempts), but I was just too stunned. I've never seen him again, and I ride that elevator every day.

Uma said...

A blog by shrinks, for shrinks and...about shrinks too!