In Treatment: Sunil (It's Back!)

The following originally appeared on Shrink Rap.

Paul is tired, irritable, and balancing a long-distance relationship with his son and a new girlfriend. Oh, and he has a tremor.

A new patient arrives with his adult son and daughter-in-law. Mr. Sunil has just arrived in New York City and he's not doing very well--he's been depressed since his wife died 6 months ago. There is obvious tension between the patient and the daughter-in-law; she finds him to be scary and he finds her to be controlling. Oh, and the son is an osteopath who is prescribing Effexor for his father. And Effexor doesn't work, especially since the patient buriess them in the dirt---but the plant in his room is flourishing.

The kids leave, the father speaks. He rolls a cigarette and smokes. He talks of the losses in his life—he misses his wife. His son moved to America and changed his name. He doesn't approve of his daughter-in-law, and there is a cultural/ethnic divide. She is empty, Sunil says, and looks to others to bow to her to let her feel important.

Mr. Sunil would like a prescription to go home to India, for his wife to be alive, to have a wonderful dinner with her, to tell her about his days, to fall asleep by her side. They set another appointment and wish each other a good day.

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