Point Of View 2 [*Do not read until you've read the same chapter of ATW]

Chapter 134 & 135 Sober, Sad, and Single/Welcome To The Jungle

"The last time you spoke to me as a therapist you were pregnant. Would you like to start there?"

"What? No." My eyes immediately shift to Evan who has a stunned look on his face. He notices it immediately and wipes the slate clean, hardening his features back into that of a statue. No emotion.

"Obviously I lost the baby. That's not why I'm here. I'm not here because of your cousin either." I retort in an angry manner, letting Jeremy know I'm aware him and Dave are related. God, I opened up to Donovan about my ex. His cousin. Hell, it was Jeremy to help me get the restraining order.

"Right." A bit of color appears on the kid's cheeks. "But you can talk about him if you need to, Trisha. Again, what you say stays in this room. Believe me, I know how he is."

I nod, accepting that and softening up a little.

"I'm having a hard time driving." I blurt out of nowhere.

"Driving?" Jeremy raises his brows and jots that down in his notebook.

"Because of the accident."

The doctor nods, now understanding.

"Describe what happens when you drive." He says, again with a warm genuine tone to his voice that helps ease my tension.

"I don't know. I freak out. I relive the collision in my head. It's getting bad though. I wake up in the middle of the night from these nightmares. often. But they aren't dreams. They really happened." I begin and feel Evan's eyes on me.

"My bodyguard had to pull me out of my car in the middle of an intersection because I was so stuck in it. Thinking about it." I open up easily to the doctor now. Jeremy places the notepad on the small table next to him and rests his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. Again, All professional doctor mode. But no longer taking notes.

"Trisha. Car accidents are the leading cause of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD. Survivors may experience flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance behaviors, and heightened reactivity, often triggered by reminders of the accident." Jeremy's intellect shines.

"Great. So what do I do about it?!"

"Well," He takes his glasses off and puts them with the notebook. I notice he does this often and wonder if he really only needs glasses to read things. He looks me right in the eyes, completely focused. "It's not an easy fix."

"Fucking great." I huff. "I knew this was a waste of time, Evan." 

"No, Trisha. PTSD is something that needs to be addressed. It's not some small ailment that will go away in time. Like I told Jul-" He quickly stops himself and clears his throat. I am not like Julia. I hope he is not comparing me to her. She's a fucking mess.

Though we do have a few things in common. We were both in that car accident. We were both sexually abused by someone we trusted, one of them being in this damn room right now. We are both addicted to people and both in love with Nate. Jesus Christ, I'm more like her than I thought.

"What I tell my other patients." Jeremy rephrases and starts over. "It's crucial to seek professional help. There are all different types of therapeutic options that are very effective treatments for PTSD. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma focused CBT, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing are all effective treatments. In some cases, medication, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs are used to help manage symptoms."

"I'm not taking fucking meds. I see how they fuck up your "other" patients." I squint my eyes at him.

"My 'other' patients are very complex individuals. With more than one mental illness. Trisha do NOT compare yourself to her." Jeremy catches on quick, making me look away in embarrassment.