Closed Getting Help

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Plot ID#87702
Trigger warning for anxiety and panic attacks

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When Professor Pendleton recommended talking to the school counsellor, Flavio felt unsure at first, in a state of denial and disbelief that what he was experiencing were actually panic attacks that could be helped if he spoke about his problems, rather than it being a sickness he needed to overcome. But the more he tried to think about his situation logically, the more it made sense, and if he was able to work on the things that were bothering him before his exams began, the less distracted he would be and this motivated him to head to the counsellor's office in the library that afternoon. As Flavio knocked on the door, he still felt uneasy about the whole ordeal of talking to someone, but he tried to remind himself his decision was for the best, and that even if it would be difficult, he wanted nothing more than to deal with all his negative feelings so he knew how to cope if they returned. Flavio had never seen a counsellor before and he wasn't sure how everything worked, but he was willing to try if it meant he could feel better and his grades wouldn't be in trouble. He stood by the door to the office as he waited for an answer, wondering what would happen next.​

 

[Maria Madison]

Some of Maria's appointments could be more difficult than others, and she always needed a moment to collect herself after the rough ones. After seeing a particularly challenging client, Maria took a few minutes to herself, sipping a cup of tea and collecting her thoughts. As she gathered her thoughts though, Maria heard a knock on her door. Her moment of calm would have to wait until later. Setting down her cup and standing up, Maria took a deep breath before approaching the door, opening it with a warm smile. She didn't recognise the boy on the other side, but opened her door wider nonetheless for him to come inside. "Hi, I'm Maria, can I help you with something?" She asked gently, wanting to make him feel welcome.

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

The woman that answered seemed kind, though that didn't make Flavio feel comfortable announcing why he was there in the middle of the library. As much as he thought he understood that getting help was important, he did not want to talk about the problems he was having in a quiet space when he could worry someone would overhear. So when she opened the door to the office wider, Flavio walked in, turned around, and spoke to her quietly after the door was shut again. "Professor Pendleton recommended that I talk to you about things that are happening to me. He told me that I am having panic attacks." He explained, the term 'panic attack' still feeling foreign as he said it. "Are you able to help me with this?" Flavio asked shortly afterwards, looking from the floor and to the woman. He hoped she would be able to help him. He couldn't imagine, and did not want to experience something so awful again and he wanted to take steps to better his situation, no matter how difficult it might be. ​

 

[Maria Madison]

The boy looked clearly nervous as he entered her office, and Maria kept her smile warm and welcoming, closing the door quickly behind him to give him some privacy. She nodded as she listened to his problems, and gestured him to the seat she reserved for students who came to see her. "I certainly can. Would you like a cup of tea?" She asked gently, as she resumed her own seat, and flicked her wand to her quill and parchment to get them taking notes for her. "That's exactly the kind of thing I'm here for. Before we start, there are a few privacy things I have to go over. Everything that you say to me during our sessions is strictly confidential, unless you give explicit permission I'll never discuss anything we talk about with anyone else. There are only two exceptions to that rule... if I feel that you're in immediate danger of hurting yourself, or someone else, I'm legally obligated to tell your Head of House, so that appropriate steps can be taken to keep everyone safe. But you can feel completely safe talking to me about anything, without fear of judgement, or rumours." She smiled reassuringly, crossing her legs as she tried to decide where to begin. "So, panic attacks. That's no good. Panic attacks can be really frightening, especially when you don't know what's happening. To start off, can you tell me what happens when you have an attack?" She asked gently. "Take your time, and if it gets too much to talk about, you can stop any time. I don't want you to take yourself to a bad place to tell me, but the more I know about your attacks, the better I'll be able to help you figure out what's causing them."

 

[Flavio Morales-Tipene]

Flavio sat down in the seat the woman gestured to, then shook his head politely when she asked if he wanted a cup of tea. At the flick of her wand a quill and parchment were at the ready to write which left him a little uneasy. He watched the quill intently, and hoped she wouldn't be writing down his words to ridicule him later. He was quickly reassured when she mentioned everything he said would be kept confidential, and returned his gaze to her and nodded to show he understood. Her question about how he felt when the attacks happened caused him to pause for a moment, considering how to voice his thoughts. Putting the experience and feelings into words wasn't something he was sure he could do accurately, and thinking about how awful the panic attacks were was not what he truly wanted to do, but he tried to answer the question as accurately as possible. "Most of the time I feel scared, terrified." He began. "I always want to be alone when it happens, I do not want my friends or family to worry about me. The feeling starts in my stomach and chest and grows, and when it gets bad I can not stand, I never feel like I can breathe, either, like my chest and neck are suffocating me." Flavio wasn't sure what else to say, or how else he could explain the way he felt. Without being in the moment he knew he wouldn't be able to describe what happened in full detail.​

 

[Maria Madison]

Maria listened seriously to the boy's description, nodding thoughtfully. "That definitely sounds like a panic attack." She said gently. "And it sounds like you've been having particularly rough ones. The good news is that this is something you can learn to get a handle on with practice. If we can find the root of why you're having these attacks and address it, we can take steps towards giving you control over them." She said with a reassuring smile. "Can you think of any common event or thought that's been causing them? Is there something, or a few things, maybe, that are contributing to you feeling particularly anxious at the moment? Again, if it's too difficult to talk about you can take a break at any time. I'm not trying to send you into an attack by making you think about these things."