Abstract
She looks around; the lecture hall is full but she is alone. Is she numb to everyone around her? This is how she feels. Autumn fades in, trees riot with colour. Medical school has just begun. But already, she feels she’s at her end. She hurries out. Others have made friends, they laugh and talk so freely. But only in solitude she’s least alone, trapped in her tortured mind. Lectures are in full flow. Others balance work and play so seamlessly. But she’s drowning in essays, smothered by deadlines. No one hears her gasp for help. Winter comes and branches lay bare; the desolation mirrors her hollow soul. Placements begin; others embrace treating patients but she struggles to care for herself. Her parents visit each month, “Think positive. You’ll get over it,” but no-one understands the blackness, the loneliness, the self-loathing. She’s grateful for the support but still she’s crumbling and falling. She looks around; the lecture hall is full but she is alone. She is numb to everyone around her. This is how she feels.
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