Seven

The case of Mr. Werther is one of those cases I just hate to see. I can't help but think that If my services had been requested during his ordeal, I could have easily helped him. Werther wasn't a horrible person. In my line of work I see many patients who are really screwed up. Werther just wanted to be with someone he loved. He began having many textbook symptoms such as believing that he can have Lottie, even though she is spoken for. But it is only a matter of time before reality catches up to the dreamer. When reality caught up to Werther he experienced the crash of his mind coming back to reality. This "crash" led him to his final fate, and is very unfortunate.

There is no avoiding the "crash." But if my services had been requested I could have lessened the impact. In Werther's case, the earlier I reach him the better. The less attached he his to Lottie, the easier it is to bring him back to reality. If I could have reached him right after he found out Lottie was spoken for, I could have helped him realize there was nothing he could do. If I could have worked with him after Albert tried to end their friendship, I could have supported him in finding a new relationship. And If I had been able to approach him once he became suicidal, I could have given him positive things to focus on. Knowing that a man died that I could have helped is unfortunate, but it is something I see all the time in my line of business.