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Side sim - Time to hang out in the Lounge

Posted Oct. 15, 2021, 9:40 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) (Lucas Foxley)

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Chief of Psychiatry) in Side sim - Time to hang out in the Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim - Time to hang out in the Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Chief of Psychiatry) in Side sim - Time to hang out in the Lounge
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
“Oh no. I hate belaboring a point, or to take a human phrase, beat a dead horse. I’ve never seen a horse actually, so not sure why one would beat a dead one.” Séan said in a deadpan manner then smiled broadly. “Besides, exasperation seems an emotion and I think you may have reacted to it. So I don’t know that I need to really make any further points.”

CoP Iven

“I have never understood that saying,” said Solal, reminding himself rather harshly to keep his emotions better under control. “I suppose all this was to make your point, then?” His tea arrived, and he took a sip of it.

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor

Séan sat up fully on his stool and shook his head solemnly. “That wasn’t the point I was going for. It does help illustrate what point I wanted to make though, and that is denying that emotions can affect you, influence you, and cause you to unconsciously make decisions or choices that you might not otherwise is a potentially dangerous self-deception. The single most unprepared aspect for Vulcans is when they cannot control their emotions. Will you know how to cope with rage filling your mind? Will you be okay if you’re morose and don’t feel like living? There are enough conditions, contaminants, and external anomalies that can strip away your control. There are times the meditation doesn’t work and your frustration mounts because it isn’t. Will you beat yourself up over a perceived failure or would you rather adapt and find a new coping mechanism? These are just some points I’d like you to think about.”

CoP Iven

The memories of Solal’s school days came to the front of his mind, times before the meditation had helped him gain control of himself. His emotions were Vulcan, felt strongly and difficult to keep in check. Could he cope with rage as Séan described? Or crushing sadness? He hadn’t been able to before, that’s why his adoptive parents had done their best to help him learn the mediation. Which, infuriatingly, proved Séan’s point. “Why do you feel the need to tell me this?” He asked.

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor

“The mental health of the crew I serve with is a responsibility I take very seriously. Professionally I disagree with the Vulcan’s approach to managing their mental health, but I still respect their methodology as it’s based on their culture. But like all cultures I believe the values need to be assessed, challenged, and changed if it no longer benefits the society it serves.” Séan smiled softly. “But more importantly you seemed as if you needed someone to talk to and I’m always happy to be there. I’m unsure about your background or circumstances but I get the feeling that you’re searching for your identity. Yes you’re Vulcan, at least in part, but you’re also Human. So what makes you, well, you?”

CoP Iven

“The meditation works, nothing else ever did,” replied Solal. He’d been trying to figure that out most of his life and even now, he didn’t have a good answer to the question. He’d never fit in on earth, and he’d more or less always been at odds with his human side. He’d always felt more Vulcan, despite never having been able to visit the planet. As for what ‘made him, him’, he just didn’t know. Instead of saying anything, he simply shrugged.

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor

“When did you first learn of the Vulcan meditation techniques?” Séan asked curiously. “And when you say it works, how do you mean? Is it like packing up whatever emotions you’re feeling and putting them in a place removed enough that it’s effects diminish?”

CoP Iven

“I thought you’d studied Vulcan practices?” Solal said, implying that if he had, he should know how the meditation works. He ignored the first question entirely as he sipped the tea.

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor

Séan raised an amused eyebrow. “I have, but there are multiple techniques. How one visualizes, or doesn’t, the framework of their mind can be different from someone else. An often used technique for someone who wants to compartmentalize their mind and have certain aspects not affecting others will build a mind palace, where hurtful memories are locked away in a distant corner of their mind. Tangentially doing something like a mind palace is fantastic for memory recall.”

CoP Iven

“I don’t visualize anything, I focus on letting them go, without affecting my actions, without really feeling them. I remind myself that emotions are fleeting, not worth my focus,” Solal explained. “You might try it some time.”

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor

Séan shook his head with a grin. “I’m not made for dismissing my emotions out of hand. I’ve tried when I was younger and all that accomplished was me acting out on poorly repressed feelings. As I got older, and bigger, any subsequent episode led to me hurting other kids. It was when I thought I could intimidate an older, smaller man of asian descent that I came to realize two things. Fighting with rage fueling you makes you sloppy and if I didn’t have the skill to use my physical advantage then I may as well not even try. I got my butt kicked pretty handily but it was a fortuitous encounter. I met someone who could teach me to focus all of my pent up rage, guilt, angst, depression on a far more worthwhile outlet.”

CoP Iven

“The difference being that I have not fought anyone since learning to suppress my emotions,” Solal said. When he was younger, his anger got out of control and… he was usually able to redirect, break something instead of hurt someone.

~ Lt JG Solal, Doctor


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