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I couldn’t remember the last time I was so scared. Despite my efforts to rationalize Li’s threat and minimize it, deep down I knew I was in trouble. I hardly got any sleep that night, an hour or two at most. I was hyperventilating and had to reach into my medicine cabinet for a strong dose of Valium. I dispensed medication to my patients, but did it judiciously as I believed the aggravating symptoms were messages the body sent, warning the person to take some needed action to return to a state of balance, a homeostasis. Symptoms were protective mechanisms. Eliminating them with medication frequently also eliminated the need to resolve the cause of the problem. But sometimes the symptoms were so severe to be overriding, demanding nearly total focus and allowing no room for decision-maki
