After listening to a patient tell me about her life, I told her positive thinking leads to a better life.

The patient, 25, told me she did not have a high school degree and worked as a custodian for the city. She was encouraged to get a physical by her supervisor after learning it was free with her health insurance. This was her first doctor’s visit since she gave birth to her third child. She revealed all her children were fathered by three different men with whom she had no current relationships. When I asked her about her support system, she told me she had not spoken with her mother or siblings for five years and did not know her father or grandparents. She was an attractive lady, but slightly overweight. I noticed she made as little eye contact as possible with me during the interview and physical.

As a family physician, it is my responsibility to medically and psychologically assess every patient and provide medical and/or psychological care, as needed. In this case, after a physical exam, vital signs, and labs all with normal findings, I initiated treatment of her emotional state. I am a strong advocate of a type of psychotherapy called cognitive psychotherapy. This is a form of therapy that involves interactions with patients that help them look at things from a more positive viewpoint. I asked the patient to try to “look at the glass as half full.” I scheduled the patient to come in for an appointment every two weeks.

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