I nodded and noted her words in my notepad. “What do those voices say, Miss Elara?” "They are not words or sentences, Doctor. They are simply voices—nagging at me, hitting my head all the time." She raised her hands to touch her temples, getting lost for a moment before continuing. "I was playing with my niece one day when I heard some gibberish whispers. I didn't put much thought into it; I simply ignored it. Later that night, I could not sleep. I kept waking up to those voices. It happened for three days, and once I couldn't handle it anymore, I came here." “When did it start?” “Five months ago.” I nodded and wrote down my speculations. “Do you live in a crowded house, or alone?” “I live alone mostly, but sometimes my niece comes to visit, and we have a family get-together twice a month.” “How do you feel, talking about these voices?” It was vital to acknowledge her emotions now. Only then could I know if she was truly becoming used to these voices or if she was strictly uncomfortable. "I am feeling quite in control at the moment," she said. But she wasn't in control at all. "Maybe because I have voiced them so often that it has become like a side story —one I just keep reciting." She smiled, but it was strained. She wasn't truly opening up. "Tell me about your life before it all started happening." She raised her eyebrows and looked at me, confused. Judging by her expression, it seemed none of the doctors had asked her this before. "I was a bright kid. Not the top of the class, but I could grasp any concept in minutes. I am still a student, but I've frozen my semester because I couldn't focus anymore. Because….” She paused, “...of the voices." “Did you have many friends?” "Yes……No.” She thought for a moment, “Maybe... perhaps. I had many in school; almost the whole class was in communication with me. But not so much in university. I only have one close friend there." “Is there a reason behind that?” "I just... You know, after high school, I simply felt like people judged me a lot. Whenever I walked through the university, I felt a constant urge to go home." She paused, seemingly realizing this for the first time herself. “People kept giving me comical looks and staring at me strangely.” “Did anyone say anything?” I asked. "Never. Everyone I talked to was really nice at the moment, but once the conversation ended, I always caught them looking at me strangely afterwards." I wrote "Overthinking" in my notepad. “Did it ever happen outside the university?” "All the time. My only regular outings were to the university and then straight home. Even that was difficult. I started ordering home delivery for everything I needed." I wrote "Extreme Isolation" in my notepad.
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