Posted by Lieutenant Commander Liam Madison (Chief Science Officer) in Holodeck- Therapeutic Putt-Putt

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Liam Madison (Chief Science Officer) in Holodeck- Therapeutic Putt-Putt

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Holodeck- Therapeutic Putt-Putt
Posted by… suppressed (13) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
“Delegating can take the pressure off of you for work matters, but I don’t think that’s where the focus should be, Liam. We’re talking about an internal set of variables, so while external actions can alleviate some of the effects, the root is within.” Janna took a final sip of iced tea and set it to the side. “If you truly want things to change, to improve, then I believe I can help guide that process, but you are going to have to allow yourself to exist in discomfort at times. Processing trauma is hard, not because of the time and energy, which can be a lot at times, but because of what it demands of you as a person. You can do sessions with me and we can do all this work, but it’s pointless if you have no stake in it, no true desire to see something change. And the thing about change is that usually the most compelling changes happen from an uncomfortable place. We have to admit things to ourselves that maybe we’ve tried to push away. We have to face things we might not want to. And to be clear, I’m very much about taking things at the pace you are willing to go at. This is your journey. But for this process to be effective, I might have to challenge you, push you a little. Otherwise you won’t know you can actually take that next step. Tackle that next challenge. So the question becomes, are you willing Liam? Are you willing to take back your life in whatever way that might look? Are you willing to be uncomfortable, but for a purpose?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Liam reflected inward, feeling the unintentional sting of the counselor’s words. It left him feeling helpless and unsure. His subtle tenancies to recoil at drastic, long term changes were no secret among the crew.

Janna could feel the reticence and the unease and she resisted the temptation to step in and ease his worries.

“Frankly, I want the nightmares and these feelings to stop. Every time I think I have them under control, they worsen.” He inhaled then looked at her.

“If it means pushing past my discomfort, then I shall. So my answer is yes.”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

She nodded. “There are multiple ways we can approach this. But dealing with the nightmares is going to be a key component. I think a multi-level approach will give you the most relief faster. Tell me about a typical night of sleep, and how much you get on average while dealign with the nightmares.” Her mind was already creating a list of options for Liam and she would see what might work best based on his answers.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Liam listened, appreciating the help. He reflected on the most recent nightmare and compared to the others.

“I try to get about six hours of sleep normally, which end up being more like four to five. Nightmares tend to be sporadic. The average amount of sleep ranges from an hour to three. Never get the full amount.” He inhaled, “I usually collapse into bed after my duty. Nothing special or routine.

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

Janna nodded, thinking over the variables here before she spoke again. “Have you sought any help from Sickbay at all for the sleep issues?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“No, I haven’t. Wouldn’t that just mask the issue instead of dealing with the root of it?” Liam glanced at her, his brows raised a bit.

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

Janna shook her head. “Not necessarily. Nightmares stem from something that is most often psychological and emotional, yes, but there is plenty of research on sleep deprivation and its effects on day-to-day life. A person’s health can dramatically decline and sleep issues can exacerbate other issues. So it can become a feedback loop. My concern is that untreated sleep issues can affect how you do your job, and your overall quality of life. And the more tired you are, the more the nightmares are likely to occur.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“My research into this hasn’t been the best.” Liam inhaled then added. “I shall make an appointment with the CMO tomorrow or the earliest available time.”

Janna nodded. “I think that would be a really good idea.”

A small chuckle escaped his lips. “Interesting enough, we’ve spent more time chatting here than actually golfing. Maybe we should take a break and take a few more holes before returning to this?”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

Her lips curled upwards and Janna rose to her feet. She gestured for him to lead the way. “I think it’s been a rather enjoyable time, all told. And yes, we’re working through things for you, but I feel like there has been less pressure.” It was why she was a fan of meeting outside her office, especially for some patients. “Good choice on activity though, I’m having fun with it.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“I agree and that is why I suggested this. It also gives me time between conversations to reflect and digest what you tell me.” Liam commented, then added, “The next hole is suppose to be rather tricky. It’s got some false entrances and you need to time your putts just right.”

He guided her to the next hole. It appeared to be a straight shot with some trick elements to it. A wall stood in the narrow path with three little holes drawn on the bottom. They were flaps of sorts that would move when the ball passed through. Beyond that, a small part of the turf rotated like a 21st century merry-go round just in front of the hole. Too much force might make the ball bounce right over the hole while too little might have it become stuck. It was possible to bounce the ball off the wall and past the moving part, but it wouldn’t be easy.

He gestured for her to go first. “After you.”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

Janna looked at the set-up and chuckled. “Sure, make me go first on the tough one,” she teased. But she lined up her shot all the same, and after a few moments of consideration, she tapped the ball and it rolled towards the wall. She thought it was going to go into the right hole but bounced off the right edge and back towards her. She threw back her head and laughed. “Ahh, it was an attempt.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“No, I’m just being polite.” Liam smiled. His eyes twinkled with mirth as he stood there, watching her turn. Once the ball ceased rolling, he shook his head and set his own down. “It was better than Joseph’s first attempt. His ended up pinging him in the head because he swung too hard. Thankfully, it was nothing serious.”

He swayed and then tapped the ball. It went up and through a flap, entering the other side. The spinner caught it then popped it to the opposite wall where it darted backwards. Narrowly missing the moving part, it came to rest against the wall and small gap. Spotting the awkward spot it landed in, Liam frowned.

“That is a very awkward spot.”

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

She chuckled. “It’s a tight spot, but I think you can get out of there.” She started to line up her shot, which was now at a slightly different and more tricky angle, but Janna squatted to check her angle and saw that the far right flap, which farther, actually might work the best. Standing, she swung, tapping the ball wth moderate force. It moved through the flap. With its momentum slowed, it rolled forward at an angle and just caught the edge of the turntable and stopped on top of it. She bounced her head back and forth. “Okay, well, we’re almost there but getting it into the hole while it’s in motion should be interesting,” Janna added with a laugh.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Liam watched Kingston weigh her options. She lowered down and checked the angle before finally putting it out of the troublesome spot. A nod of approval crossed his face, his feet moving toward his own. He recalled Joseph’s struggles with this corner causing him to inhale softly. He smacked it at an angle to the other side. It rolled back into the swirling portion until it shot off into the opposite corner.

“That’s a bit better. Not ideal though.” He turned to her.

-CSO, Liam J. Madison, Sci.

OOC: Small bump.
-Janice B.

OOC: Thanks! :) Busy Week.
IC:
“This one could take us awhile,” she said. “I’ve also lost track of scoring but I’m not sure I really care, even though I am rather competitive.”

Janna stood slightly straddling the edge of the spinning circle. Her strategy was to just tap it hard enough to roll off to stable ground and then worry about getting it in the hole on the next shot. She waited, letting the circle spin a couple of times ad once she felt like she got the timing down, she tapped her putter against the ball. It wasn’t moving super fast and the circle’s momentum pulled it back a bit, but there was just enough forward motion that it cleared the line onto solid ground by about the distance of three golf balls. She nodded. “Works for me.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS