TheLC

Once I had a patient of whom I was told that he screamed during his sleep and awoke with incredible confusion and fear in his eyes. As the person in charge of him that day, I asked him if he had a nightmare. And he replied with genuine surprise:''What is a nightmare?'' I was shocked. But more importantly, I suddenly had this uncomfortable feeling in my gut. I felt envy. I envied the man because I thought that this was a man unburdened by the knowledge of what a nightmare is and what it feels like. As I tried to explain that nightmare is a unpleasant and often scary dream, he interrupted me. ''Oh that, yes I recognize that.'' he said slowly a