It is important not only as a healthcare professional, but as a person in general, to refrain from making judgments as we listen to others and instead show understanding and compassion. Showing a patient that you care puts them at ease, making them comfortable revealing personal information. This story was filled with many memorable points from start to finish, but if I had to pick one thing that really stuck with me it would be when Mr. Gee revealed “I keep the lights on while I'm in bed because ghosts come out in the dark. I keep the lights on to keep them away, so I don't sleep." I was so surprised to learn that while many doctors believed Mr. Gee's condition was a complicated, undiagnosed medical problem, it was actually caused by a fear rooted in cultural beliefs. He had done something he was ashamed of and his tiredness was due to not sleeping due to fear of ghostly visits. This clearly illustrates how problems have deeper origins than what appears on the surface. It is essential to look beyond the laboratory values ​​and talk to the patient to reveal the source of the complication. Another aspect of the story that struck me was when Mr. Gee revealed his definition of hypertensive crisis. He explained that when he has one of his “episodes” he could feel internal pressure building up, claiming there had to be “200 or more”. His doctors did not know that Mr. Gee's blood pressure episodes were anxiety. He felt chest pain and gave it a high reading, but it was never confirmed with a correct blood pressure reading. This demonstrated why medical terminology should be avoided if its meaning is not clearly understood. Again, if his doctors had sat down and talked to Mr. Gee, they would have determined the... middle of paper... say the first thing that came to mind to keep the conversation flowing, and I now know which is not necessary. It is just as effective to provide comfort through mannerisms and expression as it is through words. I used to respond to a patient who told me about their comorbidities by saying “Okay,” but I have now learned that a lot of emotion and understanding is conveyed through mannerisms and this is a skill I will use in future counseling scenarios. In most cases, those unspoken words actually lead the patient to inform you further about the current situation. This assignment also reinforced what we learned in class about how important it is to not judge our patients. It is much easier to judge a patient when he tells us something unusual than to be compassionate, which is why empathy is a skill that requires practice and develop.