152. Guilt-Based Education
"This...how could he suddenly become depressed? Doctor, is this something he's faking?"
The mother simply couldn't believe Yun Ling would suddenly develop depression.
She had given him everything she could, so why did he still get this illness?
Hearing these words, the doctor's face first showed a hint of anger, then utter helplessness.
"Depression is a mental illness, very difficult to fake in front of a professional doctor, especially severe depression," the doctor explained as calmly as possible.
"Difficult...then it's possible?"
"Unless your child has studied psychology and acting," the doctor couldn't help but retort.
Wasn't this questioning their professionalism?
"Before you came, I already spoke with the teacher who brought him here. This child is very withdrawn at school; he doesn't participate in almost any extracurricular activities and rarely interacts with others."
"Think carefully, are you putting too much pressure on him?" The doctor looked at her, his eyes questioning.
"My husband and I have never put any pressure on him, nor have we demanded that he get into any prestigious school. We just hope he can focus on his studies, that's all."
The mother blurted out her thoughts.
"Regardless, severe depression is no minor illness. Besides necessary medication, it's crucial not to put psychological pressure on him. My suggestion is to take a year off from school and see how he recovers before returning to school."
The doctor offered the most reasonable treatment plan.
"Take a year off? He's in his final year of junior high. How can he take a year off? He'll forget everything after a year!" The mother absolutely refused to accept such an absurd suggestion.
Indeed, in the eyes of any parent, education is always the top priority, even more important than their child's health. The doctor explained the dangers of severe depression to her, but her mother insisted on her own ideas.
From then on, Yun Ling had even less freedom, and the increased attention from his parents only made him more immersed in his own world.
The medication had some effect, at least allowing Yun Ling to persevere until the high school entrance exam.
"Do your best on the exam, you know? You've worked hard for three years for this, haven't you? Go on, try to get good grades," his mother encouraged him with a smile.
Yun Ling nodded blankly and walked towards the exam hall.
As the exam bell rang, rustling sounds filled the air—the friction of papers, the clinking of pens against exam papers.
Everyone was giving their all to the exam, hoping to draw a perfect conclusion to their three years of junior high school.
Yun Ling sat quietly at his desk, his eyes fixed on the blackboard.
The proctor seemed to notice his unusual behavior and gently tapped his desk, as if to remind him that the exam had begun. Yun Ling grabbed his pen, gripped it tightly, and slashed it forcefully through the exam paper, then pulled downwards with force.
A long gash appeared on the paper.
The piercing sound instantly drew everyone's attention.
But before the proctor could react, Yun Ling had already stood up, run outside, and leaped down amidst screams from many.
His movements were fluid and decisive, as if he had rehearsed them dozens, even hundreds of times in his mind.
"Silence! Continue the exam!" the proctor shouted, his voice trembling slightly.
One proctor remained, then the other immediately ran downstairs, calling the head inspector while praying that Yun Ling was alright.
Fortunately, an ambulance was on standby at the school during the high school entrance exam. Amidst the astonished gazes of parents outside and the blaring sirens, Yun Ling was taken to the nearest hospital.
Not long after, Yun Ling's parents received the news and realized that the child taken away in the ambulance was none other than Yun Ling!
They rushed to the hospital, signed the necessary paperwork, and Yun Ling began surgery.
Yun Ling's homeroom teacher also arrived at the hospital.
She was utterly astonished; Yun Ling was just a withdrawn child. How could he suddenly jump off a building?
However, in her conversation with Yun Ling's parents, she discovered the immense pressure their supposedly good parenting methods were placing on their child.
Especially for those with timid personalities, such excessive love is difficult to bear.
They always believed that grades were the only source of pressure and that as long as they didn't put pressure on his grades, he wouldn't feel any pressure.
But they overlooked the fact that a child's world isn't just about grades.
Moreover, their actions and words were completely contradictory; while saying they didn't care, they constantly restricted everything Yun Ling did.
They said not to worry, yet instilled in him the idea of working hard.
The "guilt-based" education is employed in daily life.
They cooked so much food, more than enough for the whole family.
But they insisted on eating the leftovers, leaving everything for him to demonstrate how much they loved him.
They were completely unaware of their wrongdoing; in psychology, this is called functional illiteracy.
Their ingrained beliefs were too strong. In their eyes, refusing to be controlled was equivalent to filial impiety, and being controlled like a puppet, like Yun Ling, was their ideal scenario.
Yun Ling's parents pushed him step by step off the high-rise building.
Perhaps at the moment of jumping, Yun Ling truly felt a sense of liberation.
Everything that bound him seemed to disappear.
This kind of education results in either rebellion or trauma...
And the child needs a lifetime to heal their wounds, unconsciously passing that pain on to the next generation.
While Yun Ling's choice was extreme, such cases do exist.
...
Pain, a sharp pain shot through his body...
He was... still alive? What a tragic fact.
Yun Ling opened his eyes, staring at the hospital ceiling.
"He's awake! The patient's awake!" A nurse, seeing Yun Ling awaken, rushed outside to call the doctor.
The doctor examined Yun Ling and found nothing seriously wrong, then notified his parents.
Tears streamed down their faces. Yun Ling was expressionless, his gaze unfocused, as if he didn't even notice their presence.
For Yun Ling, this nightmare was only temporarily interrupted; once things got better, the nightmare would continue.
During the months in the hospital, Yun Ling didn't utter a single word. He did nothing but stare blankly and sleep.
His father and mother had been angry, pleaded, cried, and scolded, but Yun Ling remained completely unmoved.
The doctor said Yun Ling has developed serious psychological problems, and if they aren't addressed, there's still a very high chance he'll commit suicide even after he fully recovers.
But Yun Ling has closed himself off emotionally and hasn't communicated with anyone. Who knows what he truly wants?
...