CARE OF THE YOUNGER PATIENT – THE NEED FOR CHOICE (TOLERANT DOCTOR)
The doctor who can tolerate a certain amount of aggressive behaviour, recognizing it as a defence against pain and uncertainty, has much to offer the young patient, who is able to test out new ideas with an adult who is not the parent. Such a role may be more difficult for the family doctor, who has often been felt to be a kind of ‘super-parent’, called in by the real parents at times of illness when they are unable to manage alone. Younger patients often say, ‘I’ve known him all my life, he’s like a father: I can’t talk to him about sex.’ The importance of an alternative source of advice, where the young person can come and go as she (or he) wishes cannot be stressed too highly.
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