– About yes. I've encountered both godlessness and godheadedness more than once.

–Well and turnovers you have.

– See, we're in that legion, too.

– Yes- yes, but don't go to the barricades or the front lines. Just quietly smoking a cup of coffee.

I sighed.

– R assay what was bothering him.

– Now that you think of it, how about this very coffee?

– Thank you in advance.

The gray sky outside the window and the dim, matte light in the room were not conducive to conversation . Coffee, especially the aroma , which I especially appreciated in this drink, and the ritual of its consumption ( I prefer without sugar, so I always combine the drink with something sweet), like a magic elixir, transformed both the landscape outside the window and the background in the office .

– A god complex is not a clinical diagnosis.

The professor's voice distracted me from my thoughts. " With lava God," I thought, for they were inspired by the dim view outside the window.

– It's not in the DSM," the doctor continued as he approached a table with a coffee maker and two cups on a tray with a handle. – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," he explained the professional acronym. – H e likes to distract the staff because of an unprofessional request," he said, placing the tray on the table.

– God complex? – I inquired about the term.

– Yes, that's what we call him," the doctor expressed a chuckle. – H e is a narcissistic disorder, which is often confused with it.

– Uh-oh, you think I'm good at this. Somewhere something just clicked – and that's it.

The doctor was understandingly silent in response, pouring coffee into cups .

– It manifests itself in people who tend to consider their opinion to be the only correct one," the psychiatry specialist began to explain the symptoms . – In addition, not noticing their mistakes or justifying them . This is such a complex of behavioral problems and experiences. As a rule, such patients are irritated by criticism of themselves. They are also characterized by inflated self-esteem .

I remained silent. I was becoming more and more interested in the practice of the person to whom my investigation had led me. He, having caught the silent "signal," complemented :

– People with theomania have difficulty recognizing or accepting another person's experience.

I've learned the professional terminology.

– As a rule, they are not interested in anyone, they do not like to listen to others, only if it is for their benefit: they are often self-absorbed. And, as usual, this whole complex leads to gaslighting.

The doctor paused for a second, looked intently at me, handed me a coffee and said:

–E then a facet of this complex in which the client denies anyone's reality . Not everyone, of course .

– Customer ? – from curving my lips , said I.

– It's a professional syndrome. It's like they say, "You can't go wrong with anyone.

– And what was it about our client? – a little louder and more cheerfully I asked, signaling an interest purely in the client's case.

– You know, he surprised me right away. He didn't have any special manifestations, but…" Dr. was a little quiet, lowering his voice before doing so.

– What?" I lowered my tone and asked almost warily.

– Everything revolved around one task or problem. He never really defined what it was for him. He kept asking me to explain how his consciousness would react if he suddenly became younger.

– Both- on. What do you mean?

– Here. All the time. I try to hint to him about his complex, and he only shows interest around this topic.