Psychiatrymiddle twist
A 35-year-old intern is caring for a 62-year-old woman with alcohol-related liver disease on a general medical ward. She is the same age as his mother and speaks in much the same way. He notices that he feels unusually protective of her, has twice avoided asking how much she is drinking because he does not want to upset her, and was irritated when a nurse documented her intake in detail. The patient herself has said nothing unusual about him and relates to the team courteously. Which one of the following best describes what is happening in the intern?