Insane Possibilities

by Jeffrey Miska

Insane Possibilities

  By Jeffrey Miska

  Vol. #3 of the “Sessions Series”

  Published by Jewimi Book Publishers

  Copyright 2012

  ***

  Chapter 1 - The Referral

  A charcoal gray Audi pulled into the lot turning into a parking space marked, “Reserved”. The partially open sunroof closed under its own power, and a professionally dressed man with a well trimmed beard exited the vehicle.

  He entered the nearby building and walked purposefully down the hallway to a set of large glass doors labeled,

  “Great Lakes Mental Health Center”.

  As he approached the reception desk, a young girl from behind the counter glanced up and spoke with a warm smile,

  “Good morning Dr. Keeler.”

  He gave a courteous yet unemotional nod.

  “Hi Gina. Is Paul with a patient?”

  “No, but I just spoke with him. He asked me if you’d checked in. Would you like me to tell him you’re here?”

  “No thanks, I’m already late. I’ll just head back on my own.”

  He was running late for a meeting with Paul Ghent, a licensed social worker and clinical Psychologist. His phone vibrated in his pocket just moments before he neared Paul’s office and knocked on the door jam.

  Paul chuckled as he finished placing his cell phone down on his desk.

  “I suppose you can disregard that text asking if you would make our meeting today. How’s it goin’ Larry?”

  Dr. Keeler tossed a folder he was carrying on the table and shook Paul’s hand. “It’s goin’ faster every day. Sorry Paul, late as usual.

  I always feel twice as bad being late for meetings when it was my idea to schedule them.”

  Paul smirked.

  “Well if I didn’t know what kind of schedule you kept I might actually care.

  Really, it’s no problem. Worst case scenario, you might have to watch me eat a ham sandwich before my next appointment at 12:30.”

  “Oh please, eat. It’s me that has to do most of the talking anyway. I’m here because I have a favor to ask of you.”

  Paul sat back in his chair and jokingly remarked,

  “Here it comes. The last time you asked me to do a favor, I ended up flying to an Indian Reservation in Northern Michigan for two weeks. Now I don’t know if I should be pleased or frightened.”

  Dr Keeler chuckled,

  “I always thought you enjoyed that trip.”

  “I absolutely loved it, but I figure that one of these times my luck will run out. You know I’m kidding, seriously what can I do for you?”

  Dr Keeler picked up the folder from the table and handed it to Paul who began to review the patient’s file. After seeing the diagnosis summary, he began to read it aloud to confirm his understanding.

  “Kristine Leslie.

  She’s female, 30 years old. Diagnosed schizophrenic at age 29 and changed to paraphrenia at age 30?

  Really? Paraphrenia?

  I’m a little rusty on the diagnostics, isn’t that an old word for dementia?”

  Dr. Keeler nodded, “Yeah, someone else’s words not mine. Let me save you some time and energy on the diagnosis.

  I don’t have one. Let’s go with undifferentiated schizophrenia although even that’s unlikely. This is part of the problem.”

  Paul glanced up from the file.

  “You mean you can’t classify her condition? Is it a combination of things maybe?”

  Dr. Keeler took off his reading glasses, put them into his shirt pocket and leaned forward in his chair.

  “This may come as a shock to you, but Kristine is a bit of a mystery and that in itself is unique as far as I’m concerned. You know how it is after you’ve done this job as long as we have. I can usually walk into waiting room and make an accurate diagnosis from the look and body language of the patients waiting for help.

  Did you know, I once glanced at a patient as I walked through my waiting room and thought, “probably bi-polar with borderline tendencies”.

  I was blown away to see that person walk into my office as my first appointment, and reviewed the file to see that exact diagnosis. You’ve known me long enough to know that’s not how I work, but what I’m saying is true, don‘t you think?”

  Paul nodded his head,

  “Yes, I know what you’re saying. I’m usually accurate about people’s conditions after five minutes of discussion. If only helping them recover was that quick and easy.”

  Dr. Keeler smiled,

  “Tell me about it. The file in your hand won’t make you feel any better. I’ve been attempting to treat this girl for over six months now.

  She has many of the classic symptoms schizophrenia like auditory and visual hallucinations but it goes way further. She has what appear to be some extremely complex fantasies and extended periods of withdrawing into what she says are self induced trances. One lasted over three hours, although that was based on what she told me and not observation. Usually she says they only last about ten to twenty minutes. Personally I’ve not witnessed any of them.”

  Paul thought for a moment.

  “It almost sounds like she’s having a drug induced trip. Does she use recreational drugs? LSD? Meth?”

  “Excellent question and the answer is no. I sent her to be tested for drug usage because I was completely convinced otherwise. They came back negative.”

  Paul sat for a moment considering the symptoms.

  Dr. Keeler smiled.

  “I see the questions beginning to form in your mind. It’s intriguing isn’t it? I should mention that I have seen her display positive symptoms including delusional thinking and fantasies about being able to travel in time.

  When I first started to treat her, I started her on the usual anti-psychotic medications with horrible results.

  “What happened?”

  “It’s odd, but she reacted exactly like a person would if they had no need for them. She had the standard side affects including fatigue, dizziness and weight gain, but they did nothing to stop the symptoms and quite frankly, they made her become depressed. Before the medicine, she was fully functional and had none of the emotional problems that schizophrenics exhibit. At that point, I took her off of everything until I can get a better handle on her diagnosis.”

  Dr. Keeler crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

  “You know I don’t go in depth with talk therapy like you do, but in the time I’ve spent talking with her, I find her to be....” He paused for a moment.

  “You know what, I’ll let you make your own assumptions. I’ll bet you can guess what the favor is now, can’t you?”

  Paul grinned.

  “Sure Larry, I’m smart like that.

  Really, I’ll be happy to talk with her, this sounds interesting. Did you want to contact her first to let her know who I am, or would you prefer that I call her myself?”

  Dr. Keeler grinned and pulled up his appointment schedule from his phone.

  “Actually I put her on your appointments for tomorrow at 9:30 AM. You had a cancellation.”

  “Well alright then. Tomorrow it is.”

  Dr. Keeler stood up and thanked him for agreeing to help him. As they shook hands Paul asked,

  “One question between you and me. What’s your real opinion of her? Is she schizophrenic, or could this just be histrionics because she’s in need of attention?”

  Dr Keeler shrugged his shoulders.

  “Seriously? I don’t think she’s schizophrenic. Regarding the histrionics, well to me she seems sincerely afraid of whatever she’s going through. Yet, I suppose she could just be looking for attention.”

  He paused and added,


  “Then again, aren’t we all?”

  With a small laugh, he walked out and disappeared around the corner.