The Flock by Joan Frances Casey

Author:Joan Frances Casey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2017-02-07T05:00:00+00:00

DIARY    March 3, 1983

I was shocked by Renee’s and Jo’s reactions to my enlistment of Gordon. Renee had so obviously liked him (and I believed Jo too would quickly be comfortable with him) that I expected his presence—rather than that of a security guard or one of my colleagues—would be reassuring.

I thought it would be harder explaining Gordon’s presence to my colleagues than to Jo and Renee. But since my sessions with the group don’t start until 5:00 p.m., when the workday is over, I anticipated that few people would be aware of Gordon’s involvement.

I did tell Harry about it yesterday. It sure helps to have a boss who has known me for two decades. Over the years, he has watched me shelter battered wives in my home and take inner-city kids for rides in our sailboat, and has approved my expense reports for such therapeutic costs without blinking an eye. Even so, I was surprised at how easy it was to convince Harry of this new unorthodox step in the treatment of my first multiple.

Harry said that he thought I had come up with the best solution. He doubted that voluntary admission to the psychiatric ward would work even if Jo and Renee were willing. He reminded me how fascinated yet disbelieving the house staff had been when I had presented Jo’s case at Psychiatric Grand Rounds. It was clear that they knew nothing about MPD. “If she were hospitalized, you’d lose control of her treatment, because you’re a social worker, not an M.D., and I wouldn’t trust the house staff to respond appropriately to her,” Harry said. “Any mistreatment at a time of such crisis might leave her in far worse shape than she is right now, particularly if you were the intervening force.”

Harry also approved of my choice of Gordon for physical protection, although I suspect that agreement had an economic as well as a clinical base—it wouldn’t cost the unit anything to have Gordon involved. “I’ve known Gordon as long as I’ve known you,” Harry said, “and his presence is not likely to cause the anxiety to you or Jo that introducing a new clinician might.”

He told me not to worry about how the rest of the staff might view my unusual treatment methods. They had grown accustomed to the idea of a multiple’s being treated on their very service. He said that the only real concerns expressed lately were from clinicians who were afraid that he might want them to put in the inordinate amount of time I was spending with Jo. He reassured them and reminded them that having a colleague treating such an unusual disorder was a rare opportunity for them. “I have complete trust in your therapeutic instincts,” he said.

His concern was that I may have a difficult time letting go of Gordon once the crisis is over. I told him that I hoped that wouldn’t be an issue. It depended on Jo and the others, of course, but Gordon and I had already discussed the possibility of his having a continuing presence in Jo’s treatment.

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