The Seer by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 4

A few months had passed, and Gordon was well on the road to resolving his mother's passing. Now, his patients needed their doctor, with one or two having paged him through his answering service. Had he been faced by someone in similar circumstances, he would have strongly advised that they take the proper time to express their pain but Gordon was not the patient, and ignored the whisperings of his mind, telling him to take a few days off. Perhaps, he let his sense of commitment get in the way, or maybe he believed himself to be immune from the need to cope with the pains of an uncaring world. Whichever it may have been, Gordon would soon be visited by someone who would irreversibly change his life, forcing him to stray outside the boundaries of logic, investigating things that defied the objectivity he so firmly stood by.

As usual, his appointment book was full, and he was soon able to hire a secretary. Life at the office was becoming routine, and Gordon took it as a sign of business stability, but this would soon be shattered by the arrival of a new patient. Patrick Green was referred by his physician with symptoms of heightened anxiety. He suffered from insomnia, palpitations, sudden feelings of doom, and difficulty leaving his house. With these issues, Patrick considered it a minor miracle that he was able to get to his appointment at all.

Upon his initial assessment, Gordon found him to be of above average intelligence, with features of depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. He questioned him about his past, mostly his childhood. Many times, the brain can be 'rewired' by trauma, especially abuse, only for some event, or stressor, to trigger an illness that might be with someone for the rest of their life.

It was during Patrick's second session that Gordon decided medication was necessary, and prescribed him an anti-depressant. He considered an anti-anxiety drug, but wanted to see how Patrick would progress first. Some drugs work better than others and often, the prescribing of medication is done on a trial and error basis. If one presents problems, another is tried, and new drugs are developed constantly. As luck would have it, the first drug seemed to be the right choice, and as time passed, Patrick's symptoms began to ease. Although his depression was improving, he was still experiencing moments of heightened stress and distraction. Gordon reached the conclusion that either there was something Patrick was holding back, or he was being affected by a repressed memory. In the meantime, Patrick needed a way to relax. Gordon taught him a breathing technique meant to provide a build-up of CO2 in the bloodstream, triggering the release of the brains natural painkillers, prompting relief. At first, it seemed to work, until Patrick began hyperventilating. Gordon was still hesitant to prescribe an anti-anxiety drug, as most were narcotics, and until he knew his patient better he didn't want to take the chance that Patrick might become addicted.

At a loss for other solutions, Gordon began researching for other methods of relaxation. He read articles on meditation, bio-feedback, and self-help books promising instant results. He knew the idea of a quick fix was a fallacy and that healing takes time; however, after hours of reading he stumbled onto something he never heard of before, a piece of technology that could provide results within a short period of time. It didn't seem to be anything close to a cure, but appeared to represent a step in the right direction.

According to his research, these devices were referred to as floatation tanks, and there were two in Portland that could be used by the hour. It was constructed to be light and sound proof with a highly concentrated solution of salt water. One would enter naked and float on their back in the salty solution. With the absence of light, sound, and sensation, a deep state of relaxation could be achieved. Gordon spent hours reading personal accounts by people who experienced a profound state of consciousness that occasionally resulted in a new perspective on life. Considering Patrick had never displayed any symptoms of psychosis, Gordon felt it was safe to recommend it. As a form of treatment, it was highly unorthodox, and not approved as a tool for therapy. However, his recommendation would not be formal, and would go undocumented. He didn't expect anything significant, and didn't want to over medicate his patient.

Two days later, Patrick arrived for his next scheduled appointment, and during their conversation, Gordon noticed how cold he seemed to be. His skin was mottled and he displayed a noticeable glimmer of sweat across his forehead. Patrick denied any physical ailments, leading Gordon to assess that his symptoms were the result of continued stress. Upon further discussion, he discovered that currently life was anything but stressful for Patrick. His job was stable and in spite of living alone, he had something of a social life. The doctor came to the conclusion that Patrick's stress was reflexive, that something from his past had rewired him, forcing him into a life of anxiety. If he could discover the trigger, the pieces would likely fall together. That was the long term goal, but for now, Patrick needed a safety valve, a way to vent the constant stress that was dominating his life.

“Patrick,” he began. “I can't officially recommend this, but have you ever heard of something called a floatation tank?”

After a moment's thought, Patrick, never even having heard of such a thing, inquired as to what it was. Having thoroughly researched its use, Gordon explained it to him, stressing again that it was not approved for clinical use. He also asked that, regardless of the outcome, he'd like to know what effect it had on him. He didn't expect any problems, but he was highly curious, and if it worked, it would represent a positive step in Patrick's treatment. Patrick was not so sure he wanted to be shut up in such a confined space. Combined with the absence of light and sound, the idea of being cut off from his senses brought an unknown variable he wasn't sure he wanted to experience.