Dismissed! Laid off and feeling obsolete! It can happen to almost anyone, but what would a 65-year-old psychiatrist with a 39-year year medical career do in these circumstances?
Dr. Lawrence Climo was a senior psychiatrist at a Merrimack Valley mental health clinic when budget constraints forced him out of his job. Facing an unwelcome retirement, he felt marginalized and weary. His wife, Diane, in an effort to bolster his spirits, suggested that this unfortunate event might be an opportunity in disguise. With that bit of encouragement, he accepted a position as an “itinerant psychiatrist,” taking temporary positions at clinics and hospitals around the country. His duties would involve one-time patient assessments, medication adjustments, admissions, discharges — and countless surprises.
And so, with Diane by his side, he went “on the road” in the winter of 2004, embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime.
It’s at this point that the book begins a series of “vignettes” — stories about patients and the doctor’s own feelings and reactions.
Recounted in beautiful prose, and with stunning clarity, each memorable vignette describes how healing takes place — or doesn’t. Some of the stories are heart-wrenching; others are heartwarming. Some, including the story of an Indian woman, are both.
The first assignment was at an outpatient psychiatric clinic on an Indian reservation in Gallup, N.M.
Originally diagnosed as “a bipolar and violent schizophrenic,” “Miss Standing Horse” meets with Climo for an evaluation. Knowing that she will not have to face him again, she reveals for the first time the tale of her horrific suffering. The doctor determines that she is not mentally ill, but suffering from a brain disorder. It is treatable, and healing occurs. But Climo must go, and patient and healer share a bittersweet parting.
There are as many puzzles to solve as there are patients to see. One man appears to be severely mentally ill — until his wife casually mentions the habit causing his bizarre symptoms.
Many cases require “thinking outside the box” and the ability to grapple with problems that sometimes seem otherworldly. An example is the patient who regales the doctor with vivid and explicit descriptions of Heaven, and his extraordinary plans to go there.
Surprisingly, this book is not lacking in humor. The poppy seed story is funny, indeed:
Called to testify in a court case involving a patient (and opiates), the doctor finds himself buying two rolls and then counting the number of poppy seeds (4,000). The court experience is so “trying” that he later resorts to “treating himself” to a double-scoop butterscotch sundae, which renders him “tranquilized and clear-headed” once more.
This book defies categorization. It is at once a diary, a memoir, a collection of stories, a meditation — but most importantly it is a journey into the human soul and the healing power of the simple act of listening with mind and heart. This remarkable book offers lessons for a lifetime.
Book Review – Psychiatrist on the Road
Dr. Lawrence Climo was a senior psychiatrist at a Merrimack Valley mental health clinic when budget constraints forced him out of his job. Facing an unwelcome retirement, he felt marginalized and weary. His wife, Diane, in an effort to bolster his spirits, suggested that this unfortunate event might be an opportunity in disguise. With that bit of encouragement, he accepted a position as an “itinerant psychiatrist,” taking temporary positions at clinics and hospitals around the country. His duties would involve one-time patient assessments, medication adjustments, admissions, discharges — and countless surprises.
And so, with Diane by his side, he went “on the road” in the winter of 2004, embarking upon the adventure of a lifetime.
It’s at this point that the book begins a series of “vignettes” — stories about patients and the doctor’s own feelings and reactions.
Recounted in beautiful prose, and with stunning clarity, each memorable vignette describes how healing takes place — or doesn’t. Some of the stories are heart-wrenching; others are heartwarming. Some, including the story of an Indian woman, are both.
The first assignment was at an outpatient psychiatric clinic on an Indian reservation in Gallup, N.M.
Originally diagnosed as “a bipolar and violent schizophrenic,” “Miss Standing Horse” meets with Climo for an evaluation. Knowing that she will not have to face him again, she reveals for the first time the tale of her horrific suffering. The doctor determines that she is not mentally ill, but suffering from a brain disorder. It is treatable, and healing occurs. But Climo must go, and patient and healer share a bittersweet parting.
There are as many puzzles to solve as there are patients to see. One man appears to be severely mentally ill — until his wife casually mentions the habit causing his bizarre symptoms.
Many cases require “thinking outside the box” and the ability to grapple with problems that sometimes seem otherworldly. An example is the patient who regales the doctor with vivid and explicit descriptions of Heaven, and his extraordinary plans to go there.
Surprisingly, this book is not lacking in humor. The poppy seed story is funny, indeed:
Called to testify in a court case involving a patient (and opiates), the doctor finds himself buying two rolls and then counting the number of poppy seeds (4,000). The court experience is so “trying” that he later resorts to “treating himself” to a double-scoop butterscotch sundae, which renders him “tranquilized and clear-headed” once more.
This book defies categorization. It is at once a diary, a memoir, a collection of stories, a meditation — but most importantly it is a journey into the human soul and the healing power of the simple act of listening with mind and heart. This remarkable book offers lessons for a lifetime.
Lawrence H. Climo, M.D. has been a practicing psychiatrist for more than forty years, the last five as a locum tenens or itinerant practitioner. His temporary assignments have taken him to the Southwest, Appalachia and New England where he has worked in general hospitals, state hospitals, emergency rooms, outpatient clinics, nursing homes, and in the VA system. A Yale graduate, he is Board Certified (American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology). He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for military service in Vietnam. 193 pages, Bay Tree Publishing, ©2009.