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Authors: Caitlin Rother
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psychologist about my problems. I know what is going on, but I still don’t know how to put the tools into action.”
During group therapy, Wayne said he knew he needed to be on the unit, but he also made inappropriate comments and laughed when other patients were speaking. When Wayne was told he couldn’t leave the ward, he threw kicks into the air next to a patient and had to be told twice to stop.
The doctor’s summary stated that Wayne had a “recent history of alcohol abuse. Past history of explosiveness. . . . Mental status exam revealed an angry Caucasian man in fatigues. . . . Patient stabilized quickly on ward without meds.”
The doctor recommended that Wayne be returned to full duty, but to follow up with outpatient group therapy.
“I don’t want to go back to duty,” Wayne said. “I’ll come back here.”
One nurse noted that Wayne’s motivation for continued treatment was poor, and so was his understanding of his own illness.
Wayne was released on the morning of April 11. There is no record that he pursued group therapy.
In May 1984, Wayne was seen by a psychiatrist as an outpatient at the El Toro base, where he was diagnosed with adjustment reaction with mixed features and a personality disorder with explosive and immature features. Nonetheless, he was returned to full duty once again.
“He is energetic, industrious and extremely able to complete tasks assigned,” Wayne’s supervising officer wrote in a July 1984 evaluation, adding that Wayne too often allowed “outside personal problems to [affect] his military professionalism.”
Wayne had quickly risen to the rank of sergeant, E-5, while teaching NBC, but after separating from Kelly, he was written up for a number of infractions and demoted to corporal, E-4.
Wayne’s demotion came after a dispute with his supervising officer, who had flunked Wayne’s unit during inspection. Wayne was also cited and disciplined for conduct unbecoming and failing to report to the Camp Pendleton firing range. After going AWOL for two days, he was disciplined for impersonating an officer over the phone as he tried to excuse his own absence.
Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the base in Okinawa, where he was hoping to “get his stripe back.”
But he soon experienced more mental problems. On September 27, Wayne was found sitting in “a catatonic-like state” in his barracks. Even while he was being removed from the area, he refused to speak.
He was taken to the hospital on base, where, during a physical examination, he became violent and ran out. He had to be forcibly returned to the hospital, where he became so agitated that he had to be placed in four-point restraints in a locked room and given shots of Haldol, a psychotropic drug often used to treat schizophrenia. Among its side effects are involuntary muscle spasms and twitching, followed by muscle stiffness.
“I can’t remember what happened today,” Wayne told the nurse. “Last night . . . I was awakened to do field duty and I just went off. I was really pissed.”
On September 29, Wayne denied that he had tried to hurt himself or hospital staff the day before, but he did acknowledge that this was his second psychiatric admission.
“Will my admission affect my chances of being an attorney?” he asked. “I want to try to go to law school.”
Wayne said he didn’t understand why he was on suicide watch. “I never said I would hurt myself, and I know I’d never try.”
Later that night he told another nurse, “I’m a real likable person. I wouldn’t think of hurting myself and I wouldn’t hurt anyone else unless I was cornered. I was seeing a psychiatrist about a week before I came here, though, for a suicide attempt. My mother was a manic-depressive. She’s living in India now.”
“I can play like I’m having a catatonic break if I have to,” he said. “But mostly, I play like I’m normal.”
The next day, Wayne exhibited paranoia. “Do you put
During group therapy, Wayne said he knew he needed to be on the unit, but he also made inappropriate comments and laughed when other patients were speaking. When Wayne was told he couldn’t leave the ward, he threw kicks into the air next to a patient and had to be told twice to stop.
The doctor’s summary stated that Wayne had a “recent history of alcohol abuse. Past history of explosiveness. . . . Mental status exam revealed an angry Caucasian man in fatigues. . . . Patient stabilized quickly on ward without meds.”
The doctor recommended that Wayne be returned to full duty, but to follow up with outpatient group therapy.
“I don’t want to go back to duty,” Wayne said. “I’ll come back here.”
One nurse noted that Wayne’s motivation for continued treatment was poor, and so was his understanding of his own illness.
Wayne was released on the morning of April 11. There is no record that he pursued group therapy.
In May 1984, Wayne was seen by a psychiatrist as an outpatient at the El Toro base, where he was diagnosed with adjustment reaction with mixed features and a personality disorder with explosive and immature features. Nonetheless, he was returned to full duty once again.
“He is energetic, industrious and extremely able to complete tasks assigned,” Wayne’s supervising officer wrote in a July 1984 evaluation, adding that Wayne too often allowed “outside personal problems to [affect] his military professionalism.”
Wayne had quickly risen to the rank of sergeant, E-5, while teaching NBC, but after separating from Kelly, he was written up for a number of infractions and demoted to corporal, E-4.
Wayne’s demotion came after a dispute with his supervising officer, who had flunked Wayne’s unit during inspection. Wayne was also cited and disciplined for conduct unbecoming and failing to report to the Camp Pendleton firing range. After going AWOL for two days, he was disciplined for impersonating an officer over the phone as he tried to excuse his own absence.
Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the base in Okinawa, where he was hoping to “get his stripe back.”
But he soon experienced more mental problems. On September 27, Wayne was found sitting in “a catatonic-like state” in his barracks. Even while he was being removed from the area, he refused to speak.
He was taken to the hospital on base, where, during a physical examination, he became violent and ran out. He had to be forcibly returned to the hospital, where he became so agitated that he had to be placed in four-point restraints in a locked room and given shots of Haldol, a psychotropic drug often used to treat schizophrenia. Among its side effects are involuntary muscle spasms and twitching, followed by muscle stiffness.
“I can’t remember what happened today,” Wayne told the nurse. “Last night . . . I was awakened to do field duty and I just went off. I was really pissed.”
On September 29, Wayne denied that he had tried to hurt himself or hospital staff the day before, but he did acknowledge that this was his second psychiatric admission.
“Will my admission affect my chances of being an attorney?” he asked. “I want to try to go to law school.”
Wayne said he didn’t understand why he was on suicide watch. “I never said I would hurt myself, and I know I’d never try.”
Later that night he told another nurse, “I’m a real likable person. I wouldn’t think of hurting myself and I wouldn’t hurt anyone else unless I was cornered. I was seeing a psychiatrist about a week before I came here, though, for a suicide attempt. My mother was a manic-depressive. She’s living in India now.”
“I can play like I’m having a catatonic break if I have to,” he said. “But mostly, I play like I’m normal.”
The next day, Wayne exhibited paranoia. “Do you put
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