asked i f h e woul d b e willin g t o hel p m e prov e t o m y ne w patien t tha t "K-PAX " wa sa figmen t o f hi s imagination, h e said , "Shore. " Befor e the y lef t I gav e hi ma lis t o f question s t o as k Dr . Flyn n abou t th e doubl e star system-th e type s o f star s the y were , thei r actua l size s an d brightnesses , thei r rotatio n period , th e duration o f a "year " o n th e putativ e planet , eve n somethin g abou t wha t th e nigh t sk y woul d loo k lik e fro m suc h a world . H e promise d t o cal l m e wit h whateve r informatio n h e coul d di g up.
Sessio n Four
TH E Manhatta n Psychiatri c Institut e i s locate d o n Amsterda m Avenu e a t 112t h Stree t i n Ne w York City . I t i sa privat e teachin g an d researc h hospita l affiliate d wit h th e nearb y Columbi a Universit y College o f Physician s an d Surgeons . MP I i s distinc t fro m th e Psychiatri c Institut e a t Columbia , whic h i s a general treatmen t cente r tha t deal s wit h fa r mor e patients . W e refe r t o i t a s "th e bi g institute, " an d ours , i n turn , is
know n a s "th e littl e institute. " Ou r concep t i s unique : W e tak e i n onl y a limite d numbe r o f adul t patients
(on e hundre d t o on e hundre d twent y i n all) , eithe r case s o f unusua l interes t o r thos e tha t hav e proven unresponsiv e t o standar d somati c (drug) , electroconvulsive , surgical , o r psychotherapies.
MP I wa s constructe d i n 190 7 a ta cos t o f jus t ove ra millio n dollars . Toda y th e physica l facilit y alone i s wort h on e hundre d fift y million . Th e grounds , thoug h small , ar e wel l kept , wit ha grass y law n t o th e side an d back , an d shrub s an d flowe r garden s alon g th e wall s an d fences . Ther e i s als o a fountain , "Adoni s in th e Garde n o f Eden, " situate d i n the , cente r o f wha t w e cal l "th e bac k forty. "I lov e t o strol l thos e pastoral grounds , liste n t o th e bubbl y fountain , contemplat e th e ol d ston e walls . Entir e adul t live s hav e bee n lived here , bot h patien t an d staff . T o some , thi s i s th e onl y worl d the y wil l eve r know.
Ther e ar e fiv e floor s a t MPI , numbere d essentiall y i n orde r o f increasin g severit y o f patien t illness. War d On e (groun d floor ) i s fo r thos e wh o suffe r onl y acut e neurose s o r mil d paranoia , an d thos e who hav e responde d t o therap y an d ar e nearl y read y t o b e discharged . Th e othe r patient s kno w thi s an d often tr y ver y har d t o b e "promoted " t o War d One . War d Tw o i s occupie d b y thos e mor e severel y afflicted: delusional s suc h a s Russel l an d prot , mani c an d dee p depressives , obdurat e misanthropes , an d others unabl e t o functio n i n society . War d Thre e i s divide d int o 3A , whic h house s a variet y o f seriously psychoti c individuals , an d 3B , th e autistic/catatoni c section . Finally , War d Fou r i s reserve d for psychopathi c patient s wh o migh t caus e har m t o th e staf f an d thei r fello w inmates . Thi s include s certain autist s wh o regularl y erup t int o uncontrollabl e rages , a s wel l a s otherwis e norma l individual s who sometime s becom e violen
Sessio n Four
TH E Manhatta n Psychiatri c Institut e i s locate d o n Amsterda m Avenu e a t 112t h Stree t i n Ne w York City . I t i sa privat e teachin g an d researc h hospita l affiliate d wit h th e nearb y Columbi a Universit y College o f Physician s an d Surgeons . MP I i s distinc t fro m th e Psychiatri c Institut e a t Columbia , whic h i s a general treatmen t cente r tha t deal s wit h fa r mor e patients . W e refe r t o i t a s "th e bi g institute, " an d ours , i n turn , is
know n a s "th e littl e institute. " Ou r concep t i s unique : W e tak e i n onl y a limite d numbe r o f adul t patients
(on e hundre d t o on e hundre d twent y i n all) , eithe r case s o f unusua l interes t o r thos e tha t hav e proven unresponsiv e t o standar d somati c (drug) , electroconvulsive , surgical , o r psychotherapies.
MP I wa s constructe d i n 190 7 a ta cos t o f jus t ove ra millio n dollars . Toda y th e physica l facilit y alone i s wort h on e hundre d fift y million . Th e grounds , thoug h small , ar e wel l kept , wit ha grass y law n t o th e side an d back , an d shrub s an d flowe r garden s alon g th e wall s an d fences . Ther e i s als o a fountain , "Adoni s in th e Garde n o f Eden, " situate d i n the , cente r o f wha t w e cal l "th e bac k forty. "I lov e t o strol l thos e pastoral grounds , liste n t o th e bubbl y fountain , contemplat e th e ol d ston e walls . Entir e adul t live s hav e bee n lived here , bot h patien t an d staff . T o some , thi s i s th e onl y worl d the y wil l eve r know.
Ther e ar e fiv e floor s a t MPI , numbere d essentiall y i n orde r o f increasin g severit y o f patien t illness. War d On e (groun d floor ) i s fo r thos e wh o suffe r onl y acut e neurose s o r mil d paranoia , an d thos e who hav e responde d t o therap y an d ar e nearl y read y t o b e discharged . Th e othe r patient s kno w thi s an d often tr y ver y har d t o b e "promoted " t o War d One . War d Tw o i s occupie d b y thos e mor e severel y afflicted: delusional s suc h a s Russel l an d prot , mani c an d dee p depressives , obdurat e misanthropes , an d others unabl e t o functio n i n society . War d Thre e i s divide d int o 3A , whic h house s a variet y o f seriously psychoti c individuals , an d 3B , th e autistic/catatoni c section . Finally , War d Fou r i s reserve d for psychopathi c patient s wh o migh t caus e har m t o th e staf f an d thei r fello w inmates . Thi s include s certain autist s wh o regularl y erup t int o uncontrollabl e rages , a s wel l a s otherwis e norma l individual s who sometime s becom e violen
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