Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist should have his head examined. - Samuel Goldwyn

Seth doesn't believe in psychiatrists. He doesn't disagree with their findings. He doesn't quibble with their methods. He doesn't illigitemize their purpose. He simply believes they do not exist.

His mother told him for years about the great strides made in her visits to her shrink. Seth decided early on that when your husband leaves you for a woman he met on the subway, you get to take weekly trips wherever you want and then claim you were seeing a doctor. A little irrational behavior is fine when you consider the causes. At least Seth had the sense to leave her alone and not try to convince her she was a little more crazy than she knew. Right. Like there's really a doctor you can talk to and he can fix your head.

Seth did argue about this with Dale, though. Dale said, "I think your mom really goes to a doctor."
"She does not. There are no doctors that fix peoples' heads."
"So where does she go, then?"
"Macy's."
"Macy's!"
"Yeah, she goes shopping for an hour then comes home."
"So what does she buy?"
"Mostly clothes and sometimes she gets toys."
"I never see any of this stuff."
"You're usually not here when she gets home."
"Ok. Have you ever seen the stuff?"
"No. She likes to donate it to less fortunate people."
"Really."
Seth was deadpan. Dale seemed skeptical.
"Then how do you know she buys anything at all?"
"She told me I don't get a new set of encyclopedias because her 'doctor' costs too much. How would you explain that?"
Dale chuckled, "She's really going to a doctor."
"Yeah, right. I told you..."
"I know."
"...and she's allergic to perfume."
"What?"
"Yeah. She has to walk by the perfume counter every time she leaves the store. She's allergic to the perfume and so by the time she gets home her eyes are all red and it looks like she's been crying."
"Maybe she was crying...at the doctor's."
"Oh, come on."

That's as close as Dale ever gets to logic. He doesn't try to argue with Seth usually. Seth is smart. When Dale visits, he usually just asks questions.
"Where are we right now?"
"My room."
"No, jerk. What is the address here. I'm trying to find us on Google Earth."
"600 East 125th Street...we're in 714"
"Oh, there we are by the river. Just like outside the window."
"Yep."

At dinner time, Seth sits in his chair with his tray of food. Dale is gone. Mother came home an hour ago, eyes red as usual, but she never eats with Seth. He asks her if she had a good time and she says. He eats his dinner quietly, reads a little bit from his encyclopedia, Volume MNOP, and goes to bed.

Good progress. For the 2nd week in a row, Seth only sees Dale and his mother. Dale seems harmless and Seth will probably keep seeing his mother for a few more years. Maybe then he can begin to process that she's gone. But, it has only been a few months.

Seth Wilson patient progress notes.
May 19, 2007
Dr. John Shalk
Manhattan Psychiatric Center
Manhattan State Hospital
Case 1568769-A11