Progress Note
by Joseph Reich

Client informed clinician today
that he sleeps with those fangs to
replace bite plate the orthodontist
gave him. Clinician was curious about
role of mother and if she had had any
concerns about nightmares, night terrors.
It is also important to note that this was
the same mother when we provided family
stabilization services at domicile disclosed
while having a manic episode hx of domestic
violence and trauma while still wearing a hockey
mask and youngest child taking slapshots at her.
Family was originally brought to our attention
based on a charge that daughter had been fondled
by a foster child of next door neighbor and son’s profound
feelings of guilt at not being there to protect her; mother’s
poor coping mechanisms, confrontational behavior, and
possible Munchausen Syndrome, emotionally subjugat-
ing her son by constantly reminding him of that traumatic
episode, which apparently was a mask for her own symptoms
of possible drug use, Borderline, Bipolar…Clinician was concerned
about her lack of orientation, disassociative presentation, and restless
body language, which he felt may not have only been symptomatic of
a personality d/o, yet might possibly point to a substance abuse problem.
The husband who was d.v. perpetrator and who had recently been
laid off simply sat in corner in a submissive manner and clinician
was able to feel a genuine amount of empathy for everyone in home
except for her. DSS was contacted for precautionary measures
and 51A was filed for possible addiction to pain killers.
Note too, that clinician felt close connection to client
picturing the image of him sleeping with his fangs on.

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Joseph Reich is a social worker who lives and works out in the state of Massachusetts…

He has been published in a wide variety of eclectic literary journals both here and abroad, been nominated twice for the Pushcart Prize, and his books include, A Different Sort Of Distance (Skive Magazine Press), “If I Told You To Jump Off The Brooklyn Bridge (Flutter Press), Obscure Aphorisms Written On A Fine Overcast Day (Lummox Press), Pain Diary: Working Methadone & The Life & Times Of The Man Sawed In Half (Brick Road Poetry Press), Escaping Shangrila (Punkin House Press), Drugstore Sushi (Thunderclap Press) and A Whole Childhood Put Together By Model Glue & Other Works (Alternative Current Co-Op.