Betty knew the reason for the call from Charlene. They were most often for some kind of financial assistance from Charlene’s father. Betty felt bad for her boss but kept quiet. This was his troubled daughter and she had woes of her own. It wasn’t her money or her place to give advice or interfere. Betty thought that Charlene was immature and perhaps a little devious in her dealings with her father.

Her apartment was an example. Charlene had found her apartment in an area near the river that was far above her ability to pay, but worked her father and ended up getting a great apartment for nearly nothing. It ended up costing her six-hundred dollars a month instead of the fourteen-hundred that it rented for. Her father made up the difference. Granted, it was in a great neighborhood and Charlene would be safe, but Nick didn’t like the way he had been manipulated once more. “How long is my guilt going to drive my decisions regarding my daughter,” he asked his new wife? “As long as you let it,” was her reply.

The money wasn’t the issue but Nick often felt taken for granted after dealing with Charlene. His wife didn’t say much about the relationship or lack of one between those two. She could see Charlene for what she was while Nick couldn’t. She knew Charlene had her weak points and that they most likely would never change. She also knew how smart Charlene was and how she could make people do her bidding at times. She respected her on some level for that.

She knew that years ago Charlene’s mother and Nick had taken Charlene for a mental evaluation when some troubles became apparent in high school. Nick was aware that it was a time when many children start showing signs of schizophrenia. He had a hunch that it ran in his wife’s family. One of her brothers had committed suicide after several years of issues with family and the police. The stories were kept as quiet as possible, of course.

Charlene had a wide variety of school friends over the years. Some were great students and athletes while others, who came into her circle later seemed to be from another world or planet. “Those might have been the first signs,” or so Nick had mentioned to his wife Nora more than once. “She is a growing child Nick, she is a girl turning into a woman. These can be difficult times for older children moving into adulthood.” Nick had no experience in those matters and could only watch and hope.

The relationship between Nick and Charlene seemed to remain about the same. Not perfect but not awful. He was living in a state of limbo, or so it seems, waiting for the next shoe to drop. Charlene’s parents had been told by the psychiatrist at her private school who examined her at that time that she probably had a border line personality disorder. He read several school reports over her years in school and her short but interesting police file. After reading about several incidents, he had come to that conclusion. “It is very common for people with mental disorders to act out like this at this time of their lives. This may be Charlenes situation.”

Nick remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. “Perhaps she should be placed in a facility for a while for some in-house treatment.” “She is my daughter Dr. Taylor. It is our responsibility to watch over her and to take care of her as necessary. What could this institution do that might help her more than her parents?”

“That’s a fair question,” the doctor answered. This is not a pefect science and we are still searching for clues that might lead to cures for issues like your dughter faces.

Then things turned for the worse and the drug “experimenting” started. Soon she had done most everything possible to destroy her health, safety and her relationship with her parents. She put herself in peril often by going out into the most unsavory parts of the city to buy drugs of all sorts. Charlene now had developed a wild side. There was no denying that. She soon knew people who would do anything for a fix or a few pills. Some wopjuld remain friends for her entire life.

She soon had access to any number of people who would or could kill another person for no good reason other than a few dollars. That thought haunted Nick every night as he climbed into bed with his wife, Nora. “Would they be killed by Charlene’s friends?” they wondered.

After an intervention and a stay in a lockdown facility, things seemed to improve. She did a good deal of counseling and had a new psychiatrist assigned to her. After that review and others over the years, Nick was fairly sure that the diagnosis was correct.

Charlene’s parents had even taken her to a very prominent psychiatrist downtown at that time of the first evaluation. That relationship was still on going. Things had improved a great deal over the years and now Charlene had a steady job and a life. She had been placed on a new drug and the results had been good.

Charleen’s psychiatrist continued to talk to her and her family on a regular basis about her condition after her graduation from university. She had done very well. No one was surprised. She was a very smart young woman. Sadly, Charlene continued to have her ups and downs though over all she seemed to have found a happy medium.

One one visit Nick and his wife had a long talk with her doctor. After all was said and done, he thought that she was doing quite well over all but that indeed, she might be a sociopath. “What is that Dr.Gage, if I might ask. What is the complete definition?” “Well, it is a term describing someone with antisocial personality disorder. The results in laymen’s terms is a person who continually disregards the rights and or feelings of others.” Nick looked at his wife and understood. “That is Charlene to a “T” don’t you think dear?” “I’m afraid so Nick.” The doctor interjected, “There are some very good meds coming in use now and coming down the pipeline, so I wouldn’t get to down. We’ll find one that works for Charlene at some point. So after that meeting Nick had some clarity on who his daughter was and what still could be done. It could have been worse.

“I have been doing some research on a few new drugs coming on line. Let’s try one of those for a while and see what happens,” the doctor suggested. Nick’s heart jumped in his chest when he thought of a possibility of a decent life for his daughter. This was one instance when all three of her parents could agree on a course of action for Charlene’s well being. Things seemed to have settled down since that meeting two years ago.

Nick pushed the button on his desk phone. “Yes, what’s up? I’m in the middle of something.” “It’s Charlene, she’s on the line. Thanks karen, I’ll talk with her. Put her through to me.

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More coming tomorrow.

I never stop this nonsense.