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It was the late 1970s. She arrived by limousine; an attractive young woman, “Jasmine,” daughter of one of the richest men in the country. She was wearing a low-cut silk blouse and was adorned with an abundance of jewelry: large earrings, a necklace, and rings on nearly every finger. She smiled broadly when I introduced myself, shook her hand, and ushered her into my office.
She moved quickly and spoke in a rapid and pressured manner. She complained of poor sleep, mood swings, and racing thoughts. I began to ask her questions. “Have you used cocaine recently?” “What about Ritalin or amphetamines?” “Do you take prednisone or any other steroids?” “Do you have thyroid disease?” “Do you or anyone in your family have a history of manic depressive illness? Who? Have they ever required hospitalization for its treatment?”
“Well, doctor, what do you think?” she asked.
“I think that you probably have manic depressive illness and that you are currently having a manic episode. You should go into the hospital and begin treatment with lithium.”
“Who is the authority on this illness?” she asked.
“…The US authority or the world authority?” I replied.
“The world authority” she answered.
“Probably Professor Mogens Schou in Copenhagen,” I said.
“I’ll go see what he thinks,” she responded.
“Okay, you do that,” I replied.
When she left, I thought, “What a grandiose young woman, I doubt I’ll hear from her again.”
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