Tuesday, Lafayette, Indiana 
Dennis Lennon (originally Dennis Fuller) was in counseling with Dr. Will for six months before dropping out. He sought help with his feelings of abandonment as a result of not knowing the identity of his biological father. He soon became convinced that he was actually the child of the Beatles legend John Lennon. When he confronted his British mother about the matter she admitted that she had indeed begun a John Lennon fan club in New York City in 1975. He changed his name and left for England last month on a quest to secure his identity and his inheritance. He sent the following account of his adventures thus far. Dr. Will,Greetings from the legendary Cavern club in Liverpool, the place where it all started. As you know this is the club where the Beatles first began their climb to greatness and I can’t get enough of it. Sometimes I just hang around outside sitting on my scooter looking at the place and dreaming about my Dad. I did land a job delivering salted peanuts here and I get to enter the club during daytime hours twice a week. I handed in my resume for a job there but so far no luck. Although, the manager stared at me for a very long time so I take that as yet another confirmation.
My guitar and singing lessons are coming along fine and I am almost ready to debut my rendition of Imagine in public. Every time I play it I feel his hands inside my own. Is that psycho? Hope not. I sometimes play outside the gate of Sir Paul’s estate hoping to catch a glimpse of him and get him to talk to me. Maybe he can shed some light on my history. So far, no luck.On a personal note, I am dating a really great Japanese girl who is a fan and said she “swooned” the first time she saw me. We are having a blast and have been trying to raise the funds to attend a cool Beatlefest in the States next month. I sent my photo and an affidavit from my mother to the organizers in hopes that they will pick up the tab for us. I included a picture of Leah dressed like Yoko to see if we can’t get a package deal. Nothing yet.Hey! Maybe you could write a note of validation for me seeing as how you were my shrink and all. That might confirm my heritage and get me a step closer to a contract. (And I swear that I will absolutely “take care of you” if I win the estate battle. I so mean it!).I will keep you posted on my progress getting justice for myself as a tribute to Dad.That’s all from here. Remember, Dr. Will, All You Need Is Love!Peace,Dennis LennonFor more on John Lennon, Click Here

Monday, Rye Brooke, New York

If you prefer to LISTEN to a podcast of this entry, Click Here

Quite simply, Louis DePalma, the cruel, acerbic taxicab dispatcher has a severe personality disorder. He is perpetually agitated, sadistic, and vindictive. His eruptive nature suggests a diagnosis of “Intermittent Explosive Disorder.”

Since he behaves like the child of at least one abandoning, abusive parent, clearly there was some horrendous deprivation in Louie’s early experience. Given the never-ceasing pain he is so evidently in most of the time, it is shocking that Louie has not become a virulent alcoholic or drug addict. And this is a credit to some pocket of inner strength he must possess. But he is obviously struggling with feelings of impotence which causes him to lash out in combative rage at all around him.

It is quite a fitting irony that Louie spends most of his time in an office that is essentially a cage. He growls and prowls like a wild animal in captivity that must be handled and kept at bay.

And no one is spared his wrath. This indicates that he is unable to tolerate emotional closeness with anyone, no matter how benign their personality. He is drawn to the calm equilibrium of Alex, but ultimately must push him away when he gets too close and dependent. And while he can also tolerate the simple Latka, this is due to his total dominance of this culturally overwhelmed innocent. The driver in the garage with the most dispassionate acceptance of Louie other that the schizotypal Reverend Jim (and he is another story for another time!)

Louie is in urgent need of long term, insight oriented, psychoanalytic psychotherapy at least two to three times each week.

He will not change until he gets treatment; and there is a good chance that this will only come after a court order.

Sunday, Rye Brook, New York

Reader Amy asks the following question:

This column reminded me of a “theory” I’ve had regarding Ritchie/Fonzie-type people in the past…..sometimes, I think it’s the “Fonzies” of the world who actually end up better adjusted, productive, etc. Any thoughts on this?

Amy,

This of course is an astute observation. Indeed in my years as a therapist I have witnessed countless numbers of individuals who go through long periods of dysfunctional, even anti-social behavior, and yet emerge as solid citizens and caring people. Certainly near the end of the show Fonzie himself was becoming a strong role model for young people as a teacher.

Imagine Richie Cunningham at 35 years old. He is divorced, and a resentful father of three children, the oldest of whom now dresses and acts a lot like Fonzie. His appearance has changed. From years of heavy drinking his skin is ruddy and pock marked. His body is oddly inflated through a combination of extreme body building and over eating. HIs hygiene is poor and he is now a sarcastic, provocative personality disliked by virtually everyone. After a promising career start, he now drives a shuttle bus at long term parking at the airport on the over-night shift. His car is fourteen years old and has abroken muffler. If we ever actually see Mr. Cunningham it is likely that he is bleary eyes, belching and snarling "wadda you lookin’ at?"

Terre haute, Indiana
I will be adding more podcasts starting tomorrow - Monday. There will also be a cool new character this week I believe you will enjoy.

Tell a friend about drwill.com. You can use the email link on any entry you like to send someone.

Have a great week!

Will

Lafayette, Indiana

United States Senator David Vitter, a conservative Republican from Louisiana was outed this week when his telephone number turned appeared in the phone records of Deborah Jeane Palfrey, under indictment for running an illegal escort service. A contrite Vitter gave the obligatory confession saying, "this was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible." He claimed that he had already received forgiveness from God and his family.

In an uncomfortable development, Vitter’s “sin” was outed by none other than Larry Flynt of Hustler magazine. Vitter, 46, is married and has four children. He was a top backer of a failed constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriage and serves as the Southern regional chairman of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign. He also claimed that President Bill Clinton did not have the moral integrity to hold public office. Hmmm!

Here we go again. How predictable is this? No matter what your political, philosophical or theological orientation, it is a disheartening experience to put your trust in a public representative, especially an individual who loudly espouses family values of modesty and Christian ethics. Whether it is a television evangelist calling us to repent our immorality or a self-righteous politician expressing outrage at the behavior of another public figure, it is hypocrisy of the highest order.

When will haughty public figures learn that a position of moral superiority is mere arrogance? A leader acknowledges with humility that human beings are fallible and it takes disciplined self-control to hold the high ground. And importantly a leader is careful about posturing in judgement about others.

Excusing all aberrant behavior is absurd.
But publicly condemning others who sin is always a risky position when we know that our own house is in disarray.

JUDGE NOT, LEST YOU BE JUDGED!

Richie Cunnigham & Fonzie are the stars of the enormously popular, classic television show Happy Days. These two characters psychologically mirror each other and are thus best analyzed as one. In essence, central to understanding Richie’s apparent naiveté is when seen in contrast to his friend and mentor, the more worldly Arthur Fonzarelli.

The relationship between them offers two distinct styles of relating to the world, and each is powerfully drawn to the other. Since Fonzie’s childhood was obviously less than ideal, he learned to cope by becoming emotionally independent and quite guarded. His rough and combative interpersonal style, coupled with his fantasies of transcendent powers, are clearly a shield against his pronounced vulnerability, most probably the result of some level of parental abandonment. It is no surprise, therefore, that he is drawn to the stability and nurturing warmth of the Cunningham family.

In contrast Richie’s childhood, protected within a stable, warm, and loving family environment, allowed him the luxury of becoming a more dependent and thus innocent young adult. He is having the luxury of learning the reality of the world at a more leisurely and orderly pace. In each of their unconscious fantasy lives, Richie and Fonzie are each other’s vision for the ideal.

Richie Cunningham represents the person who a saddened Fonzie wishes he could have become; while Fonzie represents what a restless and frustrated Richie wishes he could become. When they are together, their relationship calms each. And in the end, as Richie does indeed mature, and Fonzie realizes his dreams and becomes a teacher, each finds inner healing in the family love they experienced from the Cunningham home.

So, of course, these are indeed “happy days."

Lafayette, Indiana

Television and film critics like to use (and over use) the term “train wreck” to describe a particularly bad movie or TV program. This phrase was dusted off again to describe the new reality show Hey Paula, starring Paula Abdul. With cameras following her every move, the mercurial wee American Idol judge allowed the cameras into her “private life” to give viewers a glimpse of what she is “really like.”

The cynics see this show as a ploy to repair her public image which has taken several hits over the past few years. There have been implications of affairs with Idol contestants, drug and alcohol abuse and general whacked out behavior that has made her a cartoon image. Paula came to fame many years go a a pop singer with a few chart topping hits. She was an NFL Cheerleader and an accomplished dancer. But when her music career tailed off she disappeared until her reemergence sitting next to lightening-rod Simon Cowell. Often the butt of Simon’s jokes, she stammers her way through her evaluations of the Idol contestants and is often nearly incoherent.

So what’s the fascination with Paula Abdul?

Paula has the quality of an individual who seems unlikely to have become famous. She seems to be an ordinary person who somehow became famous. She appears to be a normal person who is overwhelmed by fame and notoriety. As such she becomes the focus of fascination rooted in the idea that, “this could be me.”

And thus it asks the question, how would I handle such fame? And this explains the curiosity we have with a lot of media celebrities who represent either what  we desire to become or who we can realistically see ourselves actually becoming.

Paula is the wreck we fear we might become if subjected to the glare of public attention. She is us.

Lafayette, Indiana

Most people know this illness under its traditional name of “multiple personality disorder.” Now called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), it describes a condition where a person has two or more distinct identities. Each of these separate identities has its own personality, including different thoughts, points of view and even memories. Making matters more complicated they each usually have separate goals and purposes that conflict with each other.

Frequently one of the personalities is an aggressive individual, known as the protector. And in this name is a clue to the possible cause of the condition. It is believed that when young children experience a very severe trauma it can cause a split in their consciousness - splitting off a unique identity within them. And often one of the personalities is an aggressive dimension that is determined to protect the person from further harm.

Unfortunately the treatment is limited to long term psychotherapy with the strategy of uniting the various aspects of the person’s personality. Medications have limited application except for treating the temporary anxiety or depression symptoms that accompany the disorder. So the challenge is to reconstruct one unified personality that has been splintered by traumatic events early on in their
life. It may be a fascinating illness but it is quite tragic.

The caution here is that we must take seriously the long term impact of hurting a child with abuse or any other trauma. They may seem to recover in the immediate aftermath but the consequences can last for their lifetime and affect everyone they know. We cannot underestimate the urgency of protecting children from bad adults.

Indicators that someone you know has a split personality:

- Your sister’s closet has four distinct wardrobe styles

- Without warning you brother can suddenly speak fluent chinese

&quoLafayette, Indiana(For the original post on Sean Boyd go to the archives and look up May 8th)
Sean Boyd was Dr. Will’s patient for two years as part of a court ordered agreement to be treated for anger management. He was a Catholic priest for sixteen years but left as a result of a fist fight with his Bishop over Bingo receipts. In his words, “Oh yeah, his excellency didn;t like that I was complaining about his cut of the parish take and so he mouthed off and I popped him one!” He now owns a pub in Wheaton, Illinois called “The Irish Brogue.” He has devoted his spare time to a newsletter for ex-priests and nuns called “The Lost Frock.” Dr. Will,It’s been a busy month in matters of the immortal soul. For starters this week there was a shocking development in Rome:- In a startling announcement the The Pope gave the okay to saying the Mass in Latin, just like the old days. It’s been a long time since I spoke the Kingdom tongue but I think he did a great thing. It’s high time that the church created some separation between the anointed clergy and the desperate, swilling masses sweating in the pews. By reverting to Latin the people will go back to trusting that the priest is talking to God - not them. And he is doing it in the language God truly understands. (I swear that every time I prayed in English I could hear God saying “What? What did he just say?”)- Snooty writer Christopher Hitchens has a best selling book out about religion called God is Not Great. This stuffed hen goes around telling the gullible that there is no God. But the only reason anyone - especially the lilly-livered, affected snoot bag nerds at the New York Times - even listens to him is because he has an English accent and quotes literature. Get a real job Sir Gas-a-lot. I swear someone needs to pop this guy one. All I can say to this bloated English turd is “prepare for a divine beat down, you pompous ass.”- We have been inundated with panicked messages worried that the world was going to end on the unique date of 7/7/07. What nonsense. Where do these wacko ideas come from anyway? Every few years it’s the same thing - 6/6/06, 5/5/05, and on and on. I mean, get real people. The Lord does not abide by your absurd little numbers game. Be sure of this - curious dates aside, when the end comes it will be a like God laying a cosmic blanket of flaming death over the earth. It will be over in an instant. And the timing will not be a predictable little date game. It might happen any time - perhaps tonight. You are never safe from the murderous wrath of God! So relax for now and remember that it will happen most likely in your lifetime. So be ready..In conclusion I must repeat my impression of your crappy little website. Many of the entries are weak and most of it is more of the b.s. psycho-claptrap you always dish out. Have a great day “healing.” Hee! Hee! Hee!Yours in the Lord,Father Sean

Lafayette, Indiana

This week an al Qaeda leader released a tape, described by some as a “fireside chat” to the Muslim world assuring them that the West’s defeat is imminent. Ayman al-Zawahiri, hiding in a mountain retreat with his boss, whats-his-name, droned on about the desperation of the West in their battle against their inevitable collapse.
In the words of Dr. Evil, R-i-i-ight!

I am reminded of a time in my youth when we were all terrified of the Soviet Union and their bluster about how they will overcome the United States and institute their system of communism. It scared the living daylights out of us. The thought that hundreds of nuclear (or is it nucular?) missiles would slam into the U.S. gave all of us the Heebie Jeebies. And since I was living in New York at the time, I was especially convinced that we were a first strike target. (Although I can recall hearing countless numbers of people “boast,” if you will, that their town was on the target list because there was a secret military base or silo in a local bean field). In any event I took it for granted that my parents were not going to relocate to a remote town (perhaps they knew where all the silo’s were).

One particular Friday in 1962, during the infamous “Cuban missile crisis,” the country was convinced that we were on the very brink of a nuclear war. The churches in the area were open for prayers and my parish opened up for confessions that very day. Wow! It was an amazing time, with a pervasive anxiety much like we feel today. In a memorable speech a few years earlier, Soviet Premiere Nikita Khrushchev - a fearsome individual who looked like Shrek - threatened the U.S. with the words, “We will bury you.” Well, for some, them’s fightin’ words! For the average citizen, however, it was enough to release your bowels.

So what are we to make of the bravado of the al Qaeda nut case posturing for his YouTube video? Well, the Soviet Union, although still a discomforting presence, did not in fact bury us. Much like fifty years ago, there may be divided opinion about how to respond to serious threats. But let no one be fooled into thinking that we will sit back and allow anyone to overwhelm us and strip away our blessed lifestyle.

Issues of governmental and political incompetence side, the country’s will is overwhelmingly focused on stopping any force that promises to take away what we have - the NFL, provocative dress, beer and, of course our freedom to be fixated on Paris Hilton.

So be careful Ayman.

I believe in the end we will bury you!