Seven of Spades2: Trick Roller

As Dominic was driving to Dr. Chen's clinic, his cell phone rang.After pressing the answer button on the dashboard, he said, "Hey, Jasmine."

"Hey, Dom. My dad just texted me about a dinner party this week—he wanted to know if Levi's not eating."

"It's not strict. He doesn't eat pork and shellfish, but that's all he usually avoids. No need to separate the cooker or anything."

"It doesn't matter if he really needs it," Jasmine said. "You know what my family is like. We're like the fucking United Nations."

Dominic chuckled.Jasmin was mixed—her father was black, her mother was half white and half Paiute[2]—so her parents' extended family was inherently diverse.But apart from Jasmine and her two blood-related siblings, her parents have taken on the responsibility of a foster family in the past 20 years, and have adopted more than 20 children. They are all members of this big family, and those who The younger generation who were born or married here have nothing else to do.In all, her family came from more than a dozen races and countries, practiced five different major religions, and spoke seven languages.

"Anyway," she continued, "we're really happy Levi is here. My parents are looking forward to seeing him."

"It was very kind of them to invite him."

She said with a smile, "I told them, I've never seen you care so much about another man."

"Levi's special," Dominique said absently, not paying much attention to the conversation as he pulled off the highway with the traffic.

There was a burst of gentle giggles from the receiver, and she said, "I know. Alright, I'm leaving, and I'll talk to you later."

They said their goodbyes, and a few minutes later, Dominique arrived at his destination.

Dr. Angela Chen's psychiatric clinic is located in the west of the city. Various professional offices are gathered on that street, which is located in small row buildings, which looks like a unique residential area.Dominique came once, looking for a clue to the Seven of Spades; there was an outpost of the chain of private letter boxes less than a quarter of a mile down the street, and the real Seven of Spades used to , It is also part of this person's layout to frame Keith Chapman.

This time, he left the rebellious girl at home.Parking the pickup on the sidewalk, he walked up the stairs to the front door, rang the bell, and someone inside let him in.

The waiting room was just as he had imagined it to be—quiet, peaceful, and furnished like a cozy living room, only with the addition of a reception desk surrounded by thick glass.There are tacky landscape paintings on the walls, interspersed with advertisements for various psychotropic drugs.

One of the adverts featured a picture of a smiling woman hugging a dog on the grass, and the copy read: Is seasonal depression making you morose?Act now and learn about Ibitron from the doctor!Produced by Shu Lanxia[3].

There are a few fluffy loveseats beside the tea table, but no one is waiting to sit.A few potted flowers and a small bonsai decorate the coffee table beautifully.Another side table was stacked with magazines and some medical brochures spread out.A cursory glance reveals that they are all owned by Shulanxia Pharmaceutical Group.

Dominique frowned, but as he approached the receptionist, he changed his face and put on a friendly smile.The way the other party looked at him already hinted at him.

"Hi, I'm Adam Smith," the alias he reported was the name Levy used for the appointment—very creative, "I made an appointment for Dr. Chen's consultation at one o'clock?"

"Welcome, Mr. Smith. I'll get you a briefing form."

This consultation is not covered by insurance, so I can use a fake identity.A few days ago, Levi really gave him an envelope full of cash, and Dominic's jaw dropped in shock after seeing the amount inside.He also protested, thinking that even if he couldn't afford all the money, he could still get some money, but Levi waved his hand and refused.Dominic asked repeatedly, and Levy confessed that since he and Stanton Barclay didn't spend much money during their cohabitation, he saved a full two years of salary.

This embarrasses Levy, and Dominic quickly changes the subject—though he can't help but doubt himself for a moment.Levi's ex-boyfriend is a billionaire with a prominent family background, while Dominic is a working class with a very low credit rating and owes a lot of gambling debts. What does Levi think about this gap?

The receptionist handed him a stack of forms through the glass window, and he shook off these stupid thoughts, and then noticed that the pen and clipboard were printed with Shu Lanxia's trademark.

"Thanks." He said, offering an even brighter smile.The other party giggled, and put his hair behind his ear to say goodbye.

He chose a loveseat and sat down, recalling the purpose of the place.Dr. Chen insisted on prescribing antipsychotics to Chapman despite the severe side effects — he was poisoned by an adverse interaction of the drugs, which was only discovered after his death.Natasha Stone repeatedly expressed concerns about Chapman's physical and mental health, but Dr. Chen turned a deaf ear.Therefore, Dominic came here specially to feel Dr. Chen's personal character and professional style, and then helped Levi judge whether it is necessary to investigate her further.

As Chapman's psychiatrist, Chen should have known he would make the perfect scapegoat for "Seven of Spades."She had access to the drugs that poisoned him, and the ketamine that Seven of Spades used on his victims was within easy reach of her, and the mailbox station where Chapman was framed was within walking distance of her office. .There was a question to be answered: Was her indifference to Chapman's plight a diagnostic error, or something else?

Dominique wrote the made-up story into the fact sheet, most of which was his real experience, with some details slightly changed.The closer a lie is to the truth, the more believable it is.The thought of telling about his gambling for five or ten minutes inevitably made him fearful, but if he pretended to be other illnesses, the chances of Dr. Chen exposing the lie were too great.He can get through it.

He handed the form back to the receptionist and waited five minutes before a man came out of the inner office and barely glanced at him as he passed Dominique.After a while, Dr. Chen came out.

"Mr. Smith, this is Dr. Chen," she said, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you."

He put aside the magazine he pretended to be reading, stood up and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Chen appears to be in his 40s, of medium height, with black hair tied up in a bun.She led Dominic into her office, maintaining a kind smile all the way, and her demeanor was calm and professional.

Unsurprisingly, the office was not blatantly posted with: I AM A SERIAL KILLER!However, the walls are covered with drug advertisements, even more than the waiting rooms.Following Chen's instructions, Dominique sat in a comfortable armchair, feeling like he was at a Shulanxia company conference.

She sat across from him with a notebook open on her lap. "I was just looking at your fact sheet - you described your condition as 'compulsive gambling addiction'?"

He knew what she meant. "I don't like the term 'pathological gambling' anyway."

"It's understandable. In fact, the new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [4] no longer uses this name, and the current diagnostic term is 'gambling disorder'. But of course, we can say whatever you feel comfortable with." Legs crossed, leaning against the back of the chair, pen in hand. "How about a brief introduction to your problem first? Everything you think is extremely important for me to understand your situation."

Dominique lays out some highlights for her—how he was attracted to gambling in middle school;One of the reasons he joined the army was the realization that he was on a dangerous path.During the eight years he had fought with the Army Rangers, he had been purposeful, organized, and out of trouble; but once he got home from the army, the trouble came back in a big way.In the next two years, he lost control like a slippery slope, and got deeper and deeper in adversity. It was not until Fan Gumei's illness gave him a blow that he made up his mind to quit addiction.Since then, he has been in recovery from withdrawal.

Dr. Chen was engrossed and did not say a word, occasionally jotting down a few notes.Her performance so far has been impeccable.

After he finished speaking, Dr. Chen asked: "Have you sought professional treatment for compulsive gambling addiction before?"

"Yes, when I first started to quit, I did two cognitive behavioral therapy sessions with a counselor [5]."

"Well, then—why come now?"

"I don't understand what you mean," he said

She smiled and said, "That's a question I ask all my patients. What drives you to seek help now, as opposed to a week ago, a month ago, or a year ago? Has anything changed? A new source of stress, I guess?"

My boyfriend-to-be thinks you might have killed five people and put the blame on one innocent man. "Uh..." Dominique said the first explanation that came to mind, "I recently started a new job, which requires me to be exposed to the kind of environment that I can't go to at ordinary times. This situation is likely to happen again. showed up, so I thought it was time to come and ask for help."

"I see. You work for..." She flipped back to his information form and looked at it. "Private security company?"

"Yes."

"In a city like Las Vegas, you're definitely exposed to gambling triggers from time to time."

"Yeah, it's hard to avoid."

Dr. Chen was silent for a moment, and kept tapping on the notebook with his pen. "Tell me, Mr. Smith, how do you feel when you gamble?"

He thought the question was odd, but it seemed all right to answer it truthfully.In Gamblers Anonymous, he'd talked it over and over until he was about to throw up. "Excitement, probably. When I was not quitting gambling, I was easily bored, and I gambled when I was bored. I enjoyed the excitement of dealing with people, and the study of gambling skills-all those things, really Enjoy. I'm competitive, I like exciting adventures, and I like being a winner." He smiled self-deprecatingly, and added: "But who doesn't, you say?"

"It sounds like it's going to be difficult for people to give up something they enjoy so much."

"Well, I only enjoy it when I gamble," he said. "I hate myself and feel ashamed when it's over, especially when I lose a lot of money or can't stop. It's a good thing to think about." Repercussions from people I care about - I know now that gambling can be fun for a while, but not worth the consequences. Whatever the reason, I just can't gamble in a healthy way, so I Shouldn't gamble at all."

She looked at him intently. "Then what do you think is the reason?"

Although he knew what she meant, he still shrugged and pretended not to understand.Anxiety crept through her body.

“What do you think is the reason gambling becomes compulsive in you, rather than just a relatively harmless leisure activity?” she continued, ignoring his avoidance.

"Why do people become addicted?" He forced a smile. "No one knows, right?"

“That’s true. Even after decades of research, there’s still a lot of debate about what causes addiction. But I’m not asking for your general thoughts on the subject, I’m asking what you personally attribute your gambling addiction to .”

Dominic didn't answer, he couldn't answer.He swallowed hard, staring at the diploma hanging on the wall.A clock somewhere in the room was ticking and walking, and the sound suddenly became very loud.

After 1 minute, Dr. Chen broke the silence and said, "It's admirable that you have quit gambling for two years. But it's hard not to be curious about your lack of support."

"I have support! My family and friends, they all do their best to help me."

"That's great, and I'm happy about that. But what I'm really talking about is 'professional' support." She flipped through the papers she had. "According to your own statement, you only participate in Gamblers Anonymous from time to time, and you have no mutual support [6]. You have not signed an active isolation [7] ban with any casino in the city. You are far from obvious in cognitive behavioral therapy. The consultation was terminated when it was effective. You have a debt repayment plan, which is commendable - but you have not made any real changes in personal financial management, which any doctor would first suggest to a patient with a gambling disorder. That advice." She met his gaze and said, "As far as I'm concerned, the mental picture I picture from this is that of a man trying to face recovery with his bare hands."

Her words were like a heavy punch, and he couldn't catch his breath. Dominique had to take a few breaths before replying: "Aren't I here now?" His tone was subconsciously a little heavier .

She didn't blink, just sat there with infinite patience written all over her face.

He closed his eyes for a moment, reining in himself.It doesn't help Levy that he's letting her mess him up. "Well, I'm just—it's hard for me to talk about this. Nobody wants to see themselves as a loser."

"'Loser'?" she said slowly. "That's a very meaningful word for a gambler, don't you think?"

Dominique puffed out his chest and stretched his shoulders uncomfortably.He didn't even know why he said that word.

"I can imagine uncontrollable obsessive-compulsive behavior being extremely threatening to a person whose self-identity is deeply rooted in perceptions of competence and physical strength."

He stared at her, and the alarm bell rang faintly in his ears.

"You're clearly highly motivated to quit gambling, but at the same time, you choose not to follow through with the treatment options available to you," Dr. Chen said. "I have to wonder if you see your compulsive gambling addiction as something It is an inherent weakness, a personality flaw that can be overcome with will, rather than a disease that requires professional treatment and regular planning."

"It's the weakness," Dominique whispered.

She nodded, but it looked more like she understood than agreed with him. "Many people find it difficult to accept the medical model of addiction, especially behavioral addiction, as opposed to substance abuse, which is easier to incorporate into medical considerations. But in fact, gambling disorders share a large number of common features with drug and alcohol addiction—— Unable to stop despite adverse effects; increased tolerance; even withdrawal symptoms. You don’t really have to overcome it on your own, and admitting you need help doesn’t mean you’re incapable. Come here , is a great first step."

He didn't speak.He had completely forgotten why he was here, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't regain his balance.

"I recommend a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy [8], and continue to participate in Gamblers Anonymous." Dr. Chen glanced at the clock. "It's almost time out, so let's make another treatment plan when you come next time. At the same time..."

She took the prescription pad from the back of the open book, scribbled on the first page, and tore it off.Dominique woke up suddenly, and took the paper she handed over.

"It's an SSRI [9]," he said, "I'm not depressed."

“I’m not prescribing this for depression. There are no FDA-approved medications for gambling disorders, but studies have shown that SSRIs can be very effective for conditions that are off-label. In theory, participation in compulsive The brain activity of gambling addiction is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder, so I also match the dose similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It can help reduce the desire and mental obsession to gambling, but it may take ten to twelve weeks to work."

"Trexin—Shu Lanxia gave birth, right?"

"Hmm." Dr. Chen focused on writing her notes.

Dominique held back and didn't snort: Now, all the details are on the right track.

She led him to the door and shook his hand goodbye.In the waiting room, the receptionist asked him to make an appointment for the next treatment, but he politely refused and walked out.Back in the sunny, hot world, he stood for a few minutes, leaning on the bed of his pickup, taking deep breaths.

Chen's words echoed in his head, bouncing around in his skull like an out-of-control marble.He had her cell phone number, and could tell Levi to take her off the list—but he wasn't sure if the progress was worth it.

[1]? Judaism's dietary taboos include the principle that "meat and dairy products cannot be eaten at the same time". The strict dietary laws even prohibit the cross-use of containers, sinks, cooking utensils and tableware.Therefore, Strictly Observant Jewish homes will always have two sets of containers, cooker and cutlery, and two separate sinks for meat and dairy.

[2]? Paiute, a family of North American aborigines.

[3]? Drug and company names invented by the author.

[4]? The original text is DSM, namely "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders", published by the American Psychiatric Association, is an authoritative reference book in the field of psychiatric diagnosis in the United States.

[5] Cognitive-behavioral Therapy, a common type of "dialogue therapy", focuses on finding solutions to help patients change destructive behavior patterns.

[6]?Sponsor, in the process of assisting withdrawal, a one-on-one group is generally formed to help each other, supervise and encourage each other, sometimes it is mutual, and sometimes the healthy or experienced party supervises and assists the party who is still in withdrawal.

[7] Self-exclusion, in areas where active isolation policies are implemented, if a person realizes that he has a gambling problem, he can take the initiative to ask his name to be added to the active isolation list.Once the application is accepted, the person will be legally barred from participating in all casinos within the active quarantine.If a listed person enters or attempts to enter a casino participating in an active quarantine program, they may be arrested and charged with trespassing.Additionally, any chips, tokens, credits or other winnings held at the time of arrest may be forfeited or voided.

[8]? Psychodynamic Therapy, derived from the psychoanalysis founded by Freud, the therapist assists the patient to understand the internal problems of the self, thereby causing changes in external behavior.

[9] SSRI (or SSRIs), short for Selectiveserotoninreuptake inhibitors, that is, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, is a class of commonly used antidepressants.