[7] Harold Greenwald, "Treatment of the Psychopath," in Raymond J. Corsini, ed., _Readings in Current Personality Theory_ (Itasca, IL: F. E. Peacock Publishers, 1978), p. 355. This _choice point_ that people experience became the focus of Dr. Greenwald's direct decision therapy. AN EXAMPLE Here is one of the most dramatic examples of his approach: Dr. Greenwald had been invited to give a demonstration of direct decision therapy at a mental hospital in Norway. He asked for a volunteer from the inmates, someone who could speak English. A twenty-year-old patient named Marie came forward. She had the appearance of a back ward schizophrenic. She was haggard, wild-eyed, and unkempt. Here is Dr. Greenwald's description of their opening conversation:[8] [8] Harold Greenwald and Elizabeth Rich, The Happy Person (New York: Stein and Day, 1984), pp. 180-181. I gestured toward a chair. "Won't you sit down, please?" "When I'm ready. I'll sit when I'm ready." "Would you tell me your name?" She waved an arm toward the staff member seated behind me. "You heard him. Marie, my name is MARIE!" "I'm sorry, Marie, I didn't catch it at first. Now I wonder if there is anything I can do for you. Would you like me to help you?" "You can't help me, none of you can help me. Why don't you _leave me alone_? WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS AT ME?..." She rushed on, shouting at the top of her voice and using a mixture of expletives and obscenities that showed an admirable command of English as well as Norwegian. Nothing I could do could make the situation worse, so I decided to try something drastic. I outshouted her. "CUT IT OUT, MARIE! YOU KNOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO TALK LIKE THAT." She stopped suddenly and focused on me for the first time. The muscles in her face relaxed ever so slightly, and her eyes {169} showed awareness and intelligence. "How'd you know?" I stared at her for a minute, giving her my best foxy-grandpa look. "It takes one to know one," I said finally--at which point Marie's face broke into a grin. "You mean _you're_ crazy? You too?" "Perhaps. And perhaps the only difference between you and me is that I know how to act sane." Marie seemed to like the sound of that. She tightened the sash of her bathrobe and sat down. As Marie calmed down, she agreed that she would like Dr. Greenwald to help her. She wanted badly to leave the institution. DR. G.: If you really want to get out, Marie, you'll have to make a very simple decision. MARIE: What's that? DR. G: Decide to act sane. Dr. Greenwald asked her to think of the benefits, the payoffs, that came to her as a result of her crazy behavior. There were a number of major payoffs: she didn't have to look after herself, didn't have to look for a job, didn't have to listen to her mother.