Posted on 11/22/2004 10:39:04 PM PST by ambrose
Psychologist: Ohio recount relieves traumatized Kerry supporters
Hypnotherapist says recount has put a stop to his post-election therapy sessions
Published Tuesday, November 23, 2004 at 1:00 am
by Sean Salai
A licensed Florida psychologist who treated 20 John Kerry supporters for post-election trauma after their candidates loss to President Bush said Monday that the Ohio recount had cheered up Democrats and left him without any patients.
Douglas Schooler, a Boca Raton psychologist who treated the Kerry partisans with intense hypnotherapy after they proved unable to handle the reality of losing to Bush, said last weeks Ohio recount announcement and reshuffling of the presidents cabinet gave Democrats an emotional outlet for their frustrations. As a result, he said Kerry supporters had stopped contacting him for election therapy.
All of a sudden, my phone stopped ringing and the people I was talking to felt more encouraged, Schooler told the Boca Raton News. Originally, the deafening silence from the Kerry campaign threw people for a loop. Now even Kerry has e-mailed his supporters to say the votes will be counted and the irregularities investigated. Thats all they ever wanted to hear.
Libertarian presidential candidate Michael Badnarik and Green Party nominee David Cobb said last week they had raised more than $150,000 to fund a recount in Ohio. Schooler said the announcement gave Kerry supporters a healthy outlet for their emotions, allowing them to no longer suffer in silence.
Its helped them to attach a positive meaning to the election, Schooler said. One reason for the trauma was that Kerry conceded so quietly. Michael Moore and the others who had spoken out so loudly were suddenly silent. Kerry partisans had no outlet for their anger, shock and depression.
The Boca News reported Nov. 9 that 15 Palm Beach County Kerry supporters, many of whom were staring listlessly into space or threatening to leave the country, approached Schooler for therapy after their candidates Nov. 3 concession. During the subsequent week, five more Democrats scheduled appointments and underwent the short-term trauma therapy that was covered by their insurance providers.
One Schooler patient named Karen, interviewed by the Boca News about her therapy, said she had approached Schooler because she was unable to function publicly due to President Bushs re-election.
I wasnt sleeping, said Karen, 44. I was very devastated and very astonished that people would re-elect this president . I felt very unsettled and fearful.
Although Karen claims to have been cured by Schooler, other therapists on Monday said they were still dealing with post-election stress in Kerry voters.
The American Health Association, which calls the problem Post Election Selection Trauma (PEST), is preparing this week for its first post-election group therapy session on Dec. 3. About 30 people are signed up to attend the noontime support group.
I think this syndrome will continue as long as Bush is in office, said Rob Gordon, AHA executive director. Hes going to keep making mistakes and sending people into therapy. Some folks can deal with it, but some cant and they will go over the edge. In addition, the AHA is launching a Web site this week for people who feel they are suffering from PEST.
Interested parties may send e-mail to AmericaSpeaksOut@aol.com.
The symptoms of the shocked Kerry voters, who simply could not believe their candidate was beaten so decisively, have been similar to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and include sleeplessness and nightmares. Although Schooler said he had cured each of his 20 patients with a single session, he said the Ohio recount means there is little chance they will request a follow-up visit.
The recount makes it less likely they will have a relapse, Schooler said. In the event that the Bush victory is overturned, though, youre going to see a lot of Bush supporters experiencing the same kind of trauma. To be honest, I dont know why Keith Olbermann is the only person covering the election fraud story.
Some psychologists and mental health therapists in Palm Beach County said Schooler and the other therapists had made a quick buck off Kerry voters misery. Isnt this so Boca? Its too much already, said Phil Heller, a Boca psychologist. I understand that people invested a lot in the election, but I think this psychologist used their problems to make money. I just met with someone who was in a head-on collision. Now thats a real trauma.
Although Heller recognized Schoolers credentials as valid, he said he would not personally treat any anti-Bush partisans with hypnosis.
LOL, what "election fraud story"?
"Psychologist: Ohio recount relieves traumatized Kerry supporters"
LOL!
Just for kicks someone in the MSM should call Ohio for Kerry, then say "Just kidding".
I wonder how many would actually lose their minds?
> ... Schooler said he had cured each of his 20 patients ...
Cured?
Since when do psychologists ever claim that?
Now, it is true that electile disfunction is highly treatable.
> "To be honest, I dont know why Keith Olbermann is the
> only person covering the election fraud story.
Because most informed people know that for every case of
GOP fraud turned up, there will be 100 Dem cases. Like
Clinton said to Jennings: "Don't go there."
So is this guy going to be treating these certifiables for 'post-recount trauma' once the recount ends and Bush ends up widening his lead.
So when the Electoral College meets on Dec. 13th and makes Bush's re-election official, do all these depressed Democrats go back into therapy again?
Good--after all false hope is gone when W is sworn in (or even earlier, when the electors cast their votes), how sweet it will be to have Kerry supporters be a million more times devastated than if they had just accepted reality right away! {evil grin}
As for only that buffoon Olbermann covering this "fraudulent" story, you can bet your bottom dollar that if there was anything substantial to this, ALL of the MSM would run with it. Just the fact that only he's doing it speaks volumes.
Isn't that redundant?
This is absolutely ludicrous.
I laugh at their self-inflicted misery. Is that sardonic?
So are these people moving to Canada or not?
That would cost a journalist his/her job. Rather can go ahead and commit fraud, but don't dare joke around about Dubya stealing the election...again. ;-)
Here's a suggestion -- if you get into a discussion with any of these kooks, let them know that you voted early and often for GW in Ohio. Tell them that your conscience has been bothering you over this and that you thought they should know how GW really won. You might also let them in on the further secret that there was an organized campaign to fly Republican 'multi-voters' into Ohio from states like Texas and Mississippi. That ought to be good for several displays of liberal-foaming at the mouth disease.
It would be interesting to see what we'd be doing if Bush lost. As usual, I'd be posting jokes and criticisms of the government here on FR, wouldn't you? Same day, different set of government officials to monitor as responsible citizens. What maroons!
I like it - instead of refuting their delusional claims, just say "Yeah... we rigged the election. What are you going to do about it? Nothing? Thought so!" Then laugh in their face.
Once they move up there, all they'll need to do is to get some quack to hypnotize them into believing that Canada is actually the United States -- except a little cooler due to the beneficial effects of President Kerry's implementation of the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
Somebody send him to a psychiatrist. This guy is nuts. And he is curing his patients?
woob woob woob woob woob! nyuk nyuk nyuk!
What a hopeless bunch, these Dems.
This will go on for the next four years, and I am already bored with it.
It is down right pathetic. Zell Miller saw this coming.
"Some psychologists and mental health therapists in Palm Beach County said Schooler and the other therapists had made a quick buck off Kerry voters misery."
It's been done before. Just ask Michael Moore.
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