Posted on 11/16/2004 3:38:10 AM PST by johnny7
Post Election Selection Trauma is a real problem, Florida clinicians say
Mental health officials in South Florida blasted Rush Limbaugh on Monday, saying the conservative talk show hosts offer of free therapy for traumatized John Kerry voters has made a mockery of a valid psychological problem.
Rush Limbaugh has a way of back-handedly slamming people, said Sheila Cooperman, a licensed clinician with the American Health Association (AHA) who listened Friday as Limbaugh offered to personally treat her patients. Hes trying to ridicule the emotional state this presidential election produced in many of us here in Palm Beach County. Who is he to offer therapy?
The Boca Raton News reported last week that more than 30 distraught Kerry supporters in South Florida contacted the non-profit AHA following their candidates Nov. 3 concession to President Bush. AHA officials have diagnosed the disorder as Post Election Selection Trauma (PEST) and have scheduled the first of several free group therapy sessions for just after Thanksgiving. Cooperman, whose professional practice is based in Delray Beach, said the election-related symptoms she sees in the Kerry supporters more than quality PEST as a legitimate syndrome or disorder within the trauma spectrum, according to the American Psychiatric Associations Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Rush Limbaugh has no clinical qualifications to counsel anyone, Cooperman said. Hes not only minimizing PEST, but hes bastardizing the entire psychological field and our clinical expertise.
Rob Gordon, AHA executive director, said Limbaughs radio musings caused the charity to receive hundreds of calls and letters from gloating Republicans. But he said he also received a small batch of letters and e-mails from people who said they understood why some Kerry voters would need therapy. A man named Paul wrote to AHA, I too was very depressed, and I knew a lot people who felt the same way. You have to understand that to many of us, this was the key election about the future of our country, and with a Bush win that future is pretty much destroyed. Naturally, theres going to be some significant grief. The people here in Palm Beach County now in therapy or support groups are the canaries in the mine shaft, Gordon said. There could be thousands of others, even Republicans, who need to be in therapy over this election. Gordon said the AHA on Monday also received its first out-of-state call from a fixed-income woman in Texas who is absolutely terrified of what Bush will do and scheduled a free telephone therapy session with her for today.
Douglas Schooler, the Boca Raton trauma specialist who treated 20 people with hypnotherapy following Kerrys loss, said he believes many people suffering from election-related symptoms are still afraid to step forward.The Republicans want Kerry voters to shut up and pretend theyre not feeling anything, Schooler said. But many people have serious emotional pain over this election and its unhealthy to stuff it down inside of you. Therapy is the best way. Although Schooler said he never listens to Limbaugh, he said he has been deluged by similar phone calls and attacked on South Floridas radio talk shows. Most of the calls Im getting are from Republicans making fun of the whole thing, Schooler said. One guy wrote me a letter saying I should tell people to vote Republican and save themselves the stress. Republicans want to minimize the whole story of election fraud and voter anger. Schooler said he did not expect the Republican gloating to stop anytime soon. Limbaugh, a Palm Beach County resident who owns $26 million worth of property in the area, read the two Boca News exclusives on his nationally syndicated radio program last week.
So if anybody on the left wants some serious therapy here and counseling, Im more than willing to offer my assistance as well, Limbaugh said on Nov. 9. On Nov. 12, accused by Gordon of picking up the story to rub it in the faces of Democrats, Limbaugh said, Now, my friends, I didnt do that. I reached out. I offered a hand of friendship. I offered my own counseling services. AHA officials, listening to the taped broadcasts, described Limbaughs tone of voice as sarcastic.
You remind me of a great scene from Rescue Me, the tv show about firemen in New York post 911. One of them goes to a support group to read his poetry to the group, poetry about 911 where he had lost friends. Come to find out, no one in the smarmy, whiny group even knew anyone who died on 911, none of them were there when it happened. The fireman ended up calling them weenies or something, it was hysterical.
Hahha,,love your headline
That's what I love about history... 1500 miles apart, and both our grammas ("Memere," no?) come up with the same quirky lines. (My gramma was from Acadia, whence comes the term "'Cadian" and then "Cajun," even though it's in New England.)
Reading this, I guess only "quality" spelling counts.
The doctor is IN!
Liberalism is a Mental Disorder
Well, you've just met another conservative psychologist, but this one isn't in forensics. You might need to sit down for this one. I'm an academic! Talk about feeling like a fish out of water.
If Kerry had won, the liberals would have another disorder. PEED Post Election Elation Disorder.
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