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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 host’s 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. “He’s 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 candidate’s 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 Association’s Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. “Rush Limbaugh has no clinical qualifications to counsel anyone,” Cooperman said. “He’s not only minimizing PEST, but he’s bastardizing the entire psychological field and our clinical expertise.”
Rob Gordon, AHA executive director, said Limbaugh’s 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, there’s 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 Kerry’s 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 they’re not feeling anything,” Schooler said. “But many people have serious emotional pain over this election and it’s 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 Florida’s radio talk shows. “Most of the calls I’m 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, I’m 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 didn’t 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 Limbaugh’s tone of voice as sarcastic.
Let me think. What is people normally do with PESTs? I had some Rats in my garage. They were real pests. A big steel trap baited with peanut butter took real good care of them. Maybe a similar solution could be made available for these Florida PESTs. I understand these PESTs are very fond of peanut butter.
''Rush Limbaugh has a way of back-handedly slamming people,'' said Sheila Cooperman, a licensed clinician with the American Health Association (AHA)...
LOL...no, foolin', Sheila.
I use RAID to rid my house of PESTS!
Therapy does not work!
I can't believe that the liberals were stupid enough to name the "stress disorder" as PEST.
LOL, it's descriptive all right, though not solely descriptive of the disorder.
Bwahahahaha! Quick, call the Wabulance.
All part of fighting a "sensitive" cultural war ala Michael Moore.
A couple months ago, I overheard to kids talking about the upcoming election in a whisper. They sounded upset, and I politely asked them why the whispers. They said 'everyone' on campus was voting for Kerry and they were backing Bush and given a rough time. I told them 'to come out of the closet' because I felt that most of the students were for Bush and I was right. Kerry people wore shirts everyday, a couple professors talked up Kerry and downed Bush. Even so, this area is conservative. The campus had the 'appearance' of being pro Kerry.
Mental illness was there before the election. Kerry supporters have been nuts all along, but it was the kind of mental illness that appealed to them. It has been part of their persona for years. And yes, it makes me happy to see them wallow in the sty they made for themselves.
I listened to live interview of this clown on 970 WFLA in Tampa Monday morning. Ted Webb and Jack Harris made fun of this guy right in his face during the interview. The guy sounded so apologetic. The poor, poor people in Boca and W. Palm. Get over it. W WINS!!!
The whole thing sounds F.I.S.H.Y. That's *F*lorida *I*nsanity *S*yndrome *H*appening *Y*et again.
Why are these people so terrified of President Bush's administration in the first palce?
It was all the fear mongering done by the democrap's campaign! They were told lie after lie by their own party to try to scare them to vote.
That has to be some kind of mental abuse. Maybe some of these "victims" should sue the Dem party for pain and suffering. I think John Edwards is looking for something to do.
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"STFU, by Doctor Denis Leary. A revolutionary new form of therapy." I'm gonna have my patients come in. "Doctor, I.." "Shut the f*** up, next!" "I don't feel so.." "Shut the f*** up, next!" "He made me feel so much better about myself, you know? He just told me to shut the f*** up and nobody had ever told me that before. I feel so much better now." Whining f***ing maggots.
Oh just shut up and go to your room,,,if you didn't say things about HIM, maybe he wouldn't say things about YOU.
Why can't you just stop whining?....
I AM SO SICK OF THESE WEENIES...I think they are trying to drive US out of the country with their constant crying...it won't work, though, as much as their whining is annoying, the looks on each of their faces is far too much fun to see.
bookmark
Tom DeLay used to be in the pest control business. Maybe the poor PESTered libs could use his services...
This could come straight from an SNL script. But then again, they wouldn't even think of anything this funny.
I'm ashamed this woman from Texas doesn't know that government isn't responsible for her living. Where are her friends and family, her church? How pathetic that Democrats have made free Americans so fearful and dependent on the federal government, the least dependable entity of our society. This is what happens when government sets itself up as God.
:)
These people take themselves WAY too seriously! I guess that's what happens to you when you have no sense of humor.
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I am not going to criticize this. I have long thought that the people supporting John Kerry needed to have their heads examined. If they are now beginning to recognize this, I applaud their efforts.