Accused Theater Shooter’s Psychiatrist Warned Colleagues of Possible Danger

Time ^ | August 2, 2012 | Madison Gray

[Malone LaVeigh]

The university psychiatrist who was examining accused movie theater shooter James Holmes found his behavior so erratic that she brought it to the attention of a group that measures the possibility of violent campus threats.

[Malone LaVeigh]

. The psychiatrist’s connection with the former student came up when defense lawyers revealed in a court motion that she was treating him. A news report says that Holmes sent Fenton a package several days before the attack containing a notebook allegedly detailing his plans.

Someone has lots of 'splaining to do.

[Da Coyote]

CU has excellent science and engineering faculties. As for the rest - and the administration...well, they are in Boulder, CO.

‘Nuff said.

[Jedidah]

There’s nothing you can legally do about someone exhibiting strange behavior until that behavior crosses the line and he actually DOES something dangerous to himself or others.

That’s the law. We don’t lock people up pre-emptively. It’s the price we pay for a free society.

Again, there was nothing the university or law enforcement could do, even if they were keeping an eye on him. It’s not against the law to be strange.

[Iron Munro]

So, it now appears that once again the real lethal weapon was political correctness.....

[Sacajaweau]

Now tell us what meds she pushed on him, if she tried hypnosis and what kind of cr** she put him through.

Frankly, I think she may be the catalyst behind this kid. No doubt he went nuts....but I think there's much more to this.....much, much more.

And that's why everything is sealed....just like the pervert flaps at the college....

[Sacajaweau]

Wake up....If they did a little bit of investigation, they would have found a shi* load of stuff in his apartment.

Don't make excuses....we've seen that with the college coaches, haven't we?

[Brilliant]

So she violated the psychotherapist privilege? Why didn’t she tell the rest of us?

[gunsequalfreedom]

There’s nothing you can legally do about someone exhibiting strange behavior until that behavior crosses the line and he actually DOES something dangerous to himself or others. That’s the law. We don’t lock people up pre-emptively. It’s the price we pay for a free society.

I agree with you so take the rest of my comments only as adding to the conversation.

We do not want to cross a line where everyone that looks funny is arrested or brought in for questioning. In this case, however, it seems something else needed to be done. What that is without infringing on the liberties your rightly point out I don't know.

Any ideas? Again, you have sounded a bold and needed reminder of the cost to freedom by overreaching.

[easternsky]

This think stunk from the beginning, slowly finding sources for the stink.

[colorado tanker]

Inaction endangered not only the general public but the people in those CU facilities. In fact, one of the things I wonder about this case is why did he shoot up a bunch of strangers instead of people on the campus where he was apparently having trouble? Most of these crazies go after their own institution.

[Talisker]

Now tell us what meds she pushed on him, if she tried hypnosis and what kind of cr** she put him through.

I sure as hell hope she was just inept. Otherwise, she was his handler.

[albionin]

Same thing happened with the Virginia Tech shooter. Councillor warned people he was dangerous if I remember right.

[silverleaf]

Look, what is the obligation of a faculty doctor to continue to treat a drop-out?

This guy was no kid, you know. And no longer attending the University. And VERY clever even if insane. EDven in high school he knew he was different and his research area was abnormal psych.

We know more his UCD psychiatrist’s personal medical history than we do about who and where he learned to shoot guns and make bombs- and he HAD to practice.

[Sacajaweau]

I think she was WAAAAAY beyond inept. The first clue was that she's been in trouble TWICE at least for passing out meds without prescriptions.

I believe that he sent the package to her because he knows that she screwed with his head....and really messed him up. And that's why he told the cops about the package. If you haven't seen some of these meds at play, I'll tell you....it's scarey...

And I'll bet he also called her a couple of weeks before...more than a few times....I do not believe there is patient/patient privacy here and that she had a duty beyond what transpired.

[Strategerist]

If they did a little bit of investigation, they would have found a shi* load of stuff in his apartment.

And one gets a warrant for this how?

[silverleaf]

Look, what is the obligation of a faculty doctor to continue to treat a drop-out?

This guy was no kid, you know. And no longer attending the University. And VERY clever even if insane. Even in high school he knew he was different and his research area was abnormal psych.

We know more his UCD psychiatrist’s personal medical history than we do about who and where he learned to shoot guns and make bombs- and he HAD to practice.

[ProfoundMan]

There’s nothing you can legally do about someone exhibiting strange behavior until that behavior crosses the line and he actually DOES something dangerous to himself or others. That’s the law. We don’t lock people up pre-emptively. It’s the price we pay for a free society.

Yup, that's correct. We need to be careful about how we go about this. My hope is that we can show that this case, as with Loughner before, shows just how impotent and worthless the psychiatric profession is and that we can use that knowledge to push back their increasing influence over our kids and our lives.

[Strategerist]

I realize people hate psychiatrists but the assumption that the psychiatrist caused or exacerbated his mental illness seems less plausible than the psychiatrist simply not being successful in treating an existing mental illness.

When someone has a heart attack I don’t immediately assume it was caused by their cardiologist.

[silverleaf]

all the reports of his past suggest schizophrenia.

If you are treating a schizo you dont “push meds” - you prescribe them, monitor his mental state via med checks, and alert someone if he is not taking them and you believe he is a danger to himself or others. The bar for determining this to a legal standard of involuntary commitment is suprisingly high if the patient hides his thoughts and behaviors.

He was researching abnormal psych even when he was in high school and earning scholarships and grants for his brilliance.

I have heard little about the fact he was adopted and what his family medical history may have been as far as inherited insanity, and what his adoptive parents knew or were told about it

with HIPPA it is surprising not that his records are sealed, but that we the public know so much

[Strategerist]

The psychiatric profession is not without flaws and there are legitimate issues with overprescription of antidepressants, anxiety meds, etc. that may or may not work....

But a lot of people have bought the whole Scientologist “psychiatry is the root of all evil, all psychiatric meds make things worse” perspective.

There’s also general misundestanding of schizophrenia as you note and, that it is obvious that in general medications help most schizophrenics greatly.