The Grief Police

Insightmag ^ | January 7, 2002 | Kelly Patricia O'Meara

[MinuteGal]

It's amazing what's going on behind the scenes, isn't it!

Leni

[Rudder]

Why not also mandatory prayer?

[apollo11]

He said, "you can kiss my "royal" Irish ass. Not wild.

[Prodigal Daughter]

VERY INTERESTING! (but sad)

[Hibernius Druid]

Big Brother the shrink. Psychotherapy is becoming the enforcement arm of Political Correctness.

[Al B.]

Ping

[Al B.]

Ping

[Al B.]

Ping

[Askel5]

A pleasure to be flagged by you. Thanks for the heads up.

[Askel5]

I should have known.

May God deliver us from those "Here to Help Us" on the government's dime.

[Al B.]

Ping

[Al B.]

This BMP's for you.

[Just another Joe]

Just remember that the words, "I'm from corporate the government, I'm here to help you." are usually followed by making you do something that
A. You don't want to do.
B. Makes no sense. and
C. Costs too much money.

[Just another Joe]

Just remember that the words, "I'm from corporate the government, I'm here to help you." are usually followed by making you do something that
A. You don't want to do.
B. Makes no sense. and
C. Costs too much money.

[Slyfox]

Years ago we used to hear about rabbi's, priest's and ministers arriving on the scene of an accident. And that was a sign of comfort. Now it's the shrinks. That is a sign that you are crazy. I can't see where this trend is better. These psychiatrists remind me of their ambulance-chasing counterparts in the legal profession.

If NYPD officers are prescribed antidepressants, must they take them?

I don't feel very comfortable knowing that the person who is sworn to protect me from people high on illegal substances is none other than a person who is high on legal substances.

One more point, that Deibold kid who killed classmates at Columbine was on a legal substance that prevented him from entering the military. The NYPD probably has guidlines that prevent officers who become mentally ill from remaining on the force. What the hell are they thinking?

[maryz]

These psychiatrists remind me of their ambulance-chasing counterparts in the legal profession.

I think their "proper" sphere has been shrinking; there was a spell about 10-15 (20?) years ago when every week seemed to bring new evidence that some condition previously diagnosed as psychological in origin really had a physical basis -- I think impotence was one, bedwetting, maybe autism . . . . There were a few.

I think that was about the same time they started pushing the states to impose psychiatric "mandated benefits" -- at the time I think BC/BS MA put in something like $500.00 mental health coverage per hospitalization -- not for psychiatric hospitalizations, but any hospitalization! (One of my aunts -- God rest her -- was dying at the time these were going in; she knew she was dying, and, as she put it, "The last thing I need is some 24-year-old twit coming in to offer me advice!" She succeeded in fighting them off, but they did their best to be able to collect that $500.00 mandated benefit.)

[Slyfox]

At the same time they were playing footsie with insurance companies they were letting bonafide mentally ill people out on the streets. What gets me is that we have these unfortunate people walking the streets in major cities where they get minimal care, if any care at all, and the psyche police are out hunting down and catching people who are completely sane. Do they not know what true mental illness is?

Makes me kinda think somebody is up to no good.

[maryz]

Do they not know what true mental illness is?

Possibly moving toward the old Soviet definition: "If you're against the state, of course you're crazy."

The article mentioned that they give tranquilizers or something (are they all M.D.'s to be prescribing?). As some quoted point out, that's not necessarily a good idea. But I don't that it's much worse than feeding the bereaved lines like, "It's OK to be sad", "It's OK to be angry" or "Death is a part of life", which all show up in women's magazine-type articles on dealing with grief. I've had my share of grief to deal with; God, family, friends and time are the only comforts. And any 24-year-old twit with an MS in sociology spouting nonsense would have had me in a straitjacket in no time!

[NYCVirago]

This is not the only "grief police" action being attempted in New York -- Education Chancellor Harold Levy requested $100 million for grief counseling for the city's students; this in a time where the education system is facing a severe budget shortfall.