Psychologists blast Rush Limbaugh for mocking traumatized Kerry voters
Post Election Selection Trauma is a real problem, Florida clinicians say
Published Tuesday, November 16, 2004 at 1:00 am
by Sean Salai
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.
Bless those wonderful psychologists! I too suffered severe PEST following the days after terrible Tuesday! Had I known that there were mental professionals to assist me, I would've requested a phone session!
I like Rush I listen to him on the radio when I am not at school.He is a great man!Hey cool another Pink Floyd fan!Do you like the song "The Trail?'
Or that other song "Waiting for the worms?"Cool songs.Pm me and we can talk more of Pink Floyd!JM
__________________ Lord Matt Parker Clare moose Clovie Danii furryman Shellie Jason Yoda(Son) chris Slipknot English(son)a1hsauce ROB Penny Alice and Taft Napalm Sim Telperala Bardock42 Aku Lara Spriderman Lady Slytherin Mike Cherrypie and Fearnix Raggie Dark1365 Syren Tired Hiker LadyGrim and Spoonly(mypimp)Puddin Gisele FEDfan316 and Dean spazzymcgee14 Kharhmah Pink Diamond Lazerus(Husband) Syko Freak Lance Bordom Laurie kelly jason Bert Tecknoyashi Maya Grand Moff Gav(Lawer) Fopret Ketchuptome23453245 Gen Grevious(son) Chelsea17 Snehin Apollox Shaggy2dope(son)Big Evil Twelling4ever Powerfulone DamienB Mew Cherry Leowyatt.
"I like Rush I listen to him on the radio when I am not at school.He is a great man!"
This explains alot...
Bill Hicks pretty much summed up what I think of Rush Limbaugh.
"Doesn't Rush Limbaugh remind you of one of those guys that likes to lay in a tub while other men pee on him? I can just imagine Reagan, Quayle and Bush all standing around him and just psssssshhhh. Then Rush saying 'Oh God that feels good, Reagan pee in my mouth!'"
Hey I don't see the reasons why you hate him so much.Is he too much of a bush supporter for you?Well that is what I thought a dem would say about him.
NOt a surprise to me.JM
__________________ Lord Matt Parker Clare moose Clovie Danii furryman Shellie Jason Yoda(Son) chris Slipknot English(son)a1hsauce ROB Penny Alice and Taft Napalm Sim Telperala Bardock42 Aku Lara Spriderman Lady Slytherin Mike Cherrypie and Fearnix Raggie Dark1365 Syren Tired Hiker LadyGrim and Spoonly(mypimp)Puddin Gisele FEDfan316 and Dean spazzymcgee14 Kharhmah Pink Diamond Lazerus(Husband) Syko Freak Lance Bordom Laurie kelly jason Bert Tecknoyashi Maya Grand Moff Gav(Lawer) Fopret Ketchuptome23453245 Gen Grevious(son) Chelsea17 Snehin Apollox Shaggy2dope(son)Big Evil Twelling4ever Powerfulone DamienB Mew Cherry Leowyatt.
Have you actually heard that album/segment Backfire? It's insanely savage, normally he beats about the Bush (no pun intended) to get the comedy going but he just launched this savage hilarious attack on Rush Limbaugh without even trying to be funny I think.
"Is he too much of a bush supporter for you?Well that is what I thought a dem would say about him.
NOt a surprise to me.JM"
I'm no Democrat, I'm pretty much Anti-Politician because they're all lying cocksuckers to a very high extent. Yet it doesn't take a genius to realise that Bush is a horrible president and a despicable man. Then again, maybe it does coz you seem to like him. Luckily I am a genius so I can spot that he sucks.
I once saw a show about Rush Limbaugh here in DK. The man’s use of logical fallacies, generalisations and other bad argumentation techniques were horrible.
He basically went through all the list of fallacies here http://www.infidels.org/news/atheism/logic.html
__________________ "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities."
-Voltaire
"That includes ruining Halloween because someone swallowed a Bible."
"I just thought you were a guy."
"... Most guys do."
No actly yu are not a genius if yu think he sucks. You are blind. also that drug thing happen along time ago.And Clinton did something worst then that.
So if you can forgive a jerk like Clintion who lied you can forget Rush's drug promblem!I love when Clinton was president and Rush had different songs mocking out him.
One was "I got you babe"That was funny!JM
__________________ Lord Matt Parker Clare moose Clovie Danii furryman Shellie Jason Yoda(Son) chris Slipknot English(son)a1hsauce ROB Penny Alice and Taft Napalm Sim Telperala Bardock42 Aku Lara Spriderman Lady Slytherin Mike Cherrypie and Fearnix Raggie Dark1365 Syren Tired Hiker LadyGrim and Spoonly(mypimp)Puddin Gisele FEDfan316 and Dean spazzymcgee14 Kharhmah Pink Diamond Lazerus(Husband) Syko Freak Lance Bordom Laurie kelly jason Bert Tecknoyashi Maya Grand Moff Gav(Lawer) Fopret Ketchuptome23453245 Gen Grevious(son) Chelsea17 Snehin Apollox Shaggy2dope(son)Big Evil Twelling4ever Powerfulone DamienB Mew Cherry Leowyatt.
Hey you could prove on feeling dumb if you read my post.It may teach you something!JM Another one to be on my list.Advice for yu use your brain more when reading my posts and maybe you will not feel dumb.JM
__________________ Lord Matt Parker Clare moose Clovie Danii furryman Shellie Jason Yoda(Son) chris Slipknot English(son)a1hsauce ROB Penny Alice and Taft Napalm Sim Telperala Bardock42 Aku Lara Spriderman Lady Slytherin Mike Cherrypie and Fearnix Raggie Dark1365 Syren Tired Hiker LadyGrim and Spoonly(mypimp)Puddin Gisele FEDfan316 and Dean spazzymcgee14 Kharhmah Pink Diamond Lazerus(Husband) Syko Freak Lance Bordom Laurie kelly jason Bert Tecknoyashi Maya Grand Moff Gav(Lawer) Fopret Ketchuptome23453245 Gen Grevious(son) Chelsea17 Snehin Apollox Shaggy2dope(son)Big Evil Twelling4ever Powerfulone DamienB Mew Cherry Leowyatt.
Rush sucks, but Micheal Savage is worse. I listened to his show a little and man it was everything, close the boarders, kill the gays. I thought it was only a matter of time before he talked about being a contributing member to the KKK. I only listened to that crack pot for 30 minutes and I felt like sh*t for the rest of the day.
__________________
“As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport.”
The networks here in Norway found Rush Limbaugh show so bad so none of them wanted the right to show it..................Pink Floyd is awesome though, The Wall is in my least fav album by Floyd.........check out Dark Side Of The Monn or Animals
I know one show they should put off the air where you live Finti and that is the howard Stein.If one show should be put off the air it should be that one.
I have to argee even through it is off topic that Pink Floyd rocks!The wall is the best of there cds!JM
__________________ Lord Matt Parker Clare moose Clovie Danii furryman Shellie Jason Yoda(Son) chris Slipknot English(son)a1hsauce ROB Penny Alice and Taft Napalm Sim Telperala Bardock42 Aku Lara Spriderman Lady Slytherin Mike Cherrypie and Fearnix Raggie Dark1365 Syren Tired Hiker LadyGrim and Spoonly(mypimp)Puddin Gisele FEDfan316 and Dean spazzymcgee14 Kharhmah Pink Diamond Lazerus(Husband) Syko Freak Lance Bordom Laurie kelly jason Bert Tecknoyashi Maya Grand Moff Gav(Lawer) Fopret Ketchuptome23453245 Gen Grevious(son) Chelsea17 Snehin Apollox Shaggy2dope(son)Big Evil Twelling4ever Powerfulone DamienB Mew Cherry Leowyatt.
he didnt pass the needle eye either, no shows of him here.
you come around when you get a bit older, Wall is their most comercial record guess thats why teens fall for that one first...But believe me Floyd fan wise up after some listening to their material beside Wall
KMC Community Forums
Pest
Nov 16th, 2004 09:06 PM
Link, good idea...heh, those of us on her ignore list sort of see it as a point of honor, that we were able to get under her skin 
