OT: From soc.sulture.afghanistan
Robert Skipper
from Walther's punch set, two larger disks for the cookie, and a
slightly smaller one for the yummy creamy filling) and watching the
Kerry Concession Speech (I'm thinking a doll house TV with slide
projected onto backside of screen from hidden projector behind wall)
while human excrement (Millipit or Tamiya putty, which works best?)
oozes from her already too full head.
Meanwhile, unsupervised, pimply faced Far Side looking lad plucks
whiskers from the family cat to use as 1/72 scale AFV antennae. (the
mere fact he builds models proves he is maladjusted as well)
Meanwhile, put your weapon's damage experience to good use by
replicating hurricane damage to roof and windows-as yet unfixed
because the Beanie Baby collection isn't doing quite as well as hoped
for on Ebay.
First post-therapy Kerry supporter speaks out publicly
Published Sunday, November 14, 2004 at 1:00 am
by Sean Salai
A post-therapy John Kerry supporter spoke out about her trauma
treatment for
the first time this weekend, saying Florida psychologist Douglas
Schooler
took her from the depths of despair over President Bush's victory to a
new
lease on life.
Forty-four year old Karen of Boca Raton, a divorced mother of one who
didn't
want her last name in print, called the trauma specialist's intensive
election therapy "profoundly effective" and described his hypnosis
technique
as "a healing process."
"I wasn't sleeping," Karen told the Boca Raton News in an interview.
"I was
very devastated and very astonished that people would re-elect this
president. I was moody about the war and economic issues. I felt very
unsettled and fearful. I thought, 'Oh no, what will happen for four
years?'"
Karen, whose medical insurance covers the treatment, said she
approached
Schooler last week after finding herself unable to function publicly
due to
President Bush's re-election.
"Dr. Schooler absolutely understood the pain this election caused me
and he
opened my mind to a new point of view," Karen said. "You're relaxed,
he
talks to you and you just come out of it feeling more positive and
renewed.
It took one session. He did some relaxation techniques and probably
did some
things I didn't even realize."
A Schooler client for seven years, dating back to her divorce, Karen
said
the doctor helped her realize it had been unhealthy for her to expect
Kerry
to win.
"If I'd had time, I would have volunteered for Kerry, but I work
full-time,"
Karen said. "I was so invested emotionally, watching the debates, and
was
very disturbed whenever I heard a Marine has been killed. I thought
Bush's
actions were war crimes. But I'm sleeping again since the therapy and
have
felt better ever since. I don't know what will happen now, but I'm
going to
take it day by day and see what happens."
The Boca Raton News reported last week that more than 45 South Florida
Kerry
supporters sought psychological help after the Democratic candidate
conceded
to Bush on Nov. 3.
That number, including 20 patients treated by Schooler, had risen to
more
than 50 by the weekend.
"One woman I treated the other day said the election triggered other
issues
in her life," Schooler said. "Stuff she had been working on for a long
time
became worse. That's pretty common in trauma cases: A small thing like
an
election triggers longstanding mental problems."
In addition to Schooler's one-shot hypnotherapy, more than 30 people
have
called the non-profit American Health Association at 561-361-9091 to
sign up
for free support group therapy.
Executive Director Rob Gordon said Friday that AHA's first election
support
group is scheduled for after Thanksgiving. The Boca-based charity,
which has
more than 500 professional and non-professional volunteers in Palm
Beach and
Broward counties, is offering the free sessions through the end of the
year.
"I've been talking to people and coaching them on the phone," Gordon
said.
"Most are older than 50 and their mental issues stem from the 2000
election."
Gordon said no one outside Florida had contacted AHA about treatment
for the
new form of trauma, which his organization has dubbed Post Election
Selection Trauma (PEST).
"These unresolved issues from four years ago seem worst in Palm Beach
County
because this is where the pregnant chad scandal happened," he said.
"People
here still think Bush was appointed, not elected. But I'm sure
psychologists
in California and maybe New York are also organizing group therapy
sessions."
Since the Boca News broke the election therapy story on Monday, Gordon
said
he had been flooded by calls from Republicans who don't take the
trauma
seriously. However, he said he received a phone call Friday afternoon
from
FOX News commentator Bill O'Reilly and expects to defend his diagnosis
on
The O'Reilly Factor next week.
A psychologist at the Boca-based Center for Group Counseling, whose
spokeswoman last Monday was referring depressed Kerry voters to the
Democratic National Committee, said he thinks AHA and Schooler are
unethically using the Kerry supporters' misery for self-promotion.
"The word 'trauma' is overused and I haven't seen Kerry voters
traumatized
according to the existing definition," said William A. Weitz, adult
program
manager. "Certainly we've had people discussing their responses to the
election at regular support group meetings, but the idea you would use
hypnosis on them doesn't make sense to me."
Boca Mayor Steven L. Abrams, a Republican, said post-election therapy
is
"more of the same" in a city where people already spend tens of
thousands of
dollars a pop on plastic surgeons, beauticians and matchmakers.
"I do think it's silly," Abrams said.
"I also think these front-page conspiracy theories are silly. People
are
saying the election was fixed in Democratic counties that voted for
Bush.
But these are, like, the rural Democratic counties that have
consistently
cast tons of votes for Republican presidential candidates. That's why
they
call them 'Dixiecrats.' One of the counties is literally Dixie
County."