Conservatives Push for Psychiatric Diagnosis of "Loony Leftists"

[disillusioned1]

January 05, 2005

Still thinking about election fraud in Ohio? Worried that voting machines in Florida may have been hacked? If some Republicans get their way, there may soon be an official diagnosis of what really ails you: political paranoia disorder. "Political Paranoia" to be included in next edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

By Hermione Slatkin, Medical Correspondent

NEW YORK, NY—When Zacharia Goodman recently sought out the help of a therapist, it was no mystery as to what was ailing him. The 27-year-old copy editor was so consumed by his belief that President George W. Bush stole the recent election that he was having trouble sleeping, completing rudimentary tasks at work, and carrying on conversations about topics not related to politics.

The therapist he consulted wrote Goodman a prescription for the social anxiety drug Paxil and encouraged him to spend less time reading left-wing blogs and listening to Air America.

This particular story has a happy ending; Goodman admits that he's already far less irritating to be around than he was just a few weeks ago. But countless paranoids just like him may be going untreated, say mental health professionals. The reason: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM presently excludes political paranoia from its 933 pages of symptoms, diagnoses and treatment recommendations.

(download the Political Paranoia Inventory (PPI) Self Test at the link)

...

Democrat or just demented?
Now a group of Republican lawmakers is hoping that they can do something about the problem. When the 109th Congress convenes in Washington in January, Senator Bill Frist, the first practicing physician elected to the Senate since 1928, plans to file a bill that would define "political paranoia" as a mental disorder, paving the way for individuals who suffer from paranoid delusions regarding voter fraud, political persecution and FBI surveillance to receive Medicare reimbursement for any psychiatric treatment they receive.

Rick Smith, a spokesman for Senator Frist, says that the measure has a good chance of passing—something that can only help a portion of the population that is suffering significant distress.

...

http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/2005/01/conservatives_p.html

Edit to add "satire". I truly don't want to frighten anyone.

[Rose Siding]

1. You should clearly ID this as satire.

[MsTryska]

7. damn this is satire?!

i was all set to apply for social security and medicare while the gettings good.

[kwolf68]

2. WTF

[Rush1184]

3. Great, and with mandatory mental health screening...

the govenment can halp me get over my political beliefs... I mean mental disorder, and become a good american.. /scarcasm

[Norquist Nemesis]

4. LOL! Well then...BRING IT ON!

It would prove all of us 'lefties' are the only sane people left. :)

Good satire!

[Celeborn Skywalker]

5. This is satire, right? n/t

[proud patriot]

6. It is not healthy to be well adjusted in a sick society

that is my only comment on this matter

[jdots]

8. bring on the fascist bastards n/t

[Guaranteed]

9. Are you obsessed with what gay people are doing in their bedroom?

Do you not care when innocent people are killed?

Do you let people steal your tax dollars just so you can feel alright in hating others different from you?

Well, good news for you- you might just have sociopathic fascist disorder!

[ladjf]

10. This is a joke that isn't too funny. Don't give Frist any more

ideas. He's bad enough already.

[Orangepeel]

14. nah. if it involves giving more benefits to Democrats...

Frist wouldn't support it. Now, if the "treatment" were prison time or a firing squad...

[ladjf]

17. Politics has become so crazy that it's difficult to differentiate

between humor and seriousness. It's all ridiculous.

Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of the 21st Century will be that the human race realizes that it is too dumb to survive.

[Wind Dancer]

22. Well said!

[disillusioned1]

11. Here's the self test

http://swiftreport.blogs.com/news/files/selftest.pdf

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

12. Do you suffer from religious preoccupation or delusions of grandeur?

Maybe some of the RW nuts can get locked up in the process.

[Dr Batsen D Belfry]

13. Free Prozac to every DU Member!

Hey, pass the pills, wouldya?

DBDB

[Vogon_Glory]

15. How To Get An Express Ticket to an Asylum: Bring Up History

Democrats and other politically dissatisfied groups and individuals can get routed to an asylum even faster by vocalizing that the old Soviet Union, much bashed in days of yore by these so-called "Conservatives," also used to throw THEIR dissidents in insane asylums.

[SillyGoose]

16. You scared the crap out of me for a minute there....n/t

[seaj11]

18. Aw, Frist cares...I'm so touched.

:cry: I really need help!

ok, sarcasm off.

Elle
http://www.nophicent.org

[OnionPatch]

19. They should have implemented this 14 years ago!

By now, half of the Republicans would be locked up or on Prozac for all their wild, tin-foil theories about Clinton. I recall many asserting that the Clintons actually murdered a handful of people! :crazy:

[AntiFascist]

20. No doubt they would also like to bring back the practice of lynchings

Did you see the Republicans' reaction when the CBC started singing the praises of Michael Moore? Priceless!

[Mutley]

21. ha!

i was alternately thrilled and appalled while reading this until i got to your line:

"Edit to add "satire". I truly don't want to frighten anyone."

guess i'm feeling a little gullible (paranoid?!?) today...

:p