Dr. Phil is a f'n moron

Ok, he has this woman on today who admits to a serious anger problem with her kids. They show the footage of her screaming, hitting, and generally abusing the hell out of her son and it is disturbing. The woman obviously wants help though, she is the one who contacted Dr. Phil.

The “doctor” pretty much instantly dismisses the possibility that this woman could have a mental illness because she is able to turn her anger off when other adults are around or the phone rings, etc. Now, I’m no psychologist, but couldn’t she still have a severe mental illness? No rational person acts like this, and the fact that she is sitting there admitting she has no control over it is a big indicator IMO.

Anyway, Dr. Phil has ran the tape about five times thus far and he has berated the woman the entire time rather than offering any psychological help or actually trying to get to the root of the problem. I realize this is a television show, but fuuuuck, I could diagnose people better than Dr. Phil. He is one giant douchebag and he’s not helping this poor lunatic at all.

You’re right! That’s a pretty sound diagnosis!

(IANAD and I didn’t see the show)

Is it possible he’s taking a tough stance and not letting the lady use “mental illness” as a scapegoat? It’s often a convenient excuse when acting inappropriately to say “It’s not my fault! It’s the mental illness. I don’t want to change my behavior. I want someone to treat it for me.”

In the age of “It’s not my fault” attitudes where no one wants to take accountability for their own actions maybe he’s doing the right thing?

Not to sound like Tom Cruise or anything, but there’s people out there who have used “my kid is driving me nuts, it’s an illness, give him some Ridalin” as an excuse to actually disciplining their kids. Not to say there aren’t cases where it’s needed but it seems nowdays everyone want’s a resolution in pill form.

It’s not the approach that a responsible therapist would take. If he were not a pandering douchebag, he’d get her to talk about her illness, possibly to the point where she herself admits to using it as a scapegoat. A therapist who immediately resorts to berating a patient has no business having a license.

Well, without saying much about Dr. Phil…

Someone who is violent and out of control with everybody, attacks people that are bigger than them, and put’s their life in danger with their antics most likely has a mental illness.

Somone who is only violent and abusive to those that are smaller than them, powerless, and unable to fight back is an asshole.

Frankly, the woman in question is totally full of shit - she’s a bully, and if Dr. Phil happens to tell her that, good.

It’s total bullshit for her to try to pawn it off as mental illness.

See, she hasn’t once said anything about a mental illness, which is one reason I think she might have one. She’s very upset, and she honestly doesn’t seem to understand why she has this anger.

I guess maybe this one hits home with me because I can empathize with her, not that I’ve ever beaten my kid, but I’ve been enraged to the point that I can see where that type of behavior comes from. It’s a very fine line. You can love your kids and not want to hurt them and still not know how to stop. She’s not blaming anyone but herself, and that’s a good thing, but it won’t do any good if she’s not evaluated and treated by a real doctor.

Dr. Phil said she needs a “new parenting compass” for her “seething inner rage.” What does that even mean??? Douchebag.

Very true. But remember it’s only a 1 hour program. He’s got to get her diagnosed and cured under 60 minutes AND keep it entertaining.

:rolleyes:

No, a mental illness is not an excuse-but if she DOES have one, she needs to treat it in order to STOP the behavior. It’s not laziness, or an excuse-but not getting treatment for a very real problem isn’t helping either.

And not all mental illnesses are treated with medication. Yes, some are, but some are able to be managed with talk therapy and other methods.
I really, really wish people would do some fucking research before sounding off, “oh my god, kids are only on Ritalin because they need discipline!” It’s so much bullshit.

NOW…if this woman IS not ill, then she still needs SOME kind of counseling, or anger managment courses to help her gain control.

Sure. But make no mistake, the only one he’s curing is his sponsors.

What illness? The only person so far who has “diagnosed” her with a mental illness is Indygrrl, who, as a mere layperson and casual television viewer, is hardly qualified to make such a diagnosis.

It’s the new, improved “High Impact Therapy.” Diagnosis and treatment in one show! Sign up now and you’ll also get these lovely knives! They can cut through a can and still slice your wrists with ease!

I’m sure there’s a lot of Springer-esque schedenfreude that goes on in the Dr. Phil show (I’ve never watched it; those match.com commercials are enough to know the man would tap dance all over my very last nerve), because in your face television is fun and exciting for everyone except the target. But I think it’s telling that so many people buy into his one-size-fits-every-neurosis, down home, pull yourself up by your own mental bootstraps bullshit. No, Dr. Phil. All everyone needs is NOT a good slap and to be told to pull their heads out. People have real problems, and you are not making any of them better.

I don’t think she was diagnosing her so much as saying, “hey, you know, there needs to be MORE done than this, we need to look at other options” or whatever.

Quite possibly, yeah. Sometimes, though, I think there’s something good about telling an asshole he’s an asshole. Bullies tend to back down if they meet someone who doesn’t take their crap and who can dish it right back at them.

Dr. Shinyhead McTexas may be attempting some form of… shot… at “Reality Therapy” (Glasser stuff) by looking at today and tomorrow, rather than at the past as an excuse.

Still, I’ll agree with the fact that sometimes he just seems quite off-base. Or like he’s smoking crack. That being said, he is an “entertainer”, who has a show to sell. One thing I can’t fault him for is bringing mental illness up as something that can be worked with and on and, while it doesn’t excuse bad behavior, it may explain it. He also is one of the few “public entertainers” of his ilk that will place children’s bad behavior in the spotlight as being a symptom of a greater problem within the family. In that sense, he has done some good educating people at large.

Why do I even care? I don’t. But a friend of mine is writing a thesis on Audience Cults, and has had me reading up on Dr. Phil episodes (online, thank GOD) to help her out with some stuff. :wink:

Fine. Her problems, then.

In Dr. Phil’s defense, he always sets people up with long-term-if-they-want-it counseling.

That said, his show is looking more and more like Jerry Springer to me lately. I used to think the format was pretty good in the beginning, but now…sensationalism where you really don’t need it. These folks have problems that are pretty sad all on their own. Rational discussion without the camera showing them bulldozing their own lives is much better in my opinion.

Right, I don’t know if she has a mental illness or not, but it doesn’t take a doctor to look at the footage and realize that there is something seriously wrong with the woman.

Dr. Phil basically told the husband, “I want your word that you will not leave her unsupervised with the kids,” they shook on it, and I don’t know what the rest of the plan was. I hope they have one.

(btw, I am home from work today, I don’t usually watch this crap. lol, gotta go, Oprah has on crack whores :smiley: )

I agree with most of your post, but not this part. Bullies will back down from those that confront them, true, but will still find others to bully. Doubly so for child abusers. You think that woman went home and told her kid “Geez, I was wrong, Dr. Phil stood up to me so no more abuse for you”?

I doubt it. From what (little) I understand of child abusers, the poor little tyke probably got it twice as bad that night.

Fair enough - I don’t think we disagree. Essentially, many bullies back down from those that confront them. Note that Dr. Shinyhead McTexas also pointed out to her that he had a duty to “report” this (which, professionally, he does). It may have been the wake-up call this lady needed - someone to take on advocacy for the kids and to throw the book at her if she even THINKS of being alone with those kids again.

People like that bully, you are right, just seek out a new person to victimize once someone stands up to them. That said, we can only hope that after-care has been set up, that CPS has been notified, and that the family is going to get some help so this does not continue.

McTexas has a duty to report this to the proper authorities, and I suspect he has since he said he was obligated to.

FYI, I’m watching this right now and it’s goddamned unbearable. My guess is that they have been reported (you’d have to be Charles Fucking Manson not to) and she will be on a short leash with a shrink for the foreseeable future.

Did he, at any point, blame it on a man? That’s his usual MO whether there’s a man around or not.

Go Dr. Phil, you sorry-ass pussy.