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KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 07:59 PM Jan 2015

Fox Host Tells Caller Her Bipolar Disorder Is "Made Up" And "The Latest Fad" For Money

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2015/01/30/fox-host-tells-caller-her-bipolar-disorder-is-m/202349

Fox News Radio host Tom Sullivan told a caller who said she suffered from bipolar disorder that her illness is "something made up by the mental health business" and just "the latest fad." When the caller told Sullivan that she "would not be alive today" if she hadn't received mental health treatment, Sullivan wondered if "maybe somebody's talked you into feeling and thinking this way."

Sullivan, who is also a frequent Fox Business contributor and guest anchor, began his January 28 program by complaining that people with mental illness have figured how to "game the system" by receiving disability benefits. "They're mostly government employees and they know how to do it," he added. Sullivan also defended Sen. Rand Paul's (R-KY) controversial and false statement that "Over half the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts."...

Sullivan responded by telling her, "I've got to tell you, if you haven't been told, I will tell you. I think bipolar is like the latest fad. Everybody and their brother is getting diagnosed with bipolar. And last time I checked, we all have good days and we all have bad. And I don't consider that an illness. And I don't consider it a disability."

He added that bipolar disorder is "something made up by the mental health business just to be able to give people prescriptions and keep them coming in, and keeping you -- paying them money."


Is he a $cientologist?
21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Fox Host Tells Caller Her Bipolar Disorder Is "Made Up" And "The Latest Fad" For Money (Original Post) KamaAina Jan 2015 OP
Scientology was what I thought too underpants Jan 2015 #1
That I did not know KamaAina Jan 2015 #3
Conservatives don't like psychology except as they use it underpants Jan 2015 #8
Don't know if he's Scientologist or not, but he is an asshole. Lars39 Jan 2015 #2
my best friend is bipolar. Terra Alta Jan 2015 #4
Fun fact about Scientology: Nevernose Jan 2015 #5
Srsly? KamaAina Jan 2015 #7
Anyone who's ever read an L Ron Hubbard book Nevernose Jan 2015 #9
There must be a middle ground somewhere KamaAina Jan 2015 #19
Holy Crap. hunter Jan 2015 #6
And don't forget about plaque; the ADA has you all hook, line, and sinker. ck4829 Jan 2015 #14
DU article yesterday about brain inflammation and depression daredtowork Jan 2015 #10
This is disgusting... tallahasseedem Jan 2015 #11
The worst, absolute worst imo, is a family with a bipolar child. Most often the disease does KingCharlemagne Jan 2015 #12
Garbage shenmue Jan 2015 #13
I wonder if Reagan and his crew ever foresaw this kind of outcome kentauros Jan 2015 #15
Even if they did, they wouldn't care. AngryOldDem Jan 2015 #20
I know they didn't care. kentauros Jan 2015 #21
But.. sendero Jan 2015 #16
Every time it says "Faux news host" I gotta peek to see who & I never know who nt UTUSN Jan 2015 #17
That's exceedingly irresponsible. What an idiot! n/t FourScore Jan 2015 #18

underpants

(182,281 posts)
1. Scientology was what I thought too
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 08:12 PM
Jan 2015

They've hated SSDI and Disability coverage for a loooong time. Everything else they directed their hate/rage/Oh-me-the-victim machinery has turned on them so now they are literally attacking the weakest of the weak.

underpants

(182,281 posts)
8. Conservatives don't like psychology except as they use it
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 08:50 PM
Jan 2015

They shield their story as "get over it" but this really started as the created their propaganda operation. Aside from facts they don't want professionals pointing out the really basic psychological measures they use to manipulate their people.

Terra Alta

(5,158 posts)
4. my best friend is bipolar.
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 08:31 PM
Jan 2015

Her disorder is certainly not "made up"; it's something she takes medication for and struggles with on a daily basis. She does work, but it is a constant struggle.

Both this guy and Rand Paul are assholes.

Nevernose

(13,081 posts)
5. Fun fact about Scientology:
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 08:33 PM
Jan 2015

There are only about 25,000 of them worldwide. They have a much larger influence than heir numbers would indicate (probably due to the blackmail and brainwashing). For comparison's sake, there are about 30,000 Eckankar-ians and about 50,000 Mormon fundamentalist polygamists.

Nevernose

(13,081 posts)
9. Anyone who's ever read an L Ron Hubbard book
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 09:04 PM
Jan 2015

Is considered a Scientologist by the "Church." So, according to them, it's ten million.

This seems more realistic: http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/07/scientologists_1.php

 

KamaAina

(78,249 posts)
19. There must be a middle ground somewhere
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 12:32 AM
Jan 2015

like everyone who's ever taken one of those phony light-meter tests.

Hell, I'll bet there are 25,000 of them just in Clearwater.

hunter

(38,264 posts)
6. Holy Crap.
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 08:40 PM
Jan 2015

Just because he's never experienced anything like it, or been close to anyone who has, it doesn't exist???

Yes,

I wonder what other diseases he thinks are "made up?"

Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Measles ... Ebola???

Bipolar can be as deadly as any of those at either extreme of the cycle.

ck4829

(34,977 posts)
14. And don't forget about plaque; the ADA has you all hook, line, and sinker.
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 09:58 PM
Jan 2015

Plaque is a figment of the liberal media and the dental industry to scare you into buying useless appliances and pastes. Now, I've heard the arguments on both sides, and there is nothing to convince me of the need to brush your teeth.

daredtowork

(3,732 posts)
10. DU article yesterday about brain inflammation and depression
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 09:18 PM
Jan 2015

Biological causes ahoy: http://www.newsweek.com/inflammation-causes-depression-many-cases-study-says-302799?piano_t=1

I also read something about research in bacterial/immune response causes a couple months ago, too.

It seems to me that getting tested for these things for people at the poor end of the scale (i.e. on Medicaid/Medi-Cal) would be very difficult, though). I have a neurological disorder, and I just get drugs for symptom control. I've never gotten referred for an MRI or PET of my brain even though there is a thriving brain-imaging academic industry right in town. I keep volunteering as a test subject just so I can get that info for myself, but I haven't gotten lucky yet. Dang online volunteer system is as bad as an online job application system.

Btw, I'm not that familiar with SSDI/SSI for mental illness, but I was under the impression that it's quite tricky to get. You have to have a "clinical" rather than a "personality" disorder. Is bipolar "clinical"? Can a psychologist diagnose a "clinical" disorder or does a psychiatrist have to diagnose that? Do you have to be prescribed a certain class of drugs and have to be taking them for the rest of your life to be considered disabled in SSI/SSDI terms?

While researching the terms for medical rides under Medi-Cal in California, I found out you can't even get bus tickets to your therapist unless you have gotten a referral to see a therapist 3 times a week for more than 90 days. This kind of referral must take some kind of major mental illness since I didn't even get that when I was supposedly in "crisis" when I lost my eye sight (it took 6 months to get a therapist when I was "in crisis" - hahaha). Anyway, the therapy offices aren't normally in the 'hood of people on Medi-Cal, so this disinclination to offer bus tickets (used to be cab rides for the mentally ill!) for people who may have no direct income to people who would mostly get the "standard" therapy referral of once a week seems like a sneaky deliberate barrier to access. Sneaky because most of the policy-makers would just think "well we provided the mental health service", but they weren't involved the transportation piece of it.

Ps. I note I'm the only one who recced this. It seems to me that SSI/SSDI issues tend to fall over a cliff on DU through "official silence", and this omission of support makes it seem like a lot of people agree with Sullivan thought they think it isn't politically correct to say so, and they want to avoid any argument or unpleasantness. In another thread I did argue with a DU person who actively pushed GOP/Tea Party/Fox talking points on cutting SSDI/SSI. If this is the case there seriously needs some TRUTH/FACT push going the other way, and the people who know the truth can't remain silent. They have to start taking a stand. Now. Lives are on the line here.

tallahasseedem

(6,716 posts)
11. This is disgusting...
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 09:26 PM
Jan 2015

Bipolar disease is absolute hell...not only on the person that suffers from it, but their family and friends as well. It is a day to day, sometimes, even an hour to hour battle.

Fuck this guy.

 

KingCharlemagne

(7,908 posts)
12. The worst, absolute worst imo, is a family with a bipolar child. Most often the disease does
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 09:33 PM
Jan 2015

not strike until late adolescence\early adulthood. But it can appear in young children, children as young as 5-6 (or maybe even younger). Problem with childhood sufferers of bipolar is that the meds that work so well for adults, e.g., Lithium, can often have unpredictable and contrary outcomes for children. Then add in that all the children who are not afflicted may lose out on parental care because so much care must be given to the ill child. And the stress between parents who are frequently at their wits' ends and getting little or no help from society.

This radio guy should have to live with my brother for a week while he's not on his meds. He'd change his tune in a flash.

Whatever. But I'm with you: "Fuck this guy."

kentauros

(29,414 posts)
15. I wonder if Reagan and his crew ever foresaw this kind of outcome
Fri Jan 30, 2015, 10:05 PM
Jan 2015

when they began the destruction of mental health in the country?

AngryOldDem

(14,061 posts)
20. Even if they did, they wouldn't care.
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 12:38 PM
Jan 2015
Any kind of mental illness is just a personal failing, in their experience.

Not that mental illness was understood all that well before Reagan. But Reagan made it perfectly acceptable to be willfully ignorant about the subject.

kentauros

(29,414 posts)
21. I know they didn't care.
Sat Jan 31, 2015, 01:33 PM
Jan 2015

But they had to have some idea of an outcome from shutting so much of the mental health infrastructure. I just wonder if they realized it would also affect their "own kind" with the likes of Louie Gomert and Sarah Palin getting elected into office

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