Dr. Phil has made a name for himself by being a daytime TV talk show host focusing on psychiatric problems and dynamics within families and society. On Thursday he aired a show on Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.Dr. Phil's show dealing with PTSD which aired on April 19th was titled "Heroes to Monsters." The title and some of the content of the show has disappointed many Veterans with PTSD. Veterans and caregivers have taken exception to the stigma the title further places on them or their loved ones and decided to take action by protesting on Dr. Phil's Facebook page. The comments have been deleted.
The veterans and caregivers are aghast with the behavior of the TV Psychiatrist who they claim only cares about the ratings he recieved from the title of the show. Some even questioned the content and claimed that Dr. Phil's entire agenda for the Thursday show was to simply sell a product.
Veterans already have difficulty finding or accepting help due to thier PTSD and the stigma placed upon the diagnosis. The label of monster further complicates things in a world of civlians who fear the amped up media image of people who suffer from war related PTSD. Caregivers also have a tough time combating the stigma especially when they are the ones who usually fight the hardest for their veteran's care and benefits.
Did Dr. Phil's show help those who suffer from PTSD? Some comments on his page seem to give the impression that the negative portrayal of veterans has been winning out with people saying the monsters deserve no care from the people of America because of thier violent and evil actions. All in all, perhaps Dr. Phil's show did more harm than good.
