So, today the news is that the killer was seeing a psychiatrist, the medical director of the student health services at the C.U. Medical Center. No information yet available as to the nature or length of the treatment. But, psychiatrists treat people with mental problems, right? And psychiatrists are legally required to notify law enforcement when the psychiatrist perceives that something about the patient may constitute a threat to himself or others.
At the very end of the Denver Post article linked below, the authors introduced information about the psychiatrist that raises questions about the psychiatrist. In 2005 she was "reprimanded" by the Colorado Board of Medical Examiners for prescribing drugs for herself, her husband, and an employee. How did the Board of Medical Examiners find out about that? Who reported her? And it was way back in 1997 that she prescribed the allergy drug Claritin for herself. In 1998 she prescribed the anti-anxiety drug Xanax for herself, provided 4 Xanax pills for an employee in 1999 and provided the sleep aid Ambien for her husband three times (three different prescriptions?); the article does not say in what year she prescribed the drug for her husband. If her last incident of inappropriate prescribing was in 1999, how come it was six years later that her case came before the state Board of Medical Examiners? What was the nature of the referral to the Board of Medical Examiners?
When Holmes left the C.U. program, turning in his student access card "around" June 10, did he continue seeing his psychiatrist, or did she refer him to other doctors for follow up treatment? Did he reveal his plans to her? Did she contact police? I think that psychiatrist will probably be "lawyering up" real soon, and maybe taking a few Xanax pills, too.
Meanwhile, the defense and prosecution are fighting over who gets access to the notebook Holmes sent to his psychiatrist. The prosecution denies the accuracy of reports from Fox News and NBC. Prosecution denies they have been looking at the contents of the notebook. Do you believe that? The defense wants it.
http://www.denverpost.com/theatershooting/ci_21174600/aurora-theater-shooting-suspect-was-being-treated-by?nstrack=sid:5779133|met:300|cat:0|order:1
3 comments:
So would you say that those 4 occasions of questionable judgment on prescribing Xanax and Claritin constitute reason for complicity? Don't get me wrong, those are certainly ethical missteps, but it doesn't strike me as the kind of thing a chronic addiction would lead you to, those are the kind of poor judgments that any one of us could make in the course of our lives. Maybe I'm wrong about the psychiatrist, but I think we have to withhold judgment until we know a little more. Anyway, its interesting that he sought treatment. I know at least one person who spoke with half a dozen counselors before finding anyone who actually understood the relational dynamics and problems enough to help. Seems likely that he just sought help too late, and the first person he went to didn't have the insight, experience or wisdom to understand what was really going on.
Just goes to prove that we kno so little about the mind why it works the way it does and how to supposedly cure it
Ryan,
I think you nailed it in your last sentence.
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