Dr. Phil Not Unique

Dr. Phil Not Unique

Dr. Phil is not unique abusing the privacy rights of persons accused of
mental illness. (DAVID K. LI, "BETRAYAL," New York Post, January 10, 2008, page
9) In some states and under US law it is unlawful to reveal the medical records
of a person without consent.
Dr. Phil is among the many unlicensed persons who make diagnosis that
journalists publish in their rush to demonize vulnerable people. Police,
prosecutors, relatives, neighbors and lovers regularly become psychiatric
experts for journalists who want an explanation for a person's behavior.
Journalists share the misguided notion that mental illness causes
violent behavior. They refuse to scrutinize the abuses of the psychiatric
industry, the academic research industry and the psychiatric drug cartels.
More and more research shows that the psychiatric drugs are the cause of
violence and death. Yet the economic power of the drug companies overrules the
duty of journalists to reveal this evil to the public.

Roy Bercaw, Editor ENOUGH ROOM

BETRAYAL
New York Post
By DAVID K. LI

January 10, 2008 -- Britney Spears' fuming family turned to the wrong person
when they tapped blabbermouth Dr. Phil to counsel their daughter - he's not even
a licensed psychologist.

TV host Phil McGraw allowed his license to lapse in Texas and never had one in
California, where he tapes his syndicated show, officials in Austin and
Sacramento said yesterday.

When "Dr. Phil" first aired in 2002, California regulators - concerned about
McGraw's folksy, off-the-cuff commentary - convened a panel to rule if he was
acting as a clinical psychologist and in need of a license.

"It was determined what he was doing was more entertainment than psychology,"
said Russ Heimerich, a spokesman for the California Board of Psychology,
explaining why state officials passed on regulating "Dr. Phil."

So even though Dr. Phil had been classified as a showman and not a shrink,
Spears' parents still sent McGraw into Britney's Los Angeles hospital room in
hopes he could treat their daughter.

Instead, McGraw tried to turn Spears' problems into a ratings blockbuster, the
livid parents' spokeswoman said yesterday.

"Well, what's wrong with Dr. Phil's statement is that he made a statement [to
the press]," said Lou Taylor, business manager for parents Jamie and Lynne
Spears.

"The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a
resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements," she told
the "Today" show.

Taylor said McGraw violated family trust, and made it harder for Britney to seek
help.

"Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under the cloak
of trust, are just inappropriate . . . we feel like, to set the record straight,
we need to say that," she said.

"I mean, here you have Britney, that needs to have some security somewhere, that
every single thing she does and every single person she has a relationship with
doesn't become an opportunity to be exploited. I mean, when do you ever rest in
that if you're constantly in fear of being exploited?"

McGraw, through his LA spokesman, yesterday declined to defend himself against
the Spears' accusations.

After briefly chatting with Spears this past weekend, McGraw said she needs
help.

"My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at
Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both
medical and psychological intervention," Dr. Phil said in a statement,
publicizing his meeting with Spears.

"She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the
room," the doctor adds. "We visited for about an hour before I walked with her
to her car. I am very concerned for her."

Earlier this week, McGraw said he pulled the plug on a "Dr. Phil" show about
Britney out of concern for her family.

"Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of
consideration to the family, I have made the decision not to move forward with
the taping at this particular time," McGraw said.

Jamie and Lynne Spears also dispute reports they agreed to go on "Dr. Phil" this
week. Taylor said McGraw asked them to appear, but they didn't accept his
invite.

"I felt that, too, it was inappropriate for him to even be self-serving in
bringing something like that up," Taylor said. "Because that would not be a
vector to get Britney help."

david.li@nypost.com