Dr Phil: Threat or Menace?

[Cacaoatl]

What is your opinion of Dr Phil? Every time I catch his show he is trotting out more and more degenerate and messed up families. The otherday it was a family in which every member had molested every other family member...

Is sensationalizing this sort of thing healthy for the country or does it only cause further coarsening of the American mental landscape?

[bbnflpn]

for christmas a few years back my mom got me one of his books. i opened it (we were on the phone since i live in cali and she lives in nebraska) and the first words that came out of my mouth were "are you f@*#& serious" my dad got all mad (speaker phone) cause i didnt appreciate the present. i was miffed that my mom would send me his bs.

[ap Dafydd]

Seen the programme a couple of times and read one of his books. He seems pretty sensible to me. He's obviously a Christian but he doesn't push it in your face and he appears to be a good counsellor (at least according to my better half, whose trade it is...)

gwyn eich byd

Ffred

[Gareth]

But bbnflpn, didn't you make a 'life decision' to open it?
I made a 'life decision' to have fries with my value meal.

He gets on my nerves.

[RowanMegaera]

Blergh, Dr. Phil ranks right up there with Dr. Laura for me.

Great if that's your sort of thing, but I'll pass.

[Old Witch]

Don't get me started........... :yayah: :aburst:

[Valnorran]

I don't really pay attention to him but I'm inclined to think
does it only cause further coarsing of the American mental landscape?
I really wish people would forget about self-esteem and focus on self-respect.

[Pagan Mantis]

I really don't like him. I may have caught one of his shows, also heard some kind of controversy involving abuse of scripts, which I can relate to, but other than that, if I see his face on my tv, I turn it a.s.a.p!

[SpiritsWay]

The only issue I have with him is that he seems so ummmmm cruel in a way? When he's trying to beat a point into someones head he starts yelling at them and all sorts of things. One of the points my husband always brings up with him is, how can he sit there get all hot and bothered with over weight ppl, telling them they need to lose weight, get healthy, when he is not in shape himself and over weight.....

I dunno, there's just something about this man I'm not liking.

[mucgwyrt]

Seen the programme a couple of times and read one of his books. He seems pretty sensible to me. He's obviously a Christian but he doesn't push it in your face and he appears to be a good counsellor (at least according to my better half, whose trade it is...)

gwyn eich byd

Ffred
:uhhuhuh: I've only seen a few, but ditto. Although he does seem just a smidgin condescending every now and again, but he seems like a nice enough guy. Now dont get me started on Oprah... ;)

[mucgwyrt]

I don't really pay attention to him but I'm inclined to think

I really wish people would forget about self-esteem and focus on self-respect.
How can you respect yourself if you dont like yourself? :whatgives its a bit chicken-and-egg imo.

[Sowelu]

I am not that fond of him....he seems to be a bit of a hypocrite!:smash:

[elfmage]

I have to admit, I dislike the vast majority of psychologists/psychiatrists/psychoanalysts/counsellers, etc to begin with. However Dr. Phil is in a league of "My GOD this annoys me!!!" all of his own.

[Xentor]

I am not that fond of him....he seems to be a bit of a hypocrite!:smash:

This is true for the majority of psychiatrists and others who tell you what is right.

[Valnorran]

How can you respect yourself if you dont like yourself? :whatgives its a bit chicken-and-egg imo.
I don't know, but people seem to do it. From what I've seen, self-esteem is rather arbitrary. Self-respect, on the other hand, is like any other respect - it has to be earned. There are standards to be met. Someone airing their dirty laundrey on a television show doesn't have a great deal of self-respect, IMO. It serves no purpose other than to garner attention and pity, which can boost the self-esteem.

[Xentor]

I've seen quite a bit of his shows and I've yet to see one I couldn't stand.

I won't say that Dr. Phil holds the ultimate truth, and I don't like some of his methods, but I think he likes what he's doing (making money while helping people) and his public seems to like that too.

The American mental landscape has little to do with Dr. Phil... if he would have any effect on it, Americans contribute a lot more power to Dr. Phil than he actually holds. His changes in your mental landscape are only as large as you allow them to be.

[mucgwyrt]

This is true for the majority of psychiatrists and others who tell you what is right.
:uhhuhuh: my partner (he's a mental health nurse) swears by Karl Rogers because he's all about self-discovery and solving your own problems :) "unconditional positive regard" is like a buzzword in our house :lol:

edit: of course, he's dead now, but there's a whole school of counsellors which follow his methods :)

[MercysFallen]

The only thing I like is his take on some parenting. I love when a mother or father says "I have a 5 year old out of control what should I do" and he basically blames the parents fro the child's behavior. But I don't agree with him on spanking. I believe in a good ole fashin spankings, They never killed anyone and most who were grew up respectful adults. Don't lay that crap that it teaches them to be violent! As comedian Sinbad said "It teaches them to sit down"
:toofless:

Ren

[Ceres]

It serves no purpose other than to garner attention and pity, which can boost the self-esteem.
The sort attention one gets from being on talk shows as a person in need of help and pity do NOT boost self esteem. Esteem means "to regard with respect" Self esteem is the same as self respect. And as you point out, people on talk shows airing dirty laundry dont have much. People on this thread prolly have it right to say Dr Phil does more harm than good since he clearly isnt helping anyone, especially not the people on his show. He is clearly buying ratings at the cost of what little self respect or esteem these people may have had.

[LadyTrinity]

I love :hearthear Dr. Phil. :bigblue:

[LadyTrinity]

I believe in a good ole fashin spankings, They never killed anyone and most who were grew up respectful adults.


Tell THAT one to my ex :lol: He spanks too but preaches that it is wrong :hmmmmm:

[~*Ginger*~]

Actually, in my opinion, he could really use a class in tactfulness...

[Zoritsa_Nepenthe]

Actually, in my opinion, he could really use a class in tactfulness...
But I'd bet if he did that,no one would want to watch him anymore.

[Amethyst Rose]

I love doctor phil.... I really like watching his show and listening to his advice. I have his weight loss book and when I read it it was like I was kicked in the head with a truth that was there all along, but for some reason I coudln't see it.

Now, as for the poll. I want to say that I love doctor phil, however, there have been occasions when I disagree with his advice, like his advice on spanking. I don't care about seeing people more messed up than me, so I can't answer that one either. The poll needs an 'other' option. :)

[Brónach Druid]

I really don't fit into the poll, I don't love or hate Dr. Phil. I watch the show occasionally and have seen goods and bad ones.

[Zoritsa_Nepenthe]

I really don't fit into the poll, I don't love or hate Dr. Phil. I watch the show occasionally and have seen goods and bad ones.
Yeah,I didn't answer the poll either because this is about where I'd fit in too.I can tune in and watch a show and think he's right on,and then other times I turn him right off.

[Greymuse]

I didn't vote, mainly because I don't see him as either a threat or an all encompassing guru. Like most daytime talk shows, his show has devolved into poopie, but he still has occasional nuggets of wisdom and truth worth listening to. I guess like most things, you have to sift through the sand to get to the gold.

[pawnman]

I'm not a huge Dr. Phil fan, but most of the advice he seems to have is right-on. I like that he wants people to take responsibility for their own actions, rather than allowing them to blame everyone and everything else.

[Calen]

I'm not a huge Dr. Phil fan, but most of the advice he seems to have is right-on. I like that he wants people to take responsibility for their own actions, rather than allowing them to blame everyone and everything else.

Same here. I don't worship him, but from the episodes I have watched, his advice is usually good. He does a lot of extra stuff for the people who come on apparently, hooking them up with other professionals and whatnot.

[WitchJezebel]

I'm not a huge Dr. Phil fan, but most of the advice he seems to have is right-on. I like that he wants people to take responsibility for their own actions, rather than allowing them to blame everyone and everything else.

I agree; so many people I know blame all their problems on either someone else or an external source; it's such a crock. That being said, depending on the topic, I'll watch if I can.

[Chibi-Fallon]

I have a problem with the whole "you have to want to change" thing. Especially as that applies to addicts and people who have been abused.
People go for people like their parents if they hit you you'll find someone who hit you. It's hardwired in your brain. You can't just need to "get real" and "want" to change that. You need to get real help.

[AutumnWitchie]

I usually find Dr. Phil minorly annoying. Once in a great while he has a show worthwhile but for the most part I find him annoyingly "holier-than-thou" and condesending.

[pawnman]

I have a problem with the whole "you have to want to change" thing. Especially as that applies to addicts and people who have been abused.
People go for people like their parents if they hit you you'll find someone who hit you. It's hardwired in your brain. You can't just need to "get real" and "want" to change that. You need to get real help.

But you have to want to change in order for the help to be effective. He's not saying that a desire for change is all it takes, but that without a desire for change, no amount of help will ever solve your problem.

[starfire]

I watch him off and on. I think there is some wisdom there, and that he has helped some people take responsibility for their actions. Some shows I like, others I don't care for, it's like its done just for TV credits. Like the weight thing, I got tired of seeing the same old thing. Not that the people weren't trying and learning new ways to deal with their eating, it just wasn't interesting for me.

His son has also come on and seems to connect with you younger people.

[Strega Del Vento]

I didn't like Dr Phil too much when Oprah was pimping him out, and I just recently started watching his show. We recently moved out of Memphis to a suburb and I had to wait for our cable to be transferred over to the new place. So my TV options were very limited (5 channels! yikes!)

I watched his shows for about 2 weeks, and although I didn't agree with everything he had to say, I think he's alright afterall.

I'm not crazy about him really.. To be honest, I tune in now to see if he'll have his Son on! Woobaby!

[yavanna]

I don't like Dr. Phil, but for some reason I get a kick out of watching his show. He's just such a jerk his guests, I guess its like a train wreck. You don't like that it happened, but you've just got to watch the chaos unfold.

I picked a book up a goodwill a few years back called "Saturday Morning Mind Control" by "Dr. Phil" but I don't know if its the same Dr Phil. Anyway, the book slams 80's cartoons like the Smurfs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Bravestaar, and others I forget, for teaching occult philosophy to our "fragile minded and impressionable youth" :uhhuhuh:
Man, I wonder if it was the same Dr. Phil....

[yavanna]

Darn, I just checked and tv Dr. Phil didn't write SMMC, Dr. Phil Phillips did. Bummer...

[BrigidMoon]

I don't mind him. There are a lot of things he says that are common sense in situations that apparently others are not picking up on.

[Semele]

I think Dr. Phil is a pompous ass.

[spooky]

phil is an industrial psychologist. he is trined in how to hire and fire people. he doesn't have counseling training. he bullies the people he brings on into agreeing with him. it also seems like he hates women and likes to blame them.

[Ceres]

phil is an industrial psychologist. he is trined in how to hire and fire people. he doesn't have counseling training. he bullies the people he brings on into agreeing with him. it also seems like he hates women and likes to blame them.


By Industrial, I thought maybe you meant industrial strength or teflon coated or something. Like a superhero. Hiring and firing is just so ORDINARY. :kooky:

I agree with Semele, pompous ass sums it up :T

[TarotCanada]

:uhhuhuh: my partner (he's a mental health nurse) swears by Karl Rogers because he's all about self-discovery and solving your own problems :) "unconditional positive regard" is like a buzzword in our house :lol:

edit: of course, he's dead now, but there's a whole school of counsellors which follow his methods :)

Unconditional positive recognition - that is the key theme to my household - it means you accept people for who and what they are. I have told my children for years to do the best they can in the situation they are in and to be the best person they can be in that situation, that is success.

Dr. Phil - the sound byte psychologist - but people listen to him. If it helps people get better and improve their lives then he is tolerable. On a personal level, he is not my cup of tea and he is all about the money. Dr. Phil - uggh Oprah - arghh. I guess they are the mainstream world's version of Syliva Browne and John Edwards - another ugghh and arrghh.

Cheryl

[Pure Ahimsa]

I do not like the way he shouts at people. Yeah, sure, you might need to be a little agressive with someone to sink something in, but he just does it as if he has never done anything bad.

[Avanti]

I hardly get to watch him since he airs here during my school time. But times when I do watch it, he just appears to be dragging for time and repeating metaphors and the goddamn obvious. The last time though, I got so mad at him. It was the episode where he just brushed off an asian woman who married an old american guy, as OBVIOUSLY she did it for the purpose of getting a visa. Nevermind that she had something to say, he was making it blatantly obvious he thought of her as trash. The poor woman was just so devasted.

Oh well, what can you do? From now on, i'm sticking to dvds when I get bored.

[OMmomma]

I like the way he tries to get people to own their own sh*t. I like it that he's not always PC. I like the fact that when he reviews a tape of one of his shows and finds moments where he feels he stepped over the line, he makes a public apology. I like the fact that he doesn't try to come off as knowing it all, and regularly has guest professionals to assist with some of the more troubled cases. I like the fact that he offers follow-up counseling, rehab, or whatever he can think of, to try and make sure that his guests get the help they need, not just send them away after the show and expect everything to get better.

I don't like that some of the shows do seem more geared towards merchandizing and co-signing the over-consumptive habits of viewers. I don't like some of the more 'sensational' show themes... viewers turned into voyeurs.

[misty]

I think Dr. Phil is a pompous ass.


Sem.... :yourock:

_handclapp _handclapp _handclapp

[pawnman]

Unconditional positive recognition - that is the key theme to my household - it means you accept people for who and what they are. I have told my children for years to do the best they can in the situation they are in and to be the best person they can be in that situation, that is success.

Dr. Phil - the sound byte psychologist - but people listen to him. If it helps people get better and improve their lives then he is tolerable. On a personal level, he is not my cup of tea and he is all about the money. Dr. Phil - uggh Oprah - arghh. I guess they are the mainstream world's version of Syliva Browne and John Edwards - another ugghh and arrghh.

Cheryl

Unconditional positive recognition...so no matter what, you're praising children for doing a good job? Even when they're behaving like brats (and all kids do, at some point, some just do it more often and for more prolonged periods...those are the ones that ARE brats), you're to give them POSITIVE recognition for that? I sure hope I'm misunderstanding the word unconditional in that phrase.

[TarotCanada]

I have great kids - I love them unconditionally and they are good people. Children need the certainty that they are loved, wanted, respected, fed and sheltered. Children who behave unacceptably don't have that certainty. Your comments are disgusting.

Cheryl

[pawnman]

I have great kids - I love them unconditionally and they are good people. Children need the certainty that they are loved, wanted, respected, fed and sheltered. Children who behave unacceptably don't have that certainty. Your comments are disgusting.

Cheryl

There's a difference between unconditional love and unconditional positive reinforcement. I've seen the parents who refuse to discipline their kids because "we don't believe in punishment, only in positive reinforcement". Those are usually the worst behaved ones.

Hey, if it's working for you, congratulations. But to think that no child needs any form of discipline is not, in my mind, realistic.

[TarotCanada]

Don't ever insult my family again.

Cheryl

[Jenne]

There's a difference between unconditional love and unconditional positive reinforcement. I've seen the parents who refuse to discipline their kids because "we don't believe in punishment, only in positive reinforcement". Those are usually the worst behaved ones.

Hey, if it's working for you, congratulations. But to think that no child needs any form of discipline is not, in my mind, realistic.

pm, I think it's time to step off here. I think TarotCanada was talking about the blame game, not lack of discipline. Be careful you don't knee-jerk react on this kind of stuff til you're btdt. No childraising family can stick to a hard and fast rule--ever. And those who think they are/do are in denial. jmo

As for "Dr. Phil"--I am forever suspicious of moguls who make money off of others' pain.

That's my stance on that.

[pawnman]

I'm bewildered. I asked a simple question about what "unconditional positive reinforcement" is, because taken literally, I can't see it being an effective parenting tactic. Maybe it works for some parents, but I know it didn't work for my little cousin, who is a terror on wheels because his parents never say no or punish him, they just praise him all the time. He has no idea about what good and bad behavior is, because they fawn over him no matter what he does. Now all the sudden I'm insulting someone's family for raising the question of discipline? I wasn't the one who called someone else "disgusting". I can draw the line between unconditional love, which children do need, and unconditional positive reinforcement, which is a bad road in my mind. Maybe "unconditional positive reinforcement" doesn't mean what it sounds like. When I here "unconditional", I think "No matter what, any set of circumstances, not tied to actions". When I hear "positive reinforcement", I think "Reward, praise, pat on the back, atta-boy". So when I put the two together, I see praising a child for every action, whether making the bed or painting the cat. To me, that doesn't seem an effective parenting style, but I can only speak from the observations I've made. I know when I did stupid things, things that were naughty and bad, I wasn't given "positive reinforcement". I was given a whipping, and both my parents and I knew I deserved it.

Sorry if all of that offends someone. No, on second thought, I'm not sorry. If your offended, then be offended. I don't care. I'm not telling you how to raise your child, and I'll thank you to stay out of how I raise my own.

[Jenne]

Welll, I'm imagining miscommunication happened on all fronts, Hon. I have a feeling the two of you have more in common re: parenting methods than it seems from the outside.

Parenting is a very touchy subject...and it's easy to get offended. I know that wasn't your intent--but I know you. I know you have strong opinions, and so I read your posts with that in mind. However, TC doesn't know you, and probably easily took offense in that manner.

:hugz:




Sorry if all of that offends someone. No, on second thought, I'm not sorry. If your offended, then be offended. I don't care. I'm not telling you how to raise your child, and I'll thank you to stay out of how I raise my own.

[TarotCanada]

I never used the word "reinforcement" I used the word "recognition" - learn how to read. Thanks for the negative karma too - just shows what a petty, selfish, arrogant piece of work you are. I feel sorry for any children you come into contact with. Don't ever bother me or insult my children again.
Paybacks are a bitch.

[Isil Darkmoon]

I never used the word "reinforcement" I used the word "recognition" - learn how to read. Thanks for the negative karma too - just shows what a petty, selfish, arrogant piece of work you are. I feel sorry for any children you come into contact with. Don't ever bother me or insult my children again.
Paybacks are a bitch.

ADMIN MODE:

If you have issues with another member of the boards, bring them to an administrator--do NOt air them in public like this. And blatent insults such as these are ABSOLUTELY in violation of MW's ONE rule of **RESPECT**. Please review said rule, and the site TOS, before posting agian.

[pawnman]

I never used the word "reinforcement" I used the word "recognition" - learn how to read. Thanks for the negative karma too - just shows what a petty, selfish, arrogant piece of work you are. I feel sorry for any children you come into contact with. Don't ever bother me or insult my children again.
Paybacks are a bitch.

OK, if that's the sticking point, then I'd like to ask, honestly and without malice:

What, specifically, do you mean by "unconditional positive recognition"? Because the definitions I'm familiar with are pretty similar for many methods of reinforcement and recognition. To me, recognition is a form of reinforcement. Honestly, I'm just trying to understand what you're talking about.