Oscar Pistorius Anxiety Diagnosis Causes Panic in South Africa

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A South African psychiatrist’s suggestion that Oscar Pistorius had generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) at the time he shot his girlfriend has sparked panic among others with the diagnosis.  The South African Depression and Anxiety Group has received hundreds of calls from people concerned that having the disorder could lead to violent behavior. “We have had people asking if their loved ones with GAD need to be hospitalized immediately,” said the group’s director.

Families freaking over ‘Oscar sickness’ after Pistorius GAD diagnosis (Sunday Times)

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Kermit Cole
Kermit Cole, MFT, founding editor of Mad in America, works in Santa Fe, New Mexico as a couples and family therapist. Inspired by Open Dialogue, he works as part of a team and consults with couples and families that have members identified as patients. His work in residential treatment — largely with severely traumatized and/or "psychotic" clients — led to an appreciation of the power and beauty of systemic philosophy and practice, as the alternative to the prevailing focus on individual pathology. A former film-maker, he has undergraduate and master's degrees in psychology from Harvard University, as well as an MFT degree from the Council for Relationships in Philadelphia. He is a doctoral candidate with the Taos Institute and the Free University of Brussels. You can reach him at [email protected].

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