Melting Down But Still In Charge

Prospect: Dick Cheney Should Take A Leave Of Absence

(The American Prospect)  Cheney, a medically fragile 65-year-old who appears constitutionally unable to unburden himself publicly and was unwilling or unable to discuss the events before being subjected to intense G.O.P. and White House pressure to do so, might be at an unusually high risk of developing symptoms if he did not receive immediate and ongoing counseling as well.

"People that have physical illnesses have a greater likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress reactions," explains Mark Lerner, a clinical psychologist and president of The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, an organization that works with first responders.

Web sites that describe "police trauma syndrome" note that shooters can experience sound and time distortions during and after the critical incident, making it hard to describe accurately what happened, and sometimes even hallucinations after the fact, or a feeling of being haunted, though this is more common in situations where the shooter has been under threat himself or killed someone. Some develop "John Wayne syndrome" after the fact, taking excessive risks in a self-destructive way, while others are subject to self-doubt, compulsions, alcoholism, overeating, and gambling. Their job performance and family relationships can deteriorate, and they can fall prey to episodes of depression and helplessness, with occasional suicidal thoughts.

Non-police shooters oftentimes share similar symptoms that police, who are authorized to shoot, experience less often: "Mark of Cain" syndrome, in which shooters come to see themselves as tainted or otherwise permanently marked, especially if the shooting received widespread publicity.

Whatever Cheney experiences, his political persona is unlikely to shift, say the experts, though he also will very likely no longer be the same person in his private life.

But just as police officers are not entrusted with the tremendous responsibilities and risks of protecting the public during the first few weeks after a shooting, the vice president should be closely monitored and overseen by White House aides and the president, or encouraged to take some time off, so that he does not accidentally hurt anyone else during this difficult personal time, when his cognition and emotions are not fully under his control.

Cheney won't want to do it out of fear of appearing weak. But if his colleagues don't make sure he gets the help he needs to regain his balance and to stop his "meltdown," it is they who will be the truly weak ones.


Garance Franke-Ruta is a Prospect senior editor.