The "suck it up, buttercup" bill

[StormRichards]

Interesting article about a bill planned by an Iowa lawmaker. Basically the bill addresses State Universities spending taxpayer money on grief counseling for students unhappy about the election results.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-%e2%80%98suck-it-up-buttercup%e2%80%99-bill-iowa-lawmaker-targets-postelection-campus-%e2%80%98hysteria%e2%80%99/ar-AAkm4yH?li=BBnbfcL

[Butterscotch]

You would think that in an age where campus shootings are not uncommon, that someone in a position of power would take the mental health of students more seriously. Depression, regardless of the trigger, deserves attention, for the sake of both the individual and the community.

[StormRichards]

You would think that in an age where campus shootings are not uncommon, that someone in a position of power would take the mental health of students more seriously. Depression, regardless of the trigger, deserves attention, for the sake of both the individual and the community.

The bill would address services "beyond the resources normally available to students." Clearly dealing with a campus shooting would be something normally available to students of that campus.

Being butthurt over election results isn't a serious mental health issue in my opinion.

[Butterscotch]

Yes, but having mental health services available before the "smoking gun" would probably be worth the investment. People go on shooting rampages over getting "butt-hurt" about all kinds of things. The trigger is irrelevant, whether it is being upset over an election, a break up, years of bullying...

[FLA]

the student might be in a targeted (or feels targeted) minority and have realistic concerns, like being bullied or mistreated by other students and could need support, I have no problem paying my tax dollars towards that

[StormRichards]

the student might be in a targeted (or feels targeted) minority and have realistic concerns, like being bullied or mistreated by other students and could need support, I have no problem paying my tax dollars towards that

The article wasn't about targeted people worrying about being bullied and seeking counseling. It was about a bunch of college students needing a place to sit and cry because their candidate lost.

[rutgers07]

This is idiotic. My career focuses on providing emergency mental health services. Perhaps this lawmaker needs education in mental illness. While being upset over the election results is not a mental illness, it doesn't include to any degree individuals who have an existing mental illness/trauma who are subsequently triggered by this. What this lawmaker is saying is people who have any type of reaction are overreacting and their feelings are meaningless.

How about instead of shaming people to "sucking it up" we actually provide preventive care. Sure, there are those people that will dramaticize this but I personally have seen people who have been quite distressed and suicidal because of their fear of what lies ahead.

[StormRichards]

I agree that more preventive care is needed in this country for those suffering from mental illness.

However, I believe the majority of the people participating in these sit ins on college campuses are just spoiled crybabies.

[pflyers85]

If someone is that traumatized because of the election results and cannot mentally cope with it to the point that it prevents them from being able to keep up with their studies they should take a medical withdrawal from the college and get treatment. I am fully in favor of colleges and universities having some basic level of a mental health program and counselors available for students but at some point the more severe cases should be referred to a medical professional outside of the school and private or public insurance should be utilized not additional state school funding.

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

I don't think the counselors should need to report the reasons a student has sought counseling. Isn't counseling a confidential matter? How will the state know if someone has received counseling related to the election outcomes unless someone unprofessionally rats on them?

Besides, the article Storm links reports that three Iowa universities involved, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa — confirmed they are not spending any additional state resources to run the programs, the Des Moines Register reported.

It is ignorant to say that the counseling is to provide a place where ”kids can come cry out their sensitivity.”

It is ignorant to assume that someone is coming for "grief counseling" just because they look for help with post election thoughts. Maybe they are looking for advice in dealing with professors who they feel are taunting students who they believe have voted for one candidate or the other. Maybe they are coming for strategy help in dealing with being repeatedly asked "What country are you from? What religion do you follow? Are you here illegally?" or whatever. Maybe they have impulsive anger and could use some tips on advice on how to get that under control so that they don't lash out against the rude people in the student union who are still taunting them for having worn a "Never Trump" t-shirt. Maybe they keep having impulsive thoughts about doing harm to the incoming president and want to know how to get rid of those thoughts.

Counseling can have public health benefits. It can add safety and sanity to all our lives to take care of the emotionally vulnerable. It is as good an idea as treating tuberculosis in one person to preserve us all, or to maintain sewer systems to keep cholera at bay for all of us. (Sorry, not real keen analogies, but I hope you get the point.)

Wanting counseling is not about being a cry baby or coddled. There are good reasons to make use of standard services available at universities.

There are professional counselors on campuses. State legislator Bobby Kaufmann is an Iowa pig farmer. He should stick to the pig farming he knows best and let the counselors stick to the counseling they know best. He should not try to insert his own complainy ideas into the confidential relationship between counselor and counselee.

As an aside, I do not like the state legislator referring to college students as kids. The vast majority of them would be adults, some of them well into the twenties or thirties.

[bjl584]

These types of programs are why tuition rates rise 20% a year.

What happened to sticking to the basics of teaching the kids marketable skills?

[StormRichards]

I don't think the counselors should need to report the reasons a student has sought counseling. Isn't counseling a confidential matter? How will the state know if someone has received counseling related to the election outcomes unless someone unprofessionally rats on them?

Besides, the article Storm links reports that three Iowa universities involved, Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa — confirmed they are not spending any additional state resources to run the programs, the Des Moines Register reported.

It is ignorant to say that the counseling is to provide a place where ”kids can come cry out their sensitivity.”

It is ignorant to assume that someone is coming for "grief counseling" just because they look for help with post election thoughts. Maybe they are looking for advice in dealing with professors who they feel are taunting students who they believe have voted for one candidate or the other. Maybe they are coming for strategy help in dealing with being repeatedly asked "What country are you from? What religion do you follow? Are you here illegally?" or whatever. Maybe they have impulsive anger and could use some tips on advice on how to get that under control so that they don't lash out against the rude people in the student union who are still taunting them for having worn a "Never Trump" t-shirt. Maybe they keep having imulisive thoughts about doing harm to the incoming president and want to know how to get rid of those thoughts.

Counseling can have public health benefits. It can add safety and sanity to all our lives to take care of the emotionally vulnerable. It is as good an idea as treating tuberculosis in one person to preserve us all, or to maintain sewer systems to keep cholera at bay for all of us. (Sorry, not real keen analogies, but I hope you get the point.)

Wanting counseling is not about being a cry baby or coddled. There are good reasons to make use of standard services available at universities.

There are professional counselors on campuses. State legislator Bobby Kaufmann is an Iowa pig farmer. He should stick to the pig farming he knows best and let the counselors stick to the counseling they know best. He should not try to insert his own complainy ideas into the confidential relationship between counselor and counselee.

As an aside, I do not like the state legislator referring to college students as kids. The vast majority of them would be adults, some of them well into the twenties or thirties.

"College counselors offered “healing spaces” and meditation sessions to help students cope with postelection trauma. Some professors even canceled classes or allowed students to opt out of tests."

Sounds like coddling to me.

[cooliemae]

These types of programs are why tuition rates rise 20% a year.

What happened to sticking to the basics of teaching the kids marketable skills?

I'll have to take exception to that statement. A vast majority of tuition increases are coming from a reduction in state aid. Race to the Bottom.

I don't know about Iowa but there are a number colleges out there that work with insurance companies to help pay for these services as well.

[disneysteve]

"College counselors offered “healing spaces” and meditation sessions to help students cope with postelection trauma. Some professors even canceled classes or allowed students to opt out of tests."

Sounds like coddling to me.

You are assuming that post-election trauma is somehow less real or less legitimate than any other kind of emotional trauma. Trauma is trauma regardless of the cause or source. Your brain's response is the same.

[StormRichards]

You are assuming that post-election trauma is somehow less real or less legitimate than any other kind of emotional trauma. Trauma is trauma regardless of the cause or source. Your brain's response is the same.

No, that is not what I am assuming. I agree trauma is trauma.

What I am assuming is that the majority of these students are NOT traumatized. They are just poorly raised crybabies that are mad they didn't get a trophy.