I find it ironic that the profession who planned and killed up to 200,000 people in Aktion T4, are now given the job of analyzing the Virginia Tech massacre.

I know I'm beating a dead horse with this whole psychosis thing, but I think it's important. I think it's important because it speaks to the level of responsibility he that day. The way I understand psychosis is that it means the person is disconnected from reality. Doesn't the fact that this guy could stop his odd behavior at will suggest that he is well connected with reality? Reality is that if you go into a gun store and they ask you background questions and you stand there and don't answer, then you don't get the gun. Reality is that if you tell the truth that you've been to the psych hospital, then you don't get the gun. That's reality, and he knew it. I even take it one step further, I think this odd behavior in class was a game to him. He got a lot of attention from it. People ask him a question, he doesn't answer. People get concerned. Some people get mad. Then, he gets to feed his poor put-upon persona he's created for himself.

I admit to getting completely exasperated with people trying to dx Cho. What value does labeling him with any psych diagnosis possibly achieve? Let's focus on his behavior and on his story -- what got him to that point. That's all that's important. We need to understant the person he was and the story of his life, including his treatment. The diagnosis does not move us forward. In fact, it's crippling because it pigeonholes him. When I call his behavior psychotic this is not the same thing as saying he has the "brain disease" schizophrenia at all. I am defining the behavior not the person. And there are countless things that contributed to triggering his behavior. These are the things we need to investigate so we can help the next person and prevent these tragedies from occurring.

I nearly choked when I heard that guy say "homeland security issue". What the hell.

Lisa, I really think you are taking a very literal view of being disconnected from reality. By Cho's disconnection from reality I don't mean lying about his background when he bought the gun I mean his construction of a whole set of beliefs about the people and environment around him that had no basis in fact and his need to act on that fantasy. I agree with you that this debate is beginning to feel like beating a dead horse but in fact it is absolutely critical that more people be on the same page about what psychosis really is before we can learn how to handle it.

This is very sad. What a twist of fate! Now, those of us who are suffering from a mental disorder, including myself, will pay the price. I have this fear that he's going to be labeled bp, It'll be a very sad and devastating event for all of us.

But, Sara if we use your definition of psychosis wouldn't any criminal fall into that category? Here's a hypothetical example: Most people don't embezzle money from their employer - for whatever reason (a feeling that it's morally wrong, fear of getting caught, whatever. They just don't do it). Then, there's those other folks. Let's take Jane. Jane believes she doesn't make enough money, so her employer owes her. Jane is feeling sick and tired of seeing all of these rich snobs driving around in their lexuses when they don't work nearly as hard as she does. Jane feels that her employers have never, ever paid her what she's due. Jane feels a lot of rage. So, Jane (when nobody is looking) starts lifting cash from the register. Is Jane psychotic? She truly believes she is entitled to this money. It's her reality that these people owe her, that society owes her. That's not most people's reality, nor is it most people's reality to shoot their boss in the head when they're about to be fired. Every criminal out there has a different belief system than most of us, that doesn't necessarily make them psychotic. So, where do you draw the line when it comes to a person being held responsible for criminal behavior?

There was a big grey elephant sitting on the 500 acre Virginia Tech campus; severe mental illness . The media has wasted its time by trying to dissect what happened from 7:15AM-9:25AM on the day of the murders. But all 32 murders were 100% preventable had the Virginia Tech administration taken the appropriate action by suspending Cho months before the massacre.

Seung-Hui Cho had been diagnosed by a trained psychiatrist as someone who was "at high risk for harming himself as well as others." What more does one need to get suspended from school? It is indefensible.

www.MyDepressionSpace.com

Charles, I don't know that suspending him would have prevented this tragedy at all. If anything it probably would have made him more angry, and his desire for revenge even greater. Of course, I'm not saying a person who is deemed a threat to others shouldn't be kicked off of campus - they absolutely should. But, I still don't know that the students would have been any safer. He was determined to make somebody pay.

I am going to address something that no one has addressed here yet.

I work in a school district. IF there is ANY type of threat to a campus, such as bank robbery,threats, etc. the nearby schools are placed in a LOCK DOWN situation. The schools from elementary through high school all do this, and practice lock down's like fire and earthquake drills are done.

Because there was an actual shooting on campus in the dorms at 7:15am that place should have locked down, and class canceled.

THAT is what could have prevented innocent students from being sitting ducks inside classrooms.

To cast aside the dorm shooting as an isolated incident without a perp arrested and on the loose, was reckless endangerment of each life on that campus.

No, you cannot lock down large campus areas, but you sure as hell can take 2 hours to evacuate the buildings!

THAT is why more than 2 people were murdered. To send out a generic email and hope you cautioned students to be on alert was a waste of time and a non aggressive approach to protecting their students.

Imagine a scene where a person was shopping inside of a crowded mall. Let's say 2 people were shot inside a store, the gunman was on the loose, and the mall remained open. You went shopping. You got killed, or your loved ones did, because the mall security considered it an isolated incident. What's your opinion on that?

It's the same thing. What ever happened to "safe than sorry?"

Locked classrooms and an evacuation of campus would have meant less funerals.

I agree with those who feel that guessing the phantom illnesss that Cho may or may not have had is a waste of time. Calling him nuts in no way helps us understand the motives, and world view that really begins to explain his very purposeful and well thought out actions.
One question however, was he taking Prozac, Paxil, or any of the SSRI drugs that have been implicated in suicide/homocide cases such as Littleton, Colorado? I'm not implying they were the cause but might have helped pull the trigger. My colleague and I explore these issues at www.psychtruth.org.
Larry