AOC reveals she's attending therapy and learning to 'slow down' after Capitol riot

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed Friday she's attending therapy after the "extraordinarily traumatizing" January 6 Capitol insurrection.

The New York Congresswoman told the public radio show Latino USA that she's learning how to "slow down" after the attack, which resulted in the deaths of five people including a police officer.

"After the 6th, I took some time and it was really [Rep.] Ayanna Pressley when I explained to her what happened to me, like the day of, because I ran to her office and she was like, 'you need to recognize trauma'," Ocasio-Cortez said, according to The Independent.

-snip-

She said, according to the Independent: "Oh yeah, I'm doing therapy but also I've just slowed down. I think the Trump administration had a lot of us, especially Latino communities, in a very reactive mode."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-reveals-shes-attending-therapy-and-learning-to-slow-down-after-capitol-riot/ar-AAKgteE

I don't know about the therapy but I'd definitely be angry and have a very low tolerance for RWNJs if I went through shit like what happened Jan. 6.

[Budi]

1. Now imagine the level of ptsd of those who were actually in the line of fire

Link to tweet

Officer Eugene Goodman


They voted to Not fund a wellness center being named after his coworker that killed himself.

Yet THEY all benefitted from extra protection after the insurrection. At the tax payers expense.

"Talk about defunding the police:
Every House Republican just voted against reimbursing the National Guard, and local and federal law enforcement, including overtime pay and wellness programs for the US Capitol Police, for their response to the January 6 attack on the Capitol."
****

"..House Republicans just voted against reimbursing the National Guard, and local and federal law enforcement, including overtime pay and wellness programs for the US Capitol Police, for their response to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

But its not about them....

[True Dough]

2. I don't think it's a useful exercise to attempt to compare and contrast people's level of trauma

Each individual needs the help they seek, and hopefully they get it. Period.

[Budi]

3. Exactly. Yet to diminish those who faced down & were maimed, murdered & threatened with their life,

..should have at minimum been granted the small gesture of recognition & assistance & a meager thank you, by a YES vote.

Your point is exactly the WHOLE point.
I would imagine if those Officers were to vote for or against the recognition of trauma from the day's events, they would be the 1st to generously Vote YES, to not only reimbursing the National Guard, and local and federal law enforcement, including overtime pay and wellness programs for the US Capitol Police, for their response to the January 6 attack on the Capitol, but to encourage and offer assistance to anyone who was in the direct line of fire, or those who were in a building adjacent to where the actual face-to-face confrontation took place, or those who were absent from the Chamber that day & watched with America as our US Govt was directly attacked.

The NO vote to deny the officers who fought with what they had & for those who lost their life because of it, are the heros who should have been 1st recognized by our Congress.

To vote with the RW promotors & protectors of the insurrection is galling.
The NO Vote was a slap in the face of those who stood their ground & did what their oath of position required them to do.

[sheshe2]

41. Thank you.

I can't imagine the trauma of the officer that had his head slammed over and over again in that door. They were yanking his head back and forth as they screamed their rage. I can't even.

IMHO that man needs immediate therapy to overcome the trauma.

[George II]

32. Sadly some thought this week that the Capitol Police didn't need such help and voted against it.

[wellst0nev0ter]

53. Capitol police received an 11% budget increase last year

1/6 is not the result of a funding problem, my guy

[Cha]

8. TY for that.. I had already

Rt.

The Wellness Center deserved to be passed.. don't see how those who went through the Jan 6 Domestic Terrorist attack could vote against it.

[Autumn]

9. Again. The Capitol Police have wellness centers and programs. That part was to rename the

wellness program, which they already have, for U.S. Capitol Police Officer Howard Liebengood. No one voted to refuse them the wellness programs.

[JohnSJ]

4. Then why was she one of the Democrats to vote against the capital security bill?

[NurseJackie]

5. It's a mystery.

And it's disgusting that any Democrat would oppose it.

[Budi]

11. Glad it passed. The officers & families will have a simple place of recognition for the day they..

..fought, died & STOOD FOR THE HONOR & DUTY TO AMERICA IN THE FACE OF FASCISM.

That will be a memorial to their honor forever. Never forget.

[betsuni]

17. Here's what I'm wondering.

The officers and families of the capitol police are working class, right? I thought helping the working class was a top priority. Democrats are always being accused of ignoring the working class. This bill helps them.

[Budi]

21. Yet no mention honoring these brave Officers who gave it all to protect those Congress people hiding

..from RW American terrorists.

This passage honors their oath & duty of service, to those who survived & those who did not, as well as the families they leave behind, alsi with their own trauma to work through.

The NO/Present vote was to deny this meager thank you & recognition.

[NurseJackie]

22. I could never be that cruel or selfish...

... the no votes were self serving and a betrayal of those who would benefit the most.

[betsuni]

48. I think lawmakers should think about the working class rather than politics, fundraising and so on.

[NurseJackie]

51. Any type of attention-grabbing "look-at-me" grandstanding always makes me angry.

You're correct! Anyone who holds public office should put the PUBLIC interest and welfare ahead of their own.

[True Dough]

10. Technically, AOC voted "present," which is essentially an abstention

Three other members of "the Squad" voted against it. This is how they explained their stance:


"We cannot support this increased funding while many of our communities continue to face police brutality while marching in the streets, and while questions about the disparate response between insurrectionists and those protesting in defense of Black lives go unanswered," Bush, Omar and Pressley said in a joint statement.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/554556-house-approves-19b-for-capitol-security-over-gop-opposition

[Budi]

16. Technically speaking: Here's what those "present" votes could have cost :

Here's what those "present" votes could have cost :
The ‘Present’ votes are hardly better than the noes.
2 Republicans did not vote. Had they done so, the critically needed funding measure would have been defeated

They had no idea the vote would be that close.

If they wanted the passage they would have voted Yes.

They voted to deny.

[True Dough]

24. And maybe there is a better way

It's sort of a "cart before the horse" issue. Almost $2 billion is being poured into broader Capitol security without the Jan. 6 commission having yet made any determinations of how to optimally address the underlying issues.

It shows how principled the Dem "no" votes were when you consider that they were voting against having security agents dispatched to protect them personally soonest -- they are, after all, among the most vulnerable members of Congress.

More from the well thought out statement from Pressly, Omar and Bush:

"A bill that pours $1.9 billion into increased police surveillance and force without addressing the underlying threats of organized and violent white supremacy, radicalization, and disinformation that led to this attack will not prevent it from happening again. Increasing law enforcement funds does not inherently protect or safeguard the Capitol Hill or surrounding D.C. community. In fact, this bill is being passed before we have any real investigation into the events of January 6th and the failures involved because Republicans have steadfastly obstructed the creation of a January 6th commission.

The bill also does far too little to address the unspeakable trauma of the countless officers, staff, and support workers who were on site that day – dedicating fifty times more money to the creation of a ‘quick reaction force’ than it does to counseling. We cannot support this increased funding while many of our communities continue to face police brutality while marching in the streets, and while questions about the disparate response between insurrectionists and those protesting in defense of Black lives go unanswered.

While we appreciate the efforts of our colleagues to put forth a supplemental that provides necessary pay to our essential workers, there must be a comprehensive investigation and response to the attack on our Capitol and our democracy, one that addresses the root cause of the insurrection: white supremacy. This bill prioritizes more money for a broken system that has long upheld and protected the white supremacist violence we saw on display that day.

We look forward to working towards systemic policy solutions that meet the scale and scope of the crises our communities and our nation face."

[JohnSJ]

31. It isn't even comparable. That is similar logic that the republicans used for opposing the Jan 6th

commission

[Mariana]

12. She didn't vote against it. nt.

[JohnSJ]

33. I buy that excuse as much as I buy the excuse by those so called progressives who refused to vote

for the Democratic nominee in the 2016 general election by saying “I didn’t vote”

It only passed by 1 vote, with no thanks to them

[Bettie]

39. It passed

whether by one vote or one hundred, it passed.

Now, it has to get through the senate, but I'm betting there will be no complaints about the two senators who will ensure that it won't pass by refusing to get rid of the filibuster.

So, this is just an excuse to bash a sitting Democratic congresswoman.

[questionseverything]

40. Thank you for saying it

The hate for the squad, four diverse democratic women is so disheartening

[George II]

55. Two republicans did not vote. Had they voted it would have failed. It's not just an excuse...

It's cold hard numbers. No one knew what the result would have been. Kevin McCarthy did not secretly tell Nancy Pelosi "pssst, two of my guys won't vote, so don't worry about it."

From what I've seen they voted nay or present because they didn't like the $43 million addition to the Capitol Police budget.

The bill was $1.9B. So they voted against 98% of the bill for a mere 2%?

[Autumn]

56. Bank on that, should two Democratic Senators vote no on it you will see a sea of undestanding

and no bashing. Bookmarking this thread.

[Bettie]

65. Of course there will

because there is a weird unreasoning hatred of AOC and a few others.

[Arazi]

13. Those who opposed the bill were in line with their "defund the police" position

They believe they'll be labelled hypocrites if they voted for more police funding, especially for more military gear for police, after publicly advocating for other police departments to reallocate resources.

AOC did vote "present" however so you have misinfo there. Her experience did include a run-in with a Capital police officer that wasn't good on that day.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-narrowly-passes-1-9-billion-emergency-funding-bill-bolster-n1268027

Beyond that I'm not sure how AOC's PTSD and therapy from January 6th trauma relate to this funding bill

[Budi]

18. Because the No/Present vote was a denial of assistance to those who were up front that day.

Their No/Present Vote also meant "to deny reimbursing the National Guard, and local and federal law enforcement, including overtime pay and wellness programs for the US Capitol Police, for their response to the January 6 attack on the Capitol"

If they wanted this they would have voted yes. This bill was not about Defunding the Police.
It was about THIS particular day, Jan 6, 2021, & to honor & assist those who fought & died in the direct line of fire.

209 Republicans also voted to deny.

[Evolve Dammit]

7. Any person with a brain is having some sort of issue after 4 years of the Orange Anus. Anger #1.

Unfit to have been in the office for ten minutes.

[Hekate]

14. I'm glad she is doing this. I saw an interview w her not long after the insurrection, & the PTSD ...

....was just pouring off her in waves. My heart went out to her.

For the folks in this thread who want to minimize her experience, #1 it is not yours to judge the severity of another’s trauma, and #2 please be aware that her life was specifically and personally threatened that day, and is being threatened to this day.

[Budi]

19. Yet it was their NO VOTE that "minimize the Officer's experience",

But ..but..but ....

[Hekate]

20. Stop it

[Budi]

23. Not until we hear a mention of recognition for those heros of the day.

Stop it goes both ways.
How bout, Say their names. Recognize the worth of those brave Officers.

Stop making it all about those who voted to deny, while denying the real heros of that day.

Those Officers faced down, fought & died while the Congress people were sheltered away.

STOP IT is right.
Stop minimizing the worth of these heros of the day.

They actually voted to deny that worth in its most minimal form. A freakin Wellness Center in the name of a fellow dead Officer.

Ffs.

[Hekate]

26. No one is minimizing the work of the heroes. But AOC had her name bellowed from the speakers' stage

...and hollered in the hallways. They pounded on her office door and tried to break in. She was specifically called out by men who wanted her murdered that day, just as they called out Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence.

I’m not a fan of hers — I think she has a lot more growing to do. But prior to that day she was already an assault survivor, and for God’s sake just stop this game.

Goodbye

[intheflow]

73. Not to mention MTG literally using her as political fodder,

pointing a gun at her photo, bullying her in the halls of Congress, and bringing guns to work. Every damn day she puts herself out there for a better, more inclusive and equitable United States, and even people in her party give her shit. I'm so glad she's getting the help she needs.

[Celerity]

28. +10000000000000000

[Cha]

27. I know.. it doesn't seem

fair.

It's a bill to help the Capitol Police which will help all the Congress People in the future.

Have compassion for all who went through it.

Except those who deny it ever happened, of course.

Tim Ryan said it best.. ".. it's a slap in the face to every law enforcement across the nation.

Link to tweet

[Budi]

30. K & R Thank You!

We all see it as he does.

[JohnSJ]

36. From my perspective it is because she was personally threatened that day that her non-vote makes

no sense

This was about security for the legislators and the capital

The issues regarding the racism in many police forces is being addressed through other legislation and the DOJ right now

[betsuni]

44. Yes. It's like voting against a bill reopening the government thinking it funds ICE

and defunding ICE is your policy, but the bill doesn't include funding for DHS so doesn't fund ICE. Oops.

This was about security in the capitol, nothing else.

I saw a lot of people insisting Defund the Police had no negative influence on the last election because no Democrats supported it. Yes, some did. It's the Justice Democrats position. That's the reason for not voting for this bill. It's politics, not "voting my conscience."

[Hekate]

45. I have no idea why that girl does what she does sometimes, & she exasperates me...

AOC is so intelligent, bright, and bubbly, and I share the wider opinion that she has a good future in the Democratic Party, but have more of a minority opinion that adds, “if she doesn’t muck it up.” So all along I’ve been saying, “I watch her progress with interest.”

Apologies for calling her a girl, but she is so young she makes me feel ... old. I like her. I wish her well. And thugs were actually trying to murder her on 1/6.

[meadowlander]

47. And #3 she's a rape survivor.

[Caliman73]

15. The therapy might help you to be less angry and develop more tolerance.

Therapy is about helping a person to deal with emotional problems within themselves because you cannot change other people, only yourself.

Anger is not a sustainable emotion. It is good for focusing, for clarity in short bursts during a crisis, but it is caustic to the emotional system. A person who lives with anger, can become bitter and shut down emotionally, eventually living a very difficult life. Think about it this way, Trump really only experiences anger and fear in his life. Probably because of the trauma in his childhood which affected his ability to attach to (develop the deep trust that is necessary for human connection). He, very likely, experiences no love, no calm, no happiness, just anger and fear.

I think that it is good that AOC is talking about this. Demystifying and destigmatizing therapy is important. Therapy is not for "crazy" people. It is for people who have a problem, big or small, in their life that they would like some help to navigate. Whether it is trauma from an assault, a divorce, losing a job, or surviving an insurrection, therapy can help a person to function better and deal with the pain.


Of course I am biased having a wife who is a psychologist, a sister who is a psychologist, having worked as a counselor and social worker for the last 27 years, and working toward my MFT.

[George II]

25. Did she not just vote against a bill that would have provided therapy for those protecting....

....Members of Congress - those who were beaten, maimed, blinded, sprayed with various poisons, etc.?

Oh the irony!

[Budi]

29. For me but not for thee. But hey guys, thanks for protecting Congress while we could be hidden from

harm.

Thanks anyway.

[Autumn]

59. They have always had access to therapy and those wellness centers George. Why are you making it

sound like they don't have any benifits, health care or wellness centers and that they didn't get an 11% increase in funding last year?


Oh the irony indeed!

[George II]

62. Oh Autumn, we all know that. Autumn, so you're implying that whatever benefits and programs....

.....the Capitol Police have had are sufficient to handle an influx of hundreds of new patients/officers at one time, Autumn?

Autumn, did that 11% include such programs to accommodate the hundreds of officers who engaged in hand to hand combat for hours at the Capitol? Autumn, I checked their budget from last year, there's nothing in it about handling an invasion of the Capitol Building by a thousand or more insurgents. Maybe I missed it Autumn? You really think the current benefits are suitable to handle all the long-term injuries, both physical and emotional? Really Autumn?

I guess the existing Capitol Police budget includes having dozens of therapists, both physical and emotional, sitting around playing solitaire on their laptops just waiting for that once in a lifetime situation where they might be flooded with scores of patients, right Autumn?

You should be reminded, Autumn, that in 2020 176 police officers NATIONWIDE committed suicide. This incident itself resulted in the suicide of two officers in one Department over the course of a few days. Do you really think the government should scrimp on a few dollars for their psychological treatment when the actual lives of Capitol Police officers are still in jeopardy Autumn, just for the sake of "defund the police" purity?

Even so, Autumn, as I've pointed out elsewhere, the entire bill is $1.9B and the funding for the Capitol Police is only $43M. That's only 2% of the entire bill.

So, Autumn, for the sake of that 2% (and actually only a fraction of THAT 2%) the other 98% of the bill should be sacrificed. Does that make sense Autumn?

[Autumn]

64. If you know it George why are you posting

Last edited Sun May 23, 2021, 11:50 AM - Edit history (1)

George II (62,230 posts)

25. Did she not just vote against a bill that would have provided therapy for those protecting....

....Members of Congress - those who were beaten, maimed, blinded, sprayed with various poisons, etc.?

Oh the irony!

If the Capitol Police have a program and insurance that gives them therapy, and they do, why the need to pass a bill providing therapy? They can visit mental health care providers and they have access to counslers on the force.

No response for the rest of your post, I'm only responding to your previous post. No offense just not interested in falling down a rabit hole.

[George II]

66. Oh Autumn, surely you're familiar with rhetorical questions to emphasis an important point?

But to answer your question:

If the Capitol Police have a program and insurance that gives them therapy, and they do, why the need to pass a bill providing therapy? They can visit mental health care providers and they have access to counslers on the force.

BECAUSE, AUTUMN, THE EXISTING PROGRAMS AND INSURANCE DO NOT ACCOMODATE THE NEED FOR UNEXPECTED LONG-TERM CARE FOR HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS WHO ENGAGED IN HAND TO HAND COMBAT FOR HOUR ON JANUARY 6!

To put it into perspective, Autumn, the entire Capitol Police Department has 2000 officers. 140 of them were physically injured (not including psychologically damaged) in the course of only a few hours. That's more than 7%, one of ever 14 officers in the ENTIRE Department.

Autumn, do you really think the existing programs are set up to treat 1 of every 14 officers AT THE SAME TIME???? This isn't a bill to provide therapy, Autumn, it's a bill to provide ADDITIONAL therapy for the hundreds of officers injured within a few hours of each other.

Think of it like this, Autumn. Let's say a plane crashes and 100 passengers are injured. Why bother setting up an emergency triage unit near the crash site, "we already have a walk in clinic about a mile away, can't we just use that?"

See how illogical that is?

Sadly, we have too many people, even presumably on our own side, who couldn't care less about the physical and mental well-being of the Capitol Police officers injured on January 6. They only see it as anti-"defund the police".

[Autumn]

67. Did she not just vote against a bill that would have provided therapy for those protecting

Members of Congress.

That is straight from your post. No she did not vote against a bill that would have provided therapyfor those protecting Members of Congress. She chose not to vote. AS IS HER RIGHT.

Again. They have acess to mental health therapists and counserlers.

Nice to see your concern for her. Had those fuckers found her she would have been dead.

[George II]

68. Anything less than a YEA vote is a vote against the bill, Autumn. And had that bill been defeated..

....therapy that is included in the bill would not be provided to those protecting Members of Congress.

That's a plain and simple fact, Autumn. Clearly 213 Democrats in the House (97%!) rightfully feel that the therapy the Capitol Police are currently provided isn't sufficient to treat the hundreds of officers injured on January 6. But I guess they don't know as much as the six Democrats who didn't vote YEA.

[Autumn]

69. I guess voting ones conscience depends on the Democrat, amirite George?

[George II]

70. Inasmuch as none of them fully explained their votes, we can only speculate why, amirite Autumn?

[Autumn]

71. Wrong again George. Jamal Bowman explained his vote, I posted the link to you.

If you don't like his explanation for his vote that's not my problem. I support their decisions. The bill passed the House, now it's on to the Senate. I'm stocking up on This should be fun.

[sheshe2]

76. How about the other five?

Did they explain their no/pass vote as well.

The bill passed the House, now it's on to the Senate. I'm stocking up on This should be fun.

Fun? People died at the insurrection. Some were maimed, some brutalized and beaten. The terror of that day is sickening. So difficult for all of us to have watched, I can't imagine what those people that were in the midst of it are going through now. Aftermath? A couple committed suicide.

And here you say "This should be fun."

[Autumn]

77. What about them? You can look it up if you really want to know. If you don't like what I say she,

you always have the option of ignoring me. Yeah but you know damn good and well I was talking about the vote in the Senate, not the insurrection.

The bill passed the House, now it's on to the Senate. I'm stocking up on This should be fun.

Nice try though.

[George II]

80. What's interesting is that 213 Democratic Representatives have no need to explain their votes.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

79. I am not a fan of the Just Us Democrats

Link to tweet

[YoshidaYui]

34. I SENT HER HUGS!!

Link to tweet

[NoMoreRepugs]

35. She votes her conscience and has an explanation to boot - good enough for this old white guy.

[CousinIT]

37. Gangreene will be mocking her over that soon. n/t

[BobTheSubgenius]

38. I totally agree...even though we all have a pretty low tolerance for RWNJs already.

[live love laugh]

42. She's also being harassed in her office. The riots will cost the likes of her.

What intelligent, well qualified person would continue to subject themselves to the assault and abuse by Republicans?

Republicans are literally trying to run quality representatives out of office.

[sheshe2]

43. Her office is not in the Capital building.

Her office is in the Cannon House Office Building near the Capital. That is where she was. She was not accosted at the insurrection. The person that banged on her door was a Capitol Police Officer.

https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-aoc-instagram-live-video/fact-check-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-did-not-claim-that-she-was-in-the-capitol-during-siege-nor-that-rioters-entered-her-office-idUSKBN2A51RK

[ChrisF1961]

63. No one ever claimed that it was.

[Autumn]

72. Only the speaker and other very high ranking officials have work office in the Capitol

building. Good article although no one claimed her office was in the Capital building. I was suprised the Capitol Police Officer was shouting: “Where is she?” instead of identifying himself, he should be sanctioned for that. It was her staffer who told her 49:00 minutes in it was safe to come out of the bathroom, revealing that the person who had been banging on the door and looking for her was a Capitol police officer. That had to have been terrifying for her, not knowing who was after her. Even more so later, after knowing that Thirty-five individual Capitol Police officers are under internal investigation, six of them suspended with pay, for alleged misconduct during that horrible event.

[myohmy2]

46. no time...

...to 'slow down', your in the limelight...

...we're counting on you...

[ChrisF1961]

49. Reading this thread

it reads like something I would see on a right wing or Fox News fan message board. I thought the purple of this forum was to support democrats? But the hatred of a democratic congresswoman shown by so many here is unbelievable. I don’t always agree with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez but believe that she is honestly voting her conscience. Nor would I try to minimize the trauma she experienced during the insurrection. Many here are calling her a hypocrite for her present vote, but from where I’m sitting the real hypocrites are those who claim to support democrats but are going out of their way to demonize a young democratic woman of color.

[Locrian]

74. stunning isnt it?

Seems like some democrats are more equal than others...
Touch one of the anointed leaders and you get blasted and stalked. Others like AOC? not so much...

[intheflow]

75. +1 "...going out of their way to demonize a young democratic woman of color."

[Bettie]

78. It happens every time she is so much as mentioned

there is a group around here who hate her with a frightening intensity.

If she says anything, they are immediately there to say it was wrong, no matter what.

Plus, here they get the additional enjoyment of stigmatizing seeking mental health care.

[kentuck]

50. She is so courageous.

It is admirable.

[Lemon Lyman]

52. Good For Her

& send the bill to the RNC.

[wellst0nev0ter]

54. Once again, bookmarking this thread

For when the bill inevitably fails in the Senate due to Manchin worshipping the bipartisanship fairy.

I'll have garbage bags full of popcorn ready for when the usual suspects in this thread (who are now bashing a trauma survivor) try to explain how Manchin is somehow being "principled" or "forced" when he defends the filibuster

[Bettie]

58. Weird isn't it?

How literally anything AOC or a few other women in the House do is 'the worst thing anyone has ever done!"

Meanwhile, over in the senate Joe Manchin or Krysten Sinema can stop any legislation they want to and we're all supposed to say "well, that's cool, because West Virginia".

The bill still passed in the house. In the senate, there's no chance of that happening.

[wellst0nev0ter]

60. Or, you know, they can use reconciliation

On a less than $2 billion spending bill

[malaise]

57. Keep this front and enter AOC

Don't give them an inch.

[ecstatic]

61. Good, but full healing won't come until the main perpetrators are expelled

from Congress. MTG, Boebert, Hawley, Cruz, and anyone else who assisted or riled up the insurrectionist mob. Also, anyone who has since tried to rewrite history. Nothing good will come from working side by side with sedition supporting nut jobs. They're like a malignant cancer—you can't simply ignore it and hope it'll go away.