Could someone close to you have CTIS?

September 27, 2011

CTIS (Conservative Talk Indoctrination Syndrome) is an extremely detrimental condition that impacts the sufferer’s ability to take in and process information as well as one’s decision making abilities and emotional states.

Please read the important information below to see if someone close to you might need help!

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Individuals with CTIS often manifest the following symptoms:

  1. Frequent listening to or viewing of conservative talk radio or television programs.
  2. Repetition of talking points such as:
    • We can’t afford to hurt the job creators
    • Raising taxes on the rich is class warfare
    • We should just have a flat tax or the fair tax
    • 47% of people don’t pay taxes
    • Regulations hurt businesses
    • We need tort reform
    • We aren’t running out of oil
    • Climate change is a theory
    • We are becoming a socialist country
  3. Emotional reactions ranging from mild annoyance to extreme anger when asked to provide evidence for or explore the reasoning behind talking points.
  4. Sudden apparent loss of hearing, vision and/or comprehension when presented with facts that disprove talking points.
  5. Making decisions or choices that are clearly at odds with personal needs or situations (e.g., supporting a candidate prioritizing tax cuts for the wealthy and elimination of capital gains and estate taxes when the individual is drawing unemployment and has no savings, investments or estate)
  6. A lack of empathy for individuals finding themselves in challenging circumstances along with a sense of entitlement for sympathy and support for their own challenges.
  7. The belief that all individuals should conform to particular moral or Christian standards along with a complete rejection of any impingement or limitation on their own personal freedom or conduct.

Treatment

Suggested treatment approaches include:

  1. Immediate suspension of exposure to conservative talk radio or television programming.
  2. Exposure to a variety of news programs with more balanced or liberal approaches such as those on CNN or MSNBC.
  3. Exposure to nonpartisan news sources and fact checking organizations.
  4. Study of world politics and governance along with travel to other countries, if possible.
  5. Direct interactions with individuals from different backgrounds and those experiencing life challenges such as unemployment or financial catastrophe due to a lack of health insurance during a serious illness.
  6. Empathy building activities that require the CTIS sufferer to consider what treatment they would prefer or expect in various circumstances.

Prognosis

The prognosis for those with CTIS is quite uncertain. As is the case with individuals who have been indoctrinated and brainwashed in cult settings, CTIS is quite difficult to treat and any minimal exposure to syndrome triggers can result in relapse. Intensive intervention is necessary for any symptom improvement. But, some sufferers do not improve with treatment.

Disclaimer: In the event that you are a reader without a sense of humor, please note that this article is satire and CTIS is not recognized as a medical condition – although perhaps it should be.