Geezah
09-20-2005, 05:27 PM
John Hinckley's relationships with women are normal, two of his therapists testified Tuesday, disagreeing with suggestions by government attorneys that the presidential assailant is not yet ready for lengthy visits to his parents' home in Virginia.
Hinckley has no symptoms of mental illness and trips would be good therapy, Dr. Sidney Binks testified in federal court. A judge is considering whether to allow Hinckley overnight stays for several days at a time at his parents' home in Williamsburg.
His family lives a three-hour drive from the Washington hospital where he has spent more than two decades for shooting President Reagan and three other people in 1981.
Binks said he is not concerned about Hinckley's recent approaches to women _ including a chaplain and an intern on the hospital staff.
Hinckley "understood the boundary between patients and staff," said the psychologist. Hinckley's perceptions were that he and one of the women were simply being "friendly."
There is a "big difference between these relationships and delusions," said Binks.
Dr. Robert Keisling, a psychiatrist who treated Hinckley in 1998 and testified that Hinckley's "only problem is that he wants to have a relationship with a woman."
"Do we call that normal?" asked Hinckley attorney Barry Levine.
"I would," Keisling replied.
Hinckley had a 22-year-long relationship with a former patient at the hospital, but returned a ring she had given him in January and broke off all contact in an effort to increase his chances of being granted additional travel privileges. In evaluating whether Hinckley should receive more freedom, prosecutors wanted to interview the woman, who had grown tired of the government's intrusions.
Government attorneys say Hinckley's recent interactions with the opposite *** are important because he has a history of not correctly perceiving the nature of his relationships with women who are not interested in him, resulting in disastrous consequences.
When he shot Reagan, Hinckley suffered from major depression and a psychiatric disorder that led to an obsession with actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley, found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982, said he shot Reagan to impress Foster.
Hinckley's illness before the attempted assassination "was years in the making" and he is now in full remission, said Binks.
Link (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/20/D8CO70OG0.html)
Hinckley has no symptoms of mental illness and trips would be good therapy, Dr. Sidney Binks testified in federal court. A judge is considering whether to allow Hinckley overnight stays for several days at a time at his parents' home in Williamsburg.
His family lives a three-hour drive from the Washington hospital where he has spent more than two decades for shooting President Reagan and three other people in 1981.
Binks said he is not concerned about Hinckley's recent approaches to women _ including a chaplain and an intern on the hospital staff.
Hinckley "understood the boundary between patients and staff," said the psychologist. Hinckley's perceptions were that he and one of the women were simply being "friendly."
There is a "big difference between these relationships and delusions," said Binks.
Dr. Robert Keisling, a psychiatrist who treated Hinckley in 1998 and testified that Hinckley's "only problem is that he wants to have a relationship with a woman."
"Do we call that normal?" asked Hinckley attorney Barry Levine.
"I would," Keisling replied.
Hinckley had a 22-year-long relationship with a former patient at the hospital, but returned a ring she had given him in January and broke off all contact in an effort to increase his chances of being granted additional travel privileges. In evaluating whether Hinckley should receive more freedom, prosecutors wanted to interview the woman, who had grown tired of the government's intrusions.
Government attorneys say Hinckley's recent interactions with the opposite *** are important because he has a history of not correctly perceiving the nature of his relationships with women who are not interested in him, resulting in disastrous consequences.
When he shot Reagan, Hinckley suffered from major depression and a psychiatric disorder that led to an obsession with actress Jodie Foster. Hinckley, found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982, said he shot Reagan to impress Foster.
Hinckley's illness before the attempted assassination "was years in the making" and he is now in full remission, said Binks.
Link (http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/09/20/D8CO70OG0.html)