Dr. Phil Takes on an Abusive Mom
May 5, 2006
The scary video footage from a camera mounted inside a family home is the subject of Monday's "Dr. Phil" when the life strategist tackles "Another Abusive Mom."
"This was a show we had scheduled to tape two weeks from now," Dr. PHIL McGRAW tells ET. "I saw this tape and I said, 'Change the schedule. Get them on a plane. Get them here right now.' This is the most outrageous physical, mental and emotional abuse of a child you ever want to see. It is so, so difficult to watch."
The mom under discussion yells obscenities and name-calls her older children, who are 10 and nine years old. She also has three-year-old twins and a seven-month-old baby. She says she can't control her rages and is aware that she is ruining her children's lives and becoming her own worst enemy.
One of the first things TV's top doc told the woman is that he would be reporting her to the authorities before she left the studio.
You may wonder why, knowing what was on the tapes, this mom would have sent them in, and Dr. Phil has an answer: "This is a cry for help," he explains. "You look back at someone like ANDREA YATES and wonder, 'Were there signs that foretold the tragic events in that family?' This woman is saying, 'I don't trust myself. I want you to see this. I am out of control.'"
In addition to reporting the abuse to the authorities, Dr. Phil is going to sit down with the mom and try to help her deal with her out-of-control anger.
"Nobody wants to be that way," Dr. Phil says. "Nobody wants to treat their children that way. When you see that kind of rage on the outside, you can only imagine the pain and chaos they are feeling on the inside. What you do is sit down, let them know they are not alone, show them productive ways to handle the stress and vent this rage in another way."
For a sneak peek at Monday's episode of "Dr. Phil," tune in to tonight's ET!
