Tuesday, April 28, 2020

Get Trump a Psych Eval, STAT!


Before you take a swig of bleach, look for an orifice to inject ultra-violet light into, or spray disinfectant in your eyes, please read this.

Trump is not a doctor. He’s not even a normal person. He’s mentally ill. You should not listen to him. 

Donald J. Trump has something called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).

No, I am not a doctor. However, when a doctor diagnoses a patient with a personality disorder they use a standard reference to compare symptoms observed with those listed. This reference is the DSM-5, aka the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, currently in its 5th Edition.(Unfortunately, this book is prohibitively expensive, so most quotes here come from other reliable sources.)

Narcissistic personality disorder: a pattern of need for admiration and lack of empathy for others. A person with narcissistic personality disorder may have a grandiose sense of self-importance, a sense of entitlement, take advantage of others or lack empathy. --American Psychological Association

Here is another apt description of someone with NPD:

No matter how intelligent they are, narcissists remain emotionally immature. Like children or teenagers, they find it difficult to put the needs of others before their own. No matter how many times you try to educate them about the power of empathy or altruism, such lessons never stick. Narcissism is an ‘insight free’ zone. -- Psychology Today

It is generally accepted that one cannot diagnose a person with a personality disorder without first conducting a proper psychiatric evaluation. Generally, I would agree. If we were talking about somebody we’d never seen act out in a variety of both public and private situations, we might not have enough evidence of his nature to make a judgment call. But we’ve been watching the President for years, and several biographies have been written about him. His behavior has resulted in lawsuits for everything from sexual assault to fraud, and he’s the only president in U.S. history to be impeached in his first term. I’d say we have plenty of very specific information about this man to make a reasonable diagnosis. 

If you still doubt this supposition, just look at the qualities used by psychiatric professionals to determine a diagnosis of NPD; then look at Trump. And let’s be clear, we are not talking about narcissistic tendencies—we are talking about a full-blown personality disorder, which by definition is extremely difficult to treat because those who have them are insistent in their belief that nothing is wrong with them

Here’s a complete list of the symptoms and how they are applied to reach a diagnosis of NPD. This list was provided by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.

In order for a person to be diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) they must meet five or more of the following symptoms:

Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates 
achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior 
without commensurate achievements)

Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, 
beauty, or ideal love

Believes that he or she is “special” and unique and can only be 
understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status
people (or institutions)

Requires excessive admiration

Has a very strong sense of entitlement, e.g., unreasonable expectations 
of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her
expectations

Is exploitative of others, e.g., takes advantage of others to achieve his or 
her own ends

Lacks empathy, e.g., is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings 
and needs of others

Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or 
her

Regularly shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

There are nine items on this list. Trump exhibits all of them. 

You might think that if Trump is that messed up, no one would have voted for him. Not so. Research suggests that narcissists work overtime to gain approval and acceptance. They purposefully attempt to make others feel special, and they exude a confidence that belies reality. It’s all part of the act—to make others feel close to them—and to give others the sense that they too are special.

This targeting of individuals to build a loyal base of people who can be relied upon to backup the false claims of the narcissist are successful for the same reason cult leaders are able to recruit members. Confident people are attractive. 

The reason we are attracted to narcissists is because we assume their confidence is born of some skill, talent, or other valuable trait they possess. In Trump’s case, the only prevailing talent is deception—he does display an uncanny ability to manipulate others into believing he is more than he actually is. He has a knack for distorting (or even erasing) reality and replacing it with whatever makes him appear in the most favorable light. It is lucky for him that his disorder allows him to disregard facts and the feelings of others in his constant quest to prove his own innate superiority.

The extreme behavior of a person with NPD is a hard thing for most people to comprehend. Many of us have met people with narcissistic tendencies, but few have come face to face with someone with the severity of emotional illness that a personality disorder indicates. That’s in part because only about 0.5 – 1.0%  of the population has this particular disorder. 

It is, therefore, understandable that people have trouble grappling with the inevitability of Trump’s abnormal behavior. How many times have we heard intelligent, well-educated people say, “Maybe this will motivate him to be more ‘presidential’.”  Or they might provide a detailed list of things he should do—as if he is capable of doing anything other than what he already does. 

In response to these hopeless comments, I can only shout: 
"He can't get better. The President is broken." 

No matter how many times Trump is presented with an opportunity to take charge, manage events, or prove his competence, he simply increases the bravado, finger-pointing, pontificating, and obfuscating. No actual work is ever accomplished because The Donald doesn’t do anything—he is a front—he is the personification of fake news.

Despite this well-documented reality, a small percentage of Americans insist on believing in him. Why? Because he got to them on an emotional level before they understood the facts. The paragraph below explains why narcissists can easily be accepted before their true nature is known.

They are exploitative and have a high sense of entitlement (Back, Schmukle, & Egloff, 2010). Before you even realize the trap you've fallen into, a narcissist can suck you into a relationship with their charm and false aura of ‘elitism’. They know how to get us to bend to their desires before we even know their names. –Psychology Today

His most ardent supporters will cite his ability to craft a winning spin on almost any situation instantaneously—how gifted he is! How talented! What a marketing genius! They would be wise to remember that his talent is for deception. He does a brilliant job of promoting himself, nothing more. We should not be rewarding him for it.

The President of the United States of America is mentally ill and his Republican cronies will do nothing about it.

It’s time for the public to demand that a respected, high-profile psychiatrist do the necessary work to properly diagnose him, so we can finally stop pretending he’s a “stable genius,” when in truth, he’s a walking nightmare. 

Are you with me?



Wednesday, April 01, 2020

Lessons from Mother Nature


The Corona virus is BAD. There is absolutely nothing good about it, and this piece is in no way intended to say otherwise.
However…
I can’t help but notice some of the things the virus seems to be correcting. It is tempting to believe there is a mind behind it all—one with a not-so-hidden agenda—determined to take us back to a time before we went astray and began to believe our planet and all the magnificent life forms on it were not worth respecting and preserving.
Since the virus took hold across the globe:
·         Pollution has reduced dramatically. In Venice the canal waters are green, not brown, and fish can be seen.
·         People are craving personal interactions, bemoaning the fact that it is now limited to what can be transmitted  via electronic device.
·         Our local governments and a few brave souls in Congress have begun to fight for the welfare of the people.
·         We are actively showing our love and support for those who sacrifice for the greater good.
·         People are generously donating their time and money to those in need, not because laws are conscripting them to do so, but because they are compelled by the desire to be of service to others.
·         “Fake news” is now competing with reality such that even those most determined to remain ignorant will be forced to face facts.
·         Problem-solvers are leading even as designated leaders lacking problem-solving skills are fading into the background.
This pandemic is bringing out the best in many.  It is also showcasing the worst in some.
While I wish no one harm, I suspect the deniers of reality are going to be the hardest hit. Despite their insistence on minimizing the danger this crises poses; I fear they will realize too late that the virus makes no distinction between culture, ethnicity, religion, economic status, or political affiliation—it appears that only those willing to face the truth and take action to protect themselves and others will be safe.
Unfortunately, in the United States too many of our elected leaders have been painfully slow to catch on. The extraordinary individuals on the front lines of this battle are being sacrificed at an alarming rate while national leadership insists the administration is doing a “fabulous job”. Anyone who suggests otherwise is accused of trafficking in “fake news,” despite evidence that health care workers are dying because they lack the protective equipment needed to keep them safe.
Our Congress is impotent in the face of the Denier in Chief, with many choosing to repeat his lies rather than speak the truth, in an obvious attempt to avoid his wrath. Rather than working together to present a united front based on truth and science, Republicans have been focused on greedily grabbing the reigns of power, using Trump’s position to force their version of morality onto the rest of us. Even as recently as this past week the Trump administration is rolling back regulations designed to protect the environment, and is continuing its effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act.
We are at a turning point in history. And while this crisis has already brought out the best in many of us, there is still so much more to do.
When the dust settles on this pandemic, we will need to rebuild our communities and our government. We must revisit the values and principles this country was founded on, including freedom of religion and a government of the people, by the people, for the people.
The only religious freedom guaranteed by the Trump administration seems to be reserved for right-wing judges who he’s scurrying to appoint to life-time positions so that they can promote his personal version of Christianity. His evangelical followers say they are pro-life, but their actions are pro-birth. They fight for the rights of the unborn while trampling on the rights of women. Rather than bringing us together in times of need, Trump’s vocal condemnation of Muslims and immigrants is fueling further divisiveness.
Our willingness to trust the government has been tainted by institutions like the FDA--once thought to be there for the protection of the people—now silent while corporate interests champion profit at the expense of health. Pharmaceutical companies push highly addictive substances to enrich their corporate coffers even as corporate food manufacturers poison us with chemically riddled processed foods that lack nutritional value.
Some of our most educated people, while struggling to help us find our way during this crisis, are publicly fawning over the most ignorant person ever to lead this country; reinforcing his pathological need for praise out a desperate fear that if they don’t, he may do even more damage to this great nation. Meanwhile, our Republican-led Senate and the President’s cabinet officials stand by like zombies, seemingly unaware of the danger that allowing an incompetent and amoral buffoon to remain in power poses to the future of our democracy.
And finally, at the risk of alienating many of you, I must ask: Is it a mere coincidence that this all started in an open market that sells for human consumption animals that have been stressed, abused, and often tortured?
Even before Covid-19 ravaged the planet, science has shown that our methods of animal food production are destroying the natural balance of the planet by contributing greatly to greenhouse gas emissions. Can we guess the lesson here?
Why has our patriarchal leadership consistently chosen to dismiss the nurturing part of the human spirit while celebrating our lust for profit, domination, and the urge to satisfy our basest desires, with little or no regard for the consequences? I do not know. But the consequences are real. We can no longer deny them.
It is time to rethink everything: how we eat, how we work, how we communicate, and how we govern. We have seen the world the white male conqueror has delivered, and it is grim and brutal.
We are in grave need of a re-balancing. We are in need of a mother who is loving, kind, and generous.
Thankfully, we have one. Unfortunately, our patriarchal leadership continually chooses to ignore her. No wonder she’s resorted to acting out. Perhaps it’s time we listened to HER.
--Laurie Fosner