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 5^th 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?