Donald Trump mentally-ill?
For almost two years, former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, along with scores of people from around the world, have voiced their opinion that the new Commander-in-Chief was temperamentally unfit. Now, psychologists have come forward to say the president shows all the classic signs of being mentally-ill, including malignant narcissism. Barely two weeks into his presidency, Trump has raised more eyebrows and sparked a steady diet of protests. The group Citizen Therapists Against Trumpism’s manifesto of warning signs of Trump’s alleged psychosis includes: scapegoating; demeaning and ridiculing critics and rivals; fostering a Strong Man cult which stirs fear and anger; reinvents history with little regard for the truth and promises to solve all problems.
John D. Gartner, a psychotherapist, told US News that Trump is temperamentally incapable of being the president and is dangerously mentally ill. Gartner firmly believes Trump displays all the signs of malignant narcissism -- a combination of anti-social personality disorder, aggression, narcissism, and sadism.
In an article posted by the NY Daily News, clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Futrell explained that narcissism impairs Trump’s ability to see reality, therefore, using persuasion or logic will not work on him. Another psychologist, who wanted to remain anonymous, told that same paper that Trump is a disturbed individual who protects himself by building his ego up and tearing others down. Barbara Res worked for Trump in the 1980’s and recalled one day when one particular newspaper featured an article on narcissism.
She and her colleagues agreed that the characteristics outlined fit their boss to a ‘T,” but she says that 35 years later, professionals are saying what they all knew back then, and now he is so much worse.
There is always a price for ignoring the signs
Last month, three leading psychiatry professors from Harvard Medical School and the University of California wrote Barack Obama, expressing grave concerns over Donald Trump’s mental stability.
They urged that a full medical and neuro-psychiatric evaluation should be done on the then-President-Elect. They wrote that the wide reports of his impulsiveness, grandiosity, hypersensitivity to criticism or slights, and inability to distinguish between them, leads them to question his fitness to handle the responsibilities of the office.
When the American Psychiatry Association speaks
The American Psychiatry Association developed a nine-point checklist for narcissism, stating that a person is defined as having Narcissistic Personality Disorder if they show even five of the following traits:
- Preoccupied with thoughts of unlimited power and success
- Grandiose sense of self-importance (exaggerates talents and achievements, expects to be recognized as superior)
- Needs excessive admiration
- Has sense of entitlement
- Takes advantage of others
- Believes they are special and unique and should associate with high status people or institutions
- Lacks empathy
- Envious of others or believes others are envious of them
- Arrogant and haughty
