A few of today's psychologists have been trying to render the new President of the United States, Donald Trump, unable to lead the country and do other presidential duties. How so? They claim he's unfit to be President because he portrays a series of mental disorders, making him mentally incompetent.
On the other side, there are other psychologists saying that it is unethical to diagnose in such a way. These individuals say that it goes against the use of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual (DSM). So, what do you think?
The side that agrees President Trump has several mental disorders state that he portrays several symptoms known to be critical in Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Paranoid Personality disorder. Garner, one of the psychologists claiming that Trump is mentally ill, states that these three disorders make up the dangerous personality triad, a "toxic brew" (Marano).
It's important to know that the psychologists that are diagnosing the President have good intentions, but should know that up close observation is a critical part in diagnosing an individual. If there is an actual deficit within the country's President, they would need to observe all aspects of his life, not just what his behavior is. They would need to see what President Trump is thinking, feeling emotionally, and so much more. That would then determine if he does in fact have a mental disorder or not. Just because President Trump shows signs of certain personality disorders, does not mean that he has Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Paranoid Personality disorder, or a combination of all three.
The psychologists against the diagnosing of the President say that Trump appears to not be suffering from psychological distress or impairment, which disqualifies him from a mental illness diagnosis. They also say that the DSM disqualifies merely observing people across media (television, social media, etc.). This act that several psychologists are engaging is seen as unethical by some. The fact that they have publicly announced an incorrect diagnosis, points to unethical decisions.
In order for President Trump to be mentally ill, he has to display a few signs of symptoms of one or more of the disorders.
For Narcissistic Personality Disorder, President Trump would need to have a few of these symptoms:
- Displaying an exaggerated sense of self-importance
- Expecting to be recognized as superior even without achievements that warrant it
- Exaggerating your achievements and talents
- Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate
- Believing that you are superior and can only be understood by or associate with equally special people
- Requiring constant admiration
- Having a sense of entitlement
- Expecting special favors and unquestioning compliance with your expectations
- Taking advantage of others to get what you want
- Having an inability or unwillingness to recognize the needs and feelings of others
- Being envious of others and believing others envy you
- Behaving in an arrogant or haughty manner
(MayoClinic.org)
And besides that, President Trump would need to display some sort of psychological impairment or distress. Without this key component, he doesn't not qualify for any mental disorder.
For Antisocial Personality Disorder, President Trump would need to display some of these symptoms:
- Disregard for right and wrong
- Persistent lying or deceit to exploit others
- Being callous, cynical and disrespectful of others
- Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or personal pleasure
- Arrogance, a sense of superiority and being extremely opinionated
- Recurring problems with the law, including criminal behavior
- Repeatedly violating the rights of others through intimidation and dishonesty
- Impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead
- Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, aggression or violence
- Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others
- Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behavior with no regard for the safety of self or others
- Poor or abusive relationships
- Failure to consider the negative consequences of behavior or learn from them
- Being consistently irresponsible and repeatedly failing to fulfill work or financial obligations
(MayoClinic.org)
For Paranoid Personality Disorder, President Trump would need to have some of these symptoms:
- Pervasive distrust and suspicion of others and their motives
- Unjustified belief that others are trying to harm or deceive you
- Unjustified suspicion of the loyalty or trustworthiness of others
- Hesitancy to confide in others due to unreasonable fear that others will use the information against you
- Perception of innocent remarks or nonthreatening situations as personal insults or attacks
- Angry or hostile reaction to perceived slights or insults
- Tendency to hold grudges
- Unjustified, recurrent suspicion that spouse or sexual partner is unfaithful
(MayoClinic.org)
So, what do you think?
Disclaimer: I am not taking any political sides on this article. I am just stating some newer research and findings on this topic. It is a quite interesting debate. I am not a fan of Trump, but I did think it was interesting the risks people are taking to try to get him out of office.*
