Is Trump mentally ill?

[AndreaCG]

I was posting elsewhere how I feel Charlie Sheen is (it was a discussion about Sheen being Trump's running mate). But it's an even more pertinent question about Trump. He claims he uses no stimulants, not even coffee, yet he's totally wired all the time, talking a mile a minute and disjointedly. He's also incredibly self absorbed. Narcissistic personality disorder has been mentioned but does that fully cover it? Could he be perpetually manic as well? I'm bipolar though not prone to mania so not an expert, but it seems that electing someone prone to delusional thinking who is untreated is very dangerous.

OTOH the majority of the Rs are delusional to varying degrees and they can't all be bipolar.

[hedda_foil]

1. I've been thinking the same thing.

[HuckleB]

2. Trump's policies are what suck. Don't stigmatize people with mental illness.

Period.

[tymorial]

3. This.

[AndreaCG]

6. Did you skip the part where I said I'm bipolar?

Albeit not manic so not an expert on that aspect. And what exactly was "stigmatizing" about my speculation other than I made one? Mentally ill people come in all types including unpleasant ones. To pretend we can't be unpleasant is to wear blinders. We are human and prone to foibles and frailties. Especially if not diagnosed and medicated.

[HuckleB]

9. That's not an excuse.

Internet anecdotes do not justify stigmatization. Period.

[AndreaCG]

10. Again you fail to specify the stigmatization

Unless you feel the entire subject of mental illness is verboten, which is very narrow minded in my opinion ON a discussion board. How do we learn if we don't discuss?

[Facility Inspector]

24. I looked twice

and couldn't find the stigmatization or even malice.

Where did you locate it?

Just looks like OP was asking a legitimate question.

[LanternWaste]

43. We often fail to find that which may invalidate our own biases.

"I looked twice and couldn't find..."

We often fail to find that which may invalidate our own biases. Human nature.

[Facility Inspector]

44. Or

We often to seek to find that which might validate our worldviews. Even if it isn't there. Human nature.

[Hortensis]

31. Strongly disagree. A full quarter of Americans have impaired function due to

diagnosable mental disorders, very much including personality disorders. These create problems ranging all the way from having problems holding a job, maintaining a relationship or caring adequately for oneself to profound disability. They are all around us, we all know many, some of us are among them, and with this reality it is absolutely our DUTY to examine candidates for public office for mental fitness, not just ideology.

As for being mentally ill beyond a personality disorder, I have no idea. A friend who is a clinical psychologist said last month that she and her colleagues believe they are watching a full-blown case of narcissistic personality disorder play out on the national stage. Full-blown disorders adversely affect a person's ability to function adequately by drastically altering the way that person thinks, feels, and behaves. (We're not talking about just "traits of" here, which "normal," well-functioning people may have, and even benefit from.)

This would, for instance, explain Trump's unusual (for a man in his position) ignorance on many topics as people with NPD only care about/notice those things that they have related to themselves personally. They are apparently literally not able to care about what they do not link to themselves. They also can only see their own point of view, which normally only reflects their own greatness and does not allow self-examination, much less fault. I've read that when they fantasize, they don't see themselves in action ike normal people do, but rather just admire an idealized picture of themselves that can remain the same throughout life. (A clue to his hairstyle may be in this.)

I think we would do well to understand that he may completely believe what he says when he declares he would be the greatest expert on every subject the day he enters the White House. Irrational grandiosity is accompanied by irrational and profound contempt for others, all experts greatly inferior to him.

Inability to function competently would also help explain how, in spite of entering business early on in the greatest era of wealth growth the world has ever known, producing over 500 billionaires in our country alone, and in spite of being wealthy and extremely well connected from the start, Trump has declared bankruptcy 4 times and is probably "worth" only 3 billion or so -- tremendously unimpressive considering what others have accomplished starting with far less and accumulating wealth for far less time.

[AndreaCG]

49. Thanks for the well thought out response

It's quite interesting.

[PatrickforO]

4. As I have become more and more aware of the evils of

our neoliberal capitalist system, I've come to believe that there is something very strange about these billionaires. I'm sure we will all agree that it takes a certain kind of person to systematically acquire billions of dollars. It begins, if you like, with Rockefeller, who was asked how much more he needed, and replied, "Just a little bit more."

Statistics say the happiest people in the USA earn around $70K per year. Earn much less and you have the stress of uncertainty in making ends meet. Earn much more and you have the stress about it being somehow taken away from you.

In short, I think most billionaires are neurotic, and many are pathological. Trump definitely is. Think about one of the things he says often: "These aren't nice people. They are KILLERS!"

This gives us real insight into how his mind works, and at the very least I'd say he's narcissistic and a bit paranoid. As to being 'wired' all the time, I'm not sure.

[elleng]

5. Trump: A Psychosocial Analysis

'With that point made, let’s shift to analyzing the dynamics here. What are the social and psychological forces that are driving Trump’s popularity? My basic analysis is that Trump embodies a narcissistic fantasy and defense against anxiety that is present in Traditional Christian White Males (TCWM), especially those who are disaffected (i.e., who have lower than average socio-economic status). Let me break this analysis apart, so we can clearly see the parts and how they are interacting to give rise to the Trump political phenomenon.'

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201509/trump-psychosocial-analysis

[flamingdem]

12. Plausible

[Kath1]

7. That would excuse him.

I just think he's hateful and arrogant.

[Gothmog]

8. Trump is a megalomaniac

[Laffy Kat]

13. Absolutely. How does the public not see this? nt

[world wide wally]

11. He is definitely a certifiable asshole

[L. Coyote]

14. Please, don't insult mentally ill people like this. They are mostly very nice people and

Trump is in a class by himself, the 0.0001 %'er of the assholes.

[AndreaCG]

15. As a mentally ill person I don't entirely disagree

Many of us are very nice. But to deny that some aren't is unrealistic. Like all people, the mentally ill come in all "flavors", and some are unpleasant. I don't think it stigmatizes all mentally ill to speculate that one unpleasant person might have a disorder.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

30. How many people are 'perfectly healthy' in everything except their brains?

Darn few. And probably even most of those have passing health issues at times.

So why should we assume 'mental' illnesses are any different?

I would suggest pretty much everybody has mental health issues, either chronic or acute, even if they don't become so noticeable as to wind up in therapy. The binary notion that you're either mentally ill or not seems overly simplistic.

[snagglepuss]

47. Scociopaths, psychopaths are NOT nice. Utterly absurd for you to take

offence to the reality that a percentage the mentally ill aren't nice at all. Besides socio and psychopaths, a particularly harmful group of mentally ill people are those with Narcissistic Personalty Disorder.

[former9thward]

16. So anyone who politically disagrees with you is "mentally ill"

I guess we have to round up half the population and put them in camps...

[840high]

17. ...^ that

and no - Trump is not mentally ill. imo

[AndreaCG]

20. Unjustified hyperbole

[treestar]

39. Not a fair assessment of the post

ridiculous.

[rsexaminer]

18. No but...

I think his supporters might be, at least some of them.

[CBGLuthier]

19. Nahh, he is just a sociopathic narcissist.

[Vinca]

21. Whose standards are we comparing him to?

By GOP standards he's perfectly sane. Come to think of it, when looking at the whole bunch of candidates, he appears downright rational. LOL.

[madokie]

22. Definitely something wrong with the dude

and anyone who can make any sense of what he says has a problem too. Word Salad Sara on steroids comes to mind when I listen to tRump

[mnhtnbb]

23. Narcissistic Personality Disorder Symptoms

Does Trump fit the following? I would think so.

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

http://psychcentral.com/disorders/narcissistic-personality-disorder-symptoms/

[Ms. Yertle]

40. Actually

I think these are the characteristics of nearly everyone in politics. Takes a particular type, I guess.

[mnhtnbb]

41. I would disagree with you there. There are a lot of politicians who have empathy

and are not particularly grandiose or have feelings of entitlement or superiority. Don't find
too many of them in the Republican party, but I think we could probably name quite
a few Democrats that don't give off the narcissistic vibes that someone like Trump does.

[riderinthestorm]

42. I can think of a lot without those characteristics - Jimmy Carter, Barbara Lee

Tammy Duckworth, John Lewis, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pat Quinn the former governor of IL - even President Obama and these are just off the top of my head.

I agree that it certainly takes a certain type to be in politics and it may even be true that all politicians have narcissistic tendencies but Trump? He really seems to be in a different category. Like GW Bush had a whiff of real sociopathy unlike his father GHW Bush or even Jeb. Trump's narcissistic pathology is much more notable than the rest of the current GOP field imo.

[mnhtnbb]

25. This is an interesting read about narcissistic males being angered by straight women.

Hmm...certainly sounds like some of Trump's recent troubles.

Why do male narcissists seem to lash out most at women?

The researcher suggest it may be due to women’s unparalleled potential for gratifying, or frustrating, men’s narcissism. They are crucial players and even gatekeepers in men’s quests for sexual pleasure, patriarchal power and status.

“Although narcissists may want to maintain feelings of superiority and power over all people, narcissistic heterosexual men are particularly invested in subordinating heterosexual women,” noted Dr. Keiller.

“The results suggest that narcissistic hostility is associated with a group’s potential to provide or withhold gratification rather than ideology about a group’s sexual orientation or conformity to heterosexual gender roles.”

Research to date has shown that narcissists’ low empathy, feelings of entitlement, and perceptions of being deprived of ‘deserved’ admiration and gratification can make them prone to aggression and vengeance.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/07/28/women-anger-narcissistic-men-most/16157.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=most-popular

[Hortensis]

32. Meghan Kelly one who failed to "be careful" around him.

[riderinthestorm]

38. Wow, really interesting point nt

[Nay]

45. Wow. What a good point. When I am on other sites that discuss why MRA men

seem to have such a strong love/hate response to women, I'm going to post this. That psychologist has really made the source of their love/hate very clear.

[oberliner]

26. Have you ever heard of Tony Robbins?

I think he uses that guy's approach to things.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

27. 1 in 5 Americans or so?

Suggests that at least 3 Republican candidates are, heh.

[hobbit709]

28. He has a raging case of affluenza.

I don't think he's ever been told NO, much less HELL NO!

[merrily]

29. Respectfully, I don't think many of us are qualified to answer that question.

If he is, I hope people who are qualified will come forward and do something about it.

However, I don't think arrogant asshole billionaires are so rare in this country that Trump stands out. Maybe they're all certifiable?

[Hortensis]

35. A billionaire who leaps to sue at every imagined "attack," though? I've searched for a couple

articles by professionals that I read before without finding them, and I suspect they were removed in what would not at all be "an abundance of caution."

Notice how when he's criticized on some issue, he immediately personally responds, almost always ignoring the issue to instead attack the other party as some kind of stupid doodoo? This chronic pattern of behavior isn't normal, and it's only one of many.

[Octafish]

33. Self Loathing is a Sign

Maybe Trump is a smarter businessman than they gave him credit for, but I’m sure he grew up keenly aware that his peers were laughing at him, and decades of bitterness has created a true psychopath. If he was just a tiny bit less insane–let’s say 1% less insane–he would build on his Forbidden Truth and do America a major service. But my bet is that he will completely torpedo his own campaign soon–not by insulting John McCain or Megyn Kelly, because these are bush-leage turf-wars that only the Washington dullard-media cares about–but by some self-humiliating act that will finally reveal the naked man beneath the combover. He will lose because he wants to lose.

-- John Eskow

http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/08/14/trumps-self-hatred-will-destroy-his-campaign/

[Hortensis]

36. GOP leadership may set him off. Deal or no, a Trump nomination would be a disaster for the GOP.

[lonestarnot]

34. Don't know, but he makes me ill. That is enough.

[riderinthestorm]

37. I appreciate your candor and think this is a valid question. K&R

i hope more DUers with professional experience chime in.

I never considered Trump to be mentally ill. Yes I've said he's a narcissist but reading the clinical aspects of this and the suggestion he's a megalomaniac, I think it's not such a stretch to look at him as deeply troubled.

[SouthernProgressive]

46. One of the most flimsy and irresponsible attempts to paint someone as mentally ill I have ever seen.

"totally wired all the time, talking a mile a minute and disjointedly. He's also incredibly self absorbed."

That is truly the total reason you gave. I take it you aren't Trump's doctor? Any part of his personality that might make you think he is gay? And no, with your line of thought that isn't a leap. Might as well go all out if you are going to Dr. Frist someone. I seem to roll with different kinds of progressives.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027148806

Your certification for internet mental health expert should be yanked.

[leftofcool]

51. +1

[B Calm]

48. Yes of course he is, he's a republican isn't he!

[damnedifIknow]

50. He could be according to Al

“Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury - to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.”
― Albert Einstein

[leftofcool]

52. No he isn't. His policies are in question not his mental state.

[Matrosov]

53. Conservatives in general are mentally ill n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

54. All capitalists are mentally ill. n/t

[kelliekat44]

55. No, but his worshiping followers are. nt

[WI_DEM]

57. No, he knows exactly what he is doing.