Trump is dangerously
crazy
By
Bandy X. Lee
If Donald Trump were
not president, he would have been held and evaluated long
ago. Mental health professionals have deemed this a “no brainer”
since early 2017. Dangerousness is more about the situation than the person, and we ask questions such as whether the environment, including others, can constrain the person and whether one has access to weapons.
The concerns expressed
at an ethics conference at Yale and in the public-service book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump, unfolded over the past two
years with exactitude: incitements to violence, cruel policies against children that
lay the groundwork for future violence, and the fostering of
a culture of violence both domestically and abroad.
With the impeachment
hearings, Trump’s behavior has grown even more erratic … his psychological
structure makes him especially prone to violent revenge in the face of
humiliation.
With the announcement
of an impeachment inquiry, we warned of our entering “a very dangerous
state” and the need to handle the situation adeptly from a psychological
point of view. We wrote an urgent letter to Congress members gathering 250
signatures.
Three days later, without informing his advisors, the president unleashed Turkish forces on our allies and handed over advantage to our enemies. These are predictable and therefore preventable events.
Three days later, without informing his advisors, the president unleashed Turkish forces on our allies and handed over advantage to our enemies. These are predictable and therefore preventable events.
With the impeachment
hearings, the president’s behavior has grown even more erratic with
frantic tweeting, rallies that
are increasingly disconnected from reality, and a very disturbing letter to House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi.
Because of his apparent cowardice and his predatory keenness in sensing the public’s desire for peace, it may be difficult to picture him as a violent man, but his psychological structure makes him especially prone to violent revenge in the face of humiliation.
Because of his apparent cowardice and his predatory keenness in sensing the public’s desire for peace, it may be difficult to picture him as a violent man, but his psychological structure makes him especially prone to violent revenge in the face of humiliation.
Warning against danger
and alerting about the need for an evaluation, to protect public health, is not
diagnosing, and hence keeping with ethical guidelines, and thousands of mental
health professionals agree.
We recently submitted a petition signed by more than 800 mental health professionals for the House Judiciary Committee to consider psychological aspects. But in case Congress continues to find it difficult to consult with us, I outline a few recommendations here.
We recently submitted a petition signed by more than 800 mental health professionals for the House Judiciary Committee to consider psychological aspects. But in case Congress continues to find it difficult to consult with us, I outline a few recommendations here.
Sociopathic Behavior
When an individual is
dangerous with signs of sociopathic pathology, containment is the first step of
correct management.
Postponing accountability and allowing the president to swell in his sense of power, before proceeding with impeachment, creates one of the most dangerous periods in his presidency. Impeachment finally begins containment, but it should only be the first step.
Postponing accountability and allowing the president to swell in his sense of power, before proceeding with impeachment, creates one of the most dangerous periods in his presidency. Impeachment finally begins containment, but it should only be the first step.
The House speaker has done well to call out an invalid Senate trial and to delay until it is fair. In psychological terms, it is a technique called “limit setting.”
When there are no other means of logistically limiting harmful actions, statements and deeds need to call out inappropriate behavior in ways that are commensurate with overall facts. Investigations should be ongoing, and the reasons for bringing only two articles of impeachment laid out: a colluding Senate rather than a lack of high crimes.
While the president is likely to grow more dangerous whether he is acquitted or not (through grandiose belief in impunity or vengeful rage reaction), psychological limit setting is more effective than political strategy alone, since politics require grounding in reality to work.
Removal from His
Position
When “shared psychosis” (contagion of delusions or other symptoms
onto individuals who are not impaired) occurs, removal of the mentally compromised
individual from close contact permits dramatic improvement. In clinical
situations, the affected individuals return to normal sometimes within
days.
If Donald Trump’s direct exposure to audiences through Twitter, his rallies, or his recent public letter cannot be curtailed, it needs to be properly inoculated (I demonstrate a method by analytically “translating” his letter). Most effective, of course, would be removal from his position of influence.
If Donald Trump’s direct exposure to audiences through Twitter, his rallies, or his recent public letter cannot be curtailed, it needs to be properly inoculated (I demonstrate a method by analytically “translating” his letter). Most effective, of course, would be removal from his position of influence.
Similarly for
war-making powers, psychological containment is paramount if actual limitation
of his access were impossible.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is said to have assembled a panel of mental health experts before he intervened between Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, dramatically reversing a spiraling course of verbal sparring into a dialogue for an extended period.
Our own CIA employs psychiatrists to perform psychological profiles on foreign leaders. It would likewise be helpful to understand with greater nuance our own leader, especially when our safety depends on correct interpretation and management.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is said to have assembled a panel of mental health experts before he intervened between Donald Trump and North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un, dramatically reversing a spiraling course of verbal sparring into a dialogue for an extended period.
Our own CIA employs psychiatrists to perform psychological profiles on foreign leaders. It would likewise be helpful to understand with greater nuance our own leader, especially when our safety depends on correct interpretation and management.
I and hundreds of
mental health professionals are available and eager to assist with any or all
these efforts. When it comes to public safety, our interests as
health professionals and the interests of politicians in charge of protecting
the nation coincide.
Dr. Bandy
X. Lee is a forensic psychiatrist at the Yale School of Medicine,
president of the World Mental Health Coalition, and editor of The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: 37 Psychiatrists and Mental Health
Experts Assess a President