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madokie

(51,076 posts)
Thu May 25, 2017, 05:33 AM May 2017

Psychiatrist Bandy Lee: We have an obligation to speak about Donald Trumps mental health issues

President Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States and the world.

He has reckless disregard for democracy and its foundational principles. Trump is also an authoritarian plutocrat who appears to be using the presidency as a means to enrich himself and closest allies as well as family members. Trump’s proposed 2018 federal budget is a shockingly cruel document that threatens to destroy America’s already threadbare social safety net in order to give the rich and powerful (even more) hefty tax cuts. His policies have undermined the international order and America’s place as the dominant global power. It would appear that he and his administration have been manipulated and perhaps (in the case of Michael Flynn) even infiltrated by Vladimir Putin’s spies and other agents. The world has become less safe as a result of Trump’s failures of leadership and cavalier disregard for existing alliances and treaties.

Donald Trump’s failures as president have been compounded by his unstable personality and behavior. It has been reported by staffers inside the Trump White House that he is prone to extreme mood swings, is cantankerous and unpredictable, flies into blind rages when he does not get his way, is highly suggestible and readily manipulated, gets bored easily and fails to complete tasks, is confused by basic policy matters and by all accounts is unhappy and lonely. And despite bragging about his “strength” and “vitality” during the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump appears to tire easily and easily succumbs to “exhaustion.” Trump is apparently all id and possesses little if any impulse control. He is a chronic liar who ignores basic facts and empirical reality in favor of his own fantasies.

Between the scandals and the emotionally erratic behavior, Donald Trump would appear to be a 21st-century version of Richard Nixon, to date the only American president forced to resign under threat of forcible removal. In all, this leads to a serious and worrisome question: Is Donald Trump mentally ill? Moreover, what does Trump’s election reveal about the moods and values of his voters? How are questions of societal emotions and collective mental health connected to the rise of fascism and authoritarianism in America? Do psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health professionals have a moral obligation to warn the public about the problems they see with Donald Trump’s behavior?

In an effort to answer these questions, I recently spoke with Dr. Bandy Lee, a psychiatrist at Yale University who specializes in public health and violence prevention. She recently convened a conference that explored questions related to Donald Trump’s mental health and how mental health professionals should respond to this crisis. The proceedings from this conference will be featured in a forthcoming book due out later this year.


http://www.salon.com/2017/05/25/psychiatrist-bandy-lee-we-have-an-obligation-to-speak-about-donald-trumps-mental-health-issues-our-survival-as-a-species-may-be-at-stake/
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Psychiatrist Bandy Lee: We have an obligation to speak about Donald Trumps mental health issues (Original Post) madokie May 2017 OP
I look forward hearing more from that conference. Ilsa May 2017 #1
Trump has exposed more of himself than 90% of the patients on a psychiatrist's couch. TheBlackAdder May 2017 #2

Ilsa

(61,675 posts)
1. I look forward hearing more from that conference.
Thu May 25, 2017, 07:12 AM
May 2017

There might even be something public high schools can do in the area of Public health to warn students of dangerous behaviors or promote healthy boundaries or understanding.

TheBlackAdder

(28,073 posts)
2. Trump has exposed more of himself than 90% of the patients on a psychiatrist's couch.
Thu May 25, 2017, 07:51 AM
May 2017

.

And, the beauthy part is that much of this is recorded, in one form or another.

So, it's not like the psychiatrist or psychologist has to go by a single impression, they can reflect back on videos.

.

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