This is a bit of a touchy issue. We all know Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is not acting normally. He has been exhibiting erratic behavior and he just can’t stop lying. Many experts have said that he likely has some kind of mental disorder. Harvard psychologist, Howard Gardner, said that Trump is “remarkably narcissistic.” He said he even plans on using videos of Donald Trump in his lectures as an example of narcissism.
However, there is this rule for the way psychiatrists can diagnose anyone, let alone Trump:
“The American Psychiatrist Association has declared it unethical for psychiatrists and psychologists to ‘comment on an individual’s mental state without examining him personally and having the patient’s consent to make such comments.'”
One Congresswoman started a petition to get Trump a psychiatric evaluation. I think he may need one, but he can’t be diagnosed until he sees a professional, or otherwise gets an evaluation.
Many of us throw around terms such as “crazy,” “unhinged,” “nuts,” and many others. Although these are OK for a laugh, (I use them myself sometimes.), these words can hurt
These words can be used badly and perpetuate stigma. Most of us don’t mean to stigmatize the mentally ill. We use these words because our culture says they are acceptable. Someone with a serious mental illness may find these words bad.
A new hashtag, #DiagnoseTrump, has popped up on Twitter. People are using it to hate on Trump and his behavior.
The problem is people are using this to practice “armchair diagnosing” on Donald Trump. Armchair psychiatry is fun, but when people throw out mental health terms without knowing what they mean, it is damaging to the profession and the mentally ill.
They make the excuse that they are talking about a “real crazy person.”
Well, I am a “real” crazy person. The damage armchair psychiatry does is that it feeds into the perception that people with mental illnesses are not redeemable. This also feeds into the stereotype that mentally ill people are incompetent. Some people may say that’s just how people are, but these people need to realize that many of us can recover.
We may never be 100% symptom-free, but many of us can get stable and lead normal lives with proper treatment.
Trump may have a disease, but racism, bigotry, misogyny, and xenophobia are not mental illnesses. Those are behavior choices and it is not the same thing as being mentally ill.
Yes, Trump’s behavior is horrible, but use a different hashtag to hate on him. I have some for you to choose from on this list.
Here is an MSNBC story about Trump’s mental health:
Featured Image: Screenshot Via YouTube Video.
