Donald Trump – Insights From a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist

DOES TRUMP HAVE NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY DISORDER?

In the world of mental health, the personality disorders (PDs) are the most enigmatic but persistent forms of mental illness, given their relative failure to respond to medication but good response to psychotherapy, making them an anomaly in modern neuroscience.

They comprise individuals who present with particular personality traits that skew the individual into a constricted and often damaging pattern of functioning.

A narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is one particular form, which is typified by an individual having an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for admiration from others and a distinct lack of empathy. These patterns leave them stuck in regressed, often childlike patterns of repetitive immature behaviours.

In 1913, Freud wrote of the ‘Narcissistic Character Type’

The subject’s main interest is directed to self-preservation; he is independent and not open to intimidation. His ego has a large amount of aggressiveness at its disposal, which also manifests itself in readiness for activity…People belonging to this type impress others as being “personalities”; they are especially suited…to take on the role of leaders and to give a fresh stimulus to cultural development or to damage the established state of affairs.

Consider the analysis that has come to date. The world’s top political and economic commentators are still struggling to state what his personal policies are. They’ve summarily dismissed the ‘Wall’ idea as utterly impractical, but other elements such as protectionist policies and dismissal of universal healthcare have largely been Republican party line perspectives rather than his own, at least when it comes to fine detail. There is little doubt that the Trump phenomenon has been a combination of his sheer force of personality and rising Republican dissatisfaction with an 8-year Democratic run.

It seems that being a narcissist is a phenomenal boon – however, there is a catch. The narcissist acts in such exaggerated ways because of their underlying driver – which is a deep, fundamentally entrenched sense of insecurity. A very fragile self-esteem, which induces what psychoanalyst Kernberg called a ‘false identity shell of feigned superiority’. This prevents them from ever admitting a lie, or being able to connect with another human being intimately. Forever, they have to be the shell that others will love, but incapable of empathy, sympathy, and love.

What this means is that nothing that Trump has said to date probably matters. He’s done the same thing he has always done, which is to be a changing face to the body most likely to validate his inflated sense of self.

His capacity to respond to the crowd has been present all his life – not too many presidents have competed in a mock wrestling match on national television. Unlike many other political systems, the United States approach of having the people vote their leader directly means that it has always been a popularity contest – and it is not the first time the American people have voted a celebrity into their highest office.

 

SO WHY IS TRUMP PROBABLY IN THE RIGHT PLACE

Because we have experience of what happens when a person with narcissistic tendencies gets into high office – specifically, Kevin Rudd. In 2013, it was identified that the Liberal party had a ‘secret weapon’ – a document written by a psychiatrist sympathetic to the Liberal cause, who determined (albeit unprofessionally) an arms-length diagnosis of narcissistic PD for PM Rudd, and determined an attack plan for undermining his government based on his vulnerability to attacks on his perceived intelligence. An attack plan which was, ultimately, successful.

AN OLD NARCISSIST

But there is a little bit more to this story. Trump is not just a narcissist. Born in 1946, he’s an old narcissist.

Little is known about personality disorders as they age, thanks to an, unfortunately, outdated preconception that they spontaneously die out as one gets older. What has now been shown is that the underlying personality structure remains, although sometimes the more volatile components reduce. This is probably why Trump has been able to continue to succeed – with his age has come experience and a recognition that whatever he has been doing has worked. He has enjoyed the public eye and the ridicule that came with it – because it did not matter how much he was talked down, he was still loved by himself, by his public image, and by his personal delusional campaigns. He may not be capable of love, but at 70 years of age, he’s probably found a reasonable alternative. One that inflames others and focuses the anger of an ignored population, although it does so only into an empty, meaningless shell where a human being should be.

WHAT WILL PREVENT DONALD TRUMP FROM DAMAGING THE GLOBAL STAGE?

We simply have to recall a bit about what happened to Kevin Rudd’s career. The fact that the world’s senior political offices are filled with people who know exactly how to deal with narcissists – given that they meet so many of them. It is not a coincidence that Russia and the Philippines have voiced their support of his appointment.

How will Donald Trump cope with the realities of public office, of the need for engagement with multiple parties, and direct personal responsibility for all of his actions – as well as the actions of others he has no control over – in the national arena? The same way his policies have been determined, via coordination with his Republican affiliates, or not at all.

A leader, even the leader of the most powerful country in the world, is still a human being, and all humans are flawed. We may wish to look up to our leaders as examples of the kinds of people we can aspire to be, but very often they are merely products of the systems that place them there. We should continue with our lives the way that we should – as daily opportunities to love and to grow – and consider that, in the coming years, Mr Trump will have a lot of growing up to do.

DISCLAIMER

Naturally, it is not appropriate to formally diagnose any individual with a mental health condition at arm’s length and outside a formal consultation. I can’t say that Mr Trump has narcissistic personality disorder – although it could potentially be to his personal benefit if he were to ever receive that diagnosis. However, can I say that The Donald is a narcissist? Oh heck yes!