Wellness Wednesday: POTUS Edition

"Trump is unraveling and falling apart under stress." -- psychiatrist Bandy Lee  

When someone lacks capacity, [they have] difficultly taking in information,

taking in advice, processing that information and making sound, rational decisions.

Those are the kinds of things we are seeing in the president.  
– Dr. Bandy Lee, forensic psychiatrist at Yale University

NOTE: This post is mainly focused on mental health. However, if you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, inpatient treatments may be helpful. 

Medical professionals and armchair psychologists alike speculate Trump may be cognitively impaired, mentally ill, or criminally insane like a super villain. There also have been allegations of adderall addiction though claims have not been proven.

Duty To Warn is an association of mental health professionals and concerned citizens who advocate for Trump’s removal on the grounds that he is psychologically unfit for office per the 25th Amendment. Members of the international mental health community and World Mental Health Coalition have expressed similar concerns. Though the Goldwater Rule prevents doctors from making diagnoses without an exam, multiple types of cognitive and mental disorders have been associated with Trump, as well as his most ardent followers.

Mental deficiencies of Donald Trump

Dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life. Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of progressive dementia in older adults, though there are a number of causes. Cognitive changes include memory loss, difficulty communicating or finding words, difficulty with visual and spatial abilities such as getting lost while driving, difficulty reasoning or problem-solving, difficulty handling complex tasks, difficulty with planning and organizing, difficulty with coordination and motor functions, confusion and disorientation. Psychological impacts include personality changes, depression, anxiety, inappropriate behavior, paranoia, agitation and hallucinations. Fortunately some dementia symptoms are caused by treatable medical conditions. Medical experts can diagnose dementia, determine underlying causes, and administer treatment plans.

Frontotemporal dementia is a group of less common brain disorders that primarily affect personality, behavior and language. Some people with frontotemporal dementia have dramatic changes in their personality and become socially inappropriate, impulsive or emotionally indifferent, while others lose the ability to use language properly. 

Hypersensitivity to threat is an overactive fear  response. A 2008 study in the journal Science found that conservatives have a stronger physiological reaction to startling noises and graphic images compared to liberals. A brain-imaging study published in Current Biology revealed that those who lean right politically tend to have a larger amygdale, a structure that is electrically active during states of fear and anxiety. And a 2014 fMRI study found that it is possible to predict whether someone is a liberal or conservative simply by looking at their brain activity while they view threatening images. Specifically, the brains of self-identified conservatives generated more activity overall in response to disturbing images.

So how does this help explain the unbridled loyalty of Trump supporters? These brain responses are automatic, and not influenced by logic or reason. As long as Trump continues his fear mongering by constantly portraying immigrants as imminent dangers, many conservative brains will involuntarily light up like light bulbs being controlled by a switch. Fear keeps his followers energized and focused on safety. And when you think you’ve found your protector, you become less concerned with remarks that would normally be seen as highly offensive.  

According to a 2016 study that monitored brain activity while participants watched political ads and debate clips from presidential candidates, Donald Trump was unique in his ability to keep the brain engaged. Unlike other candidates, Trump kept both attention and emotional interest high throughout viewing sessions. This pattern of activity, known as high attentional engagement, was seen even when Trump made remarks that individuals didn’t necessarily agree with. His showmanship and simple messages clearly resonated at a visceral level.

Terror Management Theory explains why Trump’s fear mongering is especially effective. The theory is based on the fact that humans have a unique awareness of their own mortality. The inevitability of one’s death creates existential terror and anxiety that is always residing below the surface. In order to manage this terror, humans adopt cultural worldviews — like religions, political ideologies, and national identities — that act as a buffer by instilling life with meaning and value. Terror Management Theory predicts that when people are reminded of their own mortality, which happens with fear mongering, they will more strongly defend those who share their worldviews and national or ethnic identity, and act out more aggressively towards those who do not. Hundreds of studies have confirmed this hypothesis, and some have specifically shown that triggering thoughts of death tends to shift people towards the right. 

Narcissistic personality disorder includes symptoms such as poor self identity, inability to appreciate others, entitlement, lack of authenticity, need for control, intolerance of the views/opinions of others, emotional detachment, grandiosity, lack of awareness or concern regarding the impact of their behavior, minimal emotional reciprocity, and a desperate need for the approval and positive attention of others. 

Malignant narcissism is a blending of narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders where aggression and suspicion are as prominent as fragility and egocentricity. A person with malignant narcissism has the potential to destroy families, work environments, communities, and nations.  

Psychological projection is a defense mechanism in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing them to others. For example, a bully may project their own feelings of vulnerability onto their target. It incorporates blame shifting and can manifest as shame dumping. 

Belief bias is a common form of cognitive bias wherein we are more likely to accept the outcome of something if it matches our belief system. Liberals and conservatives alike fall victim to belief bias. Trump and his supporters specifically believe America is greater than any other nation on earth, and that he is the greatest president in US history, despite evidence contradicting both claims.

Optimism bias, also known as unrealistic optimism, causes someone to believe that they themselves are not likely to experience a negative event. It is a common cognitive bias that transcends age, ethnicity, gender, nationality and even species. When Trump first learned about intelligence reports of coronavirus in China, he dismissed the possibility the virus could be a threat here in the US. He optimistically believed the virus was less dangerous than the flu, and that it could be easily contained. Both of those beliefs have been debunked.

Many people experience belief bias and optimism bias at one time or another during their lives, myself included. The Yourbias.is and Yourlogicalfallacyis.com websites explain cognitive biases and illogical fallacies, to help each of us recognize and moderate our own predispositions. By distinguishing between beliefs, facts, and falsehoods we can inoculate ourselves against propaganda from both ends of the political spectrum.

Marshall Sheperd contends that science, personal circumstances, and the economic distress of the coronavirus pandemic are so overwhelming that some people seek alternative realities in the form of conspiracy theories as a type of rationalization or “soothing balm.” Trump has publicly supported a variety of conspiracy theories including birtherism, climate change denial, and windmill cancer. His belief that coronavirus was created in a lab is his most recent obsession. Now in a lose-lose game of tit for tat, some in China promote conspiracy theories against the US.

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a cognitive bias whereby people with low ability overestimate their own competence and fail to recognize competence in others. Illusory superiority suggests some people are incompetent in a way that robs them of an ability to recognize their own ineptness, or ineptness in people around them. While Trump supporters echo his claims of superiority, his critics disagree. 

Trump claims to be a stable genius. 

In the spirit of sharing softer news and/or silly vibes:

• Avi Schiffmann, age 17, created data map to track coronavirus cases.
• Lord of the Flies real life story when six boys were shipwrecked for 15 months is a tale of friendship and loyalty.
• University mascots: great with people but bad at the game of fetch.

Daily pandemic update:  

Chinese city of Jilin has imposed travel restrictions, closed off residential areas and banned gatherings after a number of coronavirus cases were confirmed in the northeastern city.  Thailand has reported no new cases of coronavirus for the first time since March 9. In Singapore all 323,000 migrant workers who live in company dormitories will be tested for the coronavirus.  Aljazeera.com timeline

13 May 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
11:02 GMT*	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today	Yesterday	Today
World	4,286,765	4,358,228	288,209	293,236	1,544,662	1,611,734
US	1,387,407	1,408,636	81,909	83,425	262,225	296,746
NY	347,151	348,655	27,003	27,175	58,363	58,730
CT	33,765	34,333	3,008	3,041	65	2,929
NC	15,273	15,623	575	600	1,808	9,115

*Documenting time of day because real time data updates continuously.
Tracking specific states:  NY is US epicenter. Son Reid lives in CT. I live in NC. 
Worldometers     Coronainusa     Starsexpress2020     https://ncov2019.live/

A moment of silence for those we’ve lost to coronavirus, including the first 100 in the US.

In the news: 

• 1.4 million health care jobs lost during pandemic due to postponed elective procedures.
• Bill Gates said he warned Trump about dangers of a pandemic in 2016 before he took office. 
• CA prisoners tried to infect themselves with coronavirus in attempt at early release.
• Fauci warned Congress reopening early risks more outbreaks and negative impacts on local economies; responded with humility to comments from Rand Paul.
• HEROES Act up for Friday vote in the House; $3 trillion relief bill includes another $1,200 stimulus payment plus fixes for CARES Act.
• IL Gov Pritzker self quarantining after staff member tested positive.
• Johns Hopkins is offering free online 6 hour course to train contact tracers.
• Judge slows down effort to drop Flynn case. 
• Los Angeles County CA safer at home advisories likely to be extended 3 more months with moderate reopen adjustments. 
• Majority of Americans disapprove of ReOpen protests.
• McConnell falsely claimed Obama did not leave pandemic playbook for Trump. Trump team failed to utilize NSC pandemic playbook; page 9 specifically referenced respiratory infections. Atlantic: Trump has no plan; US response has been chaotic.
• OPINION: When POTUS promotes his businesses on Twitter while overseeing federal response to pandemic gutting the economy, it’s a financial conflict of interest.  
• Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act has been introduced with bipartisan support to make changes to PPP.
• Puerto Rico government is attempting to pass extreme legislation behind closed doors. Proposed laws would privatize public domains, and also restrict women and LGBTQ. #NOalNuevoCodigoCivil.
• Romney pushed back against misleading US testing claims.  
• Supreme Court is considering Trump's ability to keep financial information and taxes secret as #TrumpTaxes and #TrumpTaxReturns trend. Andrew Johnson impeachment may have established partisan precedents for future impeachment proceedings; however, Johnson had no objection sharing his personal private financial records.  

 

Following Kenny Beck’s lead to share a few signs of hope:

• Magnolia Earl was chosen by Gerber to be 2020 spokes baby.
• Winston Salem food pantry is run by Chris Paul’s grandfather, age 75.
• Winston Salem IFB Solutions is making 10,000 face masks for US Air Force.

In my personal life…

I used to watch Celebrity Apprentice, to see semi-famous people compete and interact. It was a fun show most weeks though I never cared much for Trump’s monotonous “You’re fired” catch phrase. Greg has told me many times that by watching that show, I contributed to Trump’s popularity and rise to power. He’s mostly kidding but there is some truth there I suppose.   

Tuesday I ate a basil roll for brunch, left over from Sunday’s Amazing Thailand take out order. Greg wanted spaghetti for dinner so he browned some Italian sausage. I prepared noodles, sauce, salad and bread. No dessert.

Today is gray and overcast. There was a tiny bit of sprinkle rain in the air as I walked Minerva this morning but not enough to wet the garden. Weather forecast looks promising for the rest of the week, mostly sunny and warm.