Trump want's to imprison journalists if he's reelected. Would I make the cut?

This is a photograph taken of Freud, and some of his earliest followers.

Reading "Trump is hoping to jail ‘significant numbers of reporters’ in a second term: report" by Bob Brigham in RawStory I thought about whether I might end up on his radar. After all, he may go after anyone who criticized him publicly and while I am a mere blogger, not really a journalist, I am also among many mental health professional who wrote about why his personalty disorders made him dangerous and unfit to be president.

Trump might be vaguely aware that a very large group of mental health professionals called him dangerous, or more likely he's oblivious to this but some of his zealous minions might inform him, therefore in addition to putting journalists in prison he might want to round them up too. 

If he managed to lock up a significant number this would severely exacerbate the mental health crisis as therapists would be even harder to find than they now are.

One of the terms frequently used to describe Trump was malignant narcissist so his gestapo might get to web searching who wrote about him having this disorder.

If his lackeys Googled Trump malignant narcissist they'd have to go to page three to find something I wrote. Find me they would. Who is the guy they might say, never heard of him but what they hell let's show that nobody no matter how obscure they are can escape our reach.

I admit that I am pretty impressed with myself even making it onto page three of that Internet search considering who else's articles and publications precedes mine. 

My story is third from the bottom shown above.

This is what I wrote. It clearly makes both Robert S. Becker, whose article gave me the idea for mine, and me candidates for Trump's new gulag or an expanded Guantanamo Bay although Becker is actually well known.

Only as an irate “F-ck You” does the mystery clear: why Trump fiddled for 187 minutes while the Capitol burned

 Below are excerpts from Robert S. Becker’s (profile) “Nation of Change” essay which I recommend reading in its entirety.

When months later no plausible, tactical or rational explanation appears (for doing nothing to call off the rioters), must we not look to psychological derangement? Here was one profoundly sick puppy without a clue what served (or demolished) his best interests. When reasons evaporate, look to irrationality, thus I invoke pathology. Trump’s mob fulfilled his life quest to bellow forth the loudest “F-ck you” to as many people as possible from the greatest podium imaginable. And he was protected (he falsely schemed) by delegating the onslaught to moronic minions. The rampage against the Capitol was, to use Trumpian diction, the “perfect” volcanic explosion to suit volcanic rage. Finally, he found sufficiently cruel, destructive punishment against all “enemies” who ever injured his majesty, declaring “you are not lovable, even a monster; you are not the invulnerable, unstoppable world leader you fantasize; and your electoral temper tantrums will crash and burn.” These are unendurable messages for a deeply scared narcissist.

Thanks to Trump’s transparent parade of clinical deviance, those paying attention comprehend the basic dynamics of the malignant narcissist. It’s not that complicated: the sickest narcissist insists on being a big shot, though feels wounded (whatever the cause) and unworthy (terrified he’s just an ordinary putz). As a result, he (or she) cannot confront his internal contradictions (never therapy), defaulting to denial and self-deception. Trapped in this doomed dynamic, the narcissist tries every which way to fill the emotional (love) void but mistakenly with material success, status, treasure or fame. What Jan. 6 exposed is the malicious narcissist at the end of his rope: every phony election maneuver, from November through January, blew up in his face, doubling down the agony.

Becker concludes: 

Trump aside – and so past his pull date he’s morphed into a political pestilence for both parties – there remains a glimmer of hope for past supporters willing to escape their fruitless messiah trip. True, loyalty to Trump after his execrable performances remain shocking to this day – as sobering as all those misguided, aggrieved 2016 citizens who judged this unqualified TV reality star/con artist a positive, constructive leader. Even take down the secular, urban, coastal elitists and the fabricated, demonic deep state. That turned out well – in fact, reinforcing establishment forces now pooling resources to put an end to the Trump terror.

Over time, multiple indictments and multiple trials, even a conviction or two, must occur before America can close out the terrible Trump treachery. How much resolution happens depends on how effectively current leaders, prosecutors and juries confirm for all time and for all who will listen who Trump was and what he remains. If not, the future is not just darker than we imagine, but darker than we can imagine.

Once again we see that Trump’s behavior is easily understood, and is predictable, based on an understanding of the psychopathology of malignant narcissism. (See Unpacking Malignant Narcissism) 

A few readers of some of my diaries about Trump’s malignant narcissism have commented basically “so what, there’s no need for a diagnosis, he’s just pure evil, what are we going to do about him?” The answer I keep giving is that by understanding the dynamics of Trump’s we can predict what he will do, or try to do, and we can best develop ways to counter it.

We have already seen his rage directed at anyone or any entity he feels slighted or attacked by. We have seen him support lunatic fringe GOP candidates in some primaries who, if they win, stand little chance against their Democratic opponents. The enraged malignant narcissist often does irrational and self-defeating things.

These manifestations of a wounded ego, and indeed Trump as Becker puts it in his article, is a “profoundly sick puppy”, serve to vent some of his frustrations but they are not well thought out and many may be self-defeating. Consider most recently his trying to sue CNN over using the term “The Big Lie.” There’s no way this will accrue to his benefit, let alone end up in a legal win, but it will keep The Big Lie in the news.

His threat against CNN or something like it was predictable by understanding Trump’s malignant narcissism. 

Trump will always be Trump. He is the ultimate narcissist and I rather doubt he allows himself to consider the possibility that someone he probably considers a wimp (this man)...

can ever bring him down. He will never change his core self, and if anything will be his undoing this will be it. 

 Some election day psychology: A primer on narcissistic and antisocial personality disorders

By Hal Brown, MSW, Retired psychotherapist

I have written numerous articles about mental health especially as related to Donald Trump. Many were published on Daily Kos. I was one of the first members of Dr. John Gartner's Duty to Warn group.

If you do this Google search for Trump Hal Brown this is what you come up with:

Click above to enlarge image

I'd forgotten that a letter I wrotewas published on Medium.

Donald Trump is not the only politician to have manifest deeply concerning signs he or she had psychiatric disorders which could endanger democracy. 

On Election Day I thought it was a good to time to put together a simple primer for those who are interested in assessing which other politicians seem to have personality disorders which may make them a danger to democracy.

This is how The Mayo Clinic describes personality disorders:

A personality disorder is a type of mental disorder in which you have a rigid and unhealthy pattern of thinking, functioning and behaving. A person with a personality disorder has trouble perceiving and relating to situations and people. This causes significant problems and limitations in relationships, social activities, work and school.

In some cases, you may not realize that you have a personality disorder because your way of thinking and behaving seems natural to you. And you may blame others for the challenges you face.

Personality disorders usually begin in the teenage years or early adulthood. There are many types of personality disorders. Some types may become less obvious throughout middle age.

Not all people with personality disorders actually are distressed by having them or even have an inkling that they do. They are broken down into three groupings called clusters as follows:

Cluster A: characterized by odd, eccentric thinking or behavior. They include paranoid personality disorder, schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.

Cluster B: characterized by dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior. They include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.

Cluster C personality disorders: characterized by anxious, fearful thinking or behavior. They include avoidant personality disorder, dependent personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.

All of these disorders with the exception of two are treatable. The people who have them seek treatment because they are suffering. The two that are not considered by the majority of mental health professionals to be treatable are narcissistic personality disorder antisocial  personality disorder. Rather than suffering themselves they causes other people to suffer. Some of them even revel in making others suffer and would be considered sadists or bullies. They often build up themselves at the expense of others.

How many politicians meet the criteria for one or both narcissistic personality disorder and/or antisocial  personality disorder (which used to be called sociopathic disorder)?

Let's review the characteristics of each disorder.:

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) includes:

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and with lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood, as indicated by at least five of the following:

• Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements, expects to be recognized as superior without actually completing the achievements)
• Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, brilliance, beauty, or perfect love.
• Believes that they are "special" and can only be understood by or should only associate with other special people (or institutions).
• Requires excessive admiration.
• Has a sense of entitlement, such as an unreasonable expectation of favorable treatment or compliance with his or her expectations).
• Is exploitative and takes advantage of others to achieve their own ends.
• Lacks empathy and is unwilling to identify with the needs of others.
• Is often envious of others or believes that others are envious of them.
• Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors and attitudes

Antisocial personality disorder:

 Disregard for and violation of others rights since age 15, as indicated by one of the seven sub features: 

1. Failure to obey laws and norms by engaging in behavior which results in criminal arrest, or would warrant criminal arrest 
2. Lying, deception, and manipulation, for profit or self-amusement,
3. Impulsive behavior
4. Irritability and aggression, manifested as frequently assaults others, or engages in fighting
5. Blatantly disregards safety of self and others, 
6. A pattern of irresponsibility and 
7. Lack of remorse for actions 

It is possible for one person to have both narcissistic personality and antisocial personality. While not a formally recognized diagnosis this has been called malignant narcissism.

(Malignant narcissism is) a psychological syndrome comprising an extreme mix of narcissism, antisocial behavior, aggression, and sadism.  Grandiose, and always ready to raise hostility levels, the malignant narcissist undermines families and organizations in which they are involved, and dehumanizes the people with whom they associate.

Malignant narcissism is not a diagnostic category, but a subcategory of narcissism. Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR), while malignant narcissism is not. Malignant narcissism could include aspects of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) alongside a mix of antisocial, paranoid and sadistic personality disorder traits. The importance of malignant narcissism and of projection as a defense mechanism has been confirmed in paranoia, as well as "the patient's vulnerability to malignant narcissistic regression".  

A person with malignant narcissism exhibits paranoia in addition to the symptoms of a Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Because a malignant narcissist's personality cannot tolerate any criticism, being mocked typically causes paranoia. Wikipedia

I do not believe we can dismiss the way some Republican politicians fit into one or both categories. History should warn us what happens when people like this end up in power.