The more I read stories like “Trump rages at media for not lying about ‘unbelievable’ Arizona audit” the more I question whether he is engaging in political theatrics and knows full well that he well and fully lost the election with no significant election fraud or whether he actually has veered into the realm of having a full-blown delusional psychosis.
Short of him exhibiting florid behaviors which are symptoms of psychosis unrelated to the election and the audits there is no way of knowing whether he is engaged in political theater or has really become psychotic.
An acute psychotic episode can be triggered by stress. In Trump’s case the stress would be a total breakdown in the defenses he has used throughout his adult life to protect himself from narcissistic injury. An indication of his using these defenses is how frequently he experiences and expresses rage when his self-concept is threatened.
Narcissistic rage is a psychological construct that describes a reaction to narcissistic injury, which is conceptualized as a perceived threat to a narcissist's self-esteem or self-worth. "Narcissistic injury"" (or "narcissistic scar") is a phrase used by Sigmund Freud in the 1920s; narcissistic wound and narcissistic blow are further, almost interchangeable terms.[1] The term narcissistic rage was coined by Heinz Kohut in 1972.
The model underlying the construct suggests that narcissistic injury occurs when a narcissist's elevated self-image or perception is threatened and feels that their hidden, "true self" has been revealed. This may be the case when the narcissist experiences a "fall from grace", such as when their hidden behaviors or motivations are revealed, or when their egotism is challenged or questioned. Narcissistic injury is a cause of distress and can lead to dysregulation of behaviors as in narcissistic rage.
Narcissistic rage occurs on a continuum, which may range from instances of aloofness and expressions of mild irritation or annoyance to serious outbursts, including violent attacks and murder.[2] Narcissistic rage reactions are not limited to personality disorders and may be also seen in catatonic, paranoid delusion and depressive episodes.[2] It has also been suggested that narcissists have two layers of rage: the first layer can be thought of as a constant anger (towards someone else), with the second layer being a self-aimed wrath. Wikipedia
Here’s what to look for in order to try to determine whether Trump may have descended into a psychotic state (from WebMd):
Hallucinations: Someone might hear voices, see things that aren't there, or feel sensations on their skin even though nothing is touching their body.
Delusions: These are false beliefs that someone refuses to give up, even in the face of facts.
Other symptoms are:
- Speech or language that doesn't make sense
- Unusual behavior and dress
- Problems with memory
- Disorientation or confusion
- Changes in eating or sleeping habits, energy level, or weight
- Not being able to make decisions
Many of these indications of true psychosis would be apparent at his rallies. So far his delusions have all been political. If he is psychotic his rants might be incoherent (see word salad) or he might express “they’re out to get me” paranoid beliefs (see various types of paranoid ideation here).
You might see him lose track of what he is saying or becoming confused.
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