Narcissism in a Raging Mode

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

A great deal of my professional training and education was in the field of clinical social work, and while much of my professional career was as an educator, I did spend the last quarter of my working career as a licensed clinical social worker with the US military.  I also have a copy of the "Diagnostical and Statistical Manual of mental Disorders (DSM-5)" within easy reach of where I sit typing this morning, so I do have a working knowledge of mental health issues.  On December 24th of last year I posted a piece in this blog on a mental health condition called Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).  It was short, and it follows here as a preamble to something else that I wish to share.  Bear with me.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a recognized mental health condition.   People with the disorder often exhibit a heightened sense of self-importance, a desire to be admired, and a lack of empathy for others.  They expect special treatment, seek constant praise, believe they deserve special privileges, and exploit others without regard for their needs or feelings.

While narcissists are the type of people others generally try to avoid in social situations, if they possess money or power, they can command attention, an ability which feeds into their mental health disorder.

A raging narcissist might soothe his inner demons by placing his name on buildings, or golf courses, or battleships.   He might place his image on things like coins, or gild his home and work space as though it was some royal splendor from ages past.  He might try to increase his self-importance by seizing things which do not belong to him.  He would very likely take great care in his personal appearance and go to extremes to appear younger and more virile than he actually is.

A narcissist is not a person who would be expected to rush out and help a friend in need.  He might profess interest or friendship, but only while it was of direct benefit to himself and his own interests.  He would not make a good confidant, babysitter, or neighbor - and he should certainly not be trusted with power, responsibility, or money.

The primary and consuming interest of a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder is himself.   Once others are aware of that and internalize it, the commotion and distractions caused by the narcissist can be seen for what they truly are:  symptoms of a mental health disorder.

Putting a narcissist in charge exacerbates his mental health condition and can have negative impacts on those must operate and survive under his leadership.  

People suffering from mental health disorders need mental health treatment, not unchecked power. 

Just sayin . . . 

A couple of weeks after that, on January 5th of this year, in another blog posting, this one entitled "I Object!", I discussed my frustration and displeasure at Donald Trump placing his own name on the Kennedy Center and above the name of the war hero and former US President for whom it was named a half-century ago, and I also aired my displeasure about the US Treasury's announced plans to put Trump's image on commemorative dollar coin celebrating the nation's 250th anniversary this summer.  In other postings I have mentioned Trump's gold visa cards in which he essentially sold entry into the United States, and his insistence on having his own signature attached to the nation's economic recovery checks issued to combat the economic effects of the COVID pandenic,

Trump's narcissism was so out of control that it was becoming a national embarrassment.  This week a couple of more examples have hit the news.  Yesterday, there was a story about a new government-issued  "Trump Rx" card that offers a discount for some drugs if the purchasers use cash, and there was a bigger story regarding Trump's efforts to get two major US transportation hubs named after himself. 

In that second story it was revealed that last month Donald Trump had approached US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer with a "deal" that certainly had the smell of extortion.   Congress approved funding for a new rail and vehicle tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey in 2024 and construction was already started when the Trump administration froze $16 billion in funding for that massive construction project during the October goverrnment shutdown last fall.  If the funding is not released by this Friday, construction will stop and more than a thousand construction workers will suddenly be unemployed.

The "deal" that Trump reportedly proposed to Senator Schumer was that he would unfreeze the $16 billion and allow the project to keep going if Schumer would agree to renaming Penn Station in New York City and Dulles Airport outside of Washington, DC, after Trump.  Schumer declined.

The person controlling the levers of government is exhibiting narcissism so repugnant and at such an astounding level as to defy belief, a mental health condition in a raging mode.  When will enough be enough?