Trump

Personality disorders (PD) are characterised by intransigent and pervasive traits of the self that are damaging and unwanted. Someone could be violent, lacking in empathy, unable to cope with even the simplest stressors, obsessively self-centred or manipulative. A collection of different traits would culminate in a diagnosis of personality disorder just as a collection of different symptoms culminate in a diagnosis of, say, schizophrenia or diabetes. 

There is increasing evidence that some personality disorders have a genetic base but mostly they form after a childhood involving abuse and neglect. According to the ICD-10, the primary diagnostic tool and listings used by health professionals worldwide, there are around eight commonly identified personality disorders including the most often seen in my line of work- Emotionally Unstable PD (previously "Borderline PD") and Anti-Social PD (previously "Psychopathic PD"). Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is one of the rarer disorders but still develops from a childhood of inappropriate relationships with parents/careers characterised by unrealistic praise and unrealistic criticism, emotional abuse from unreliable carers (who may see the child as a trophy) and learnt manipulative behaviours. 

Treatment is usually not sought due to the insightlessnes of the typical patient but, when it is, psychotherapy is the preferred choice. It tends to focus on reducing harm to others by concentrating on increasing empathy in the patient, increasing their coping mechanisms and skills of reflection. 

Typical traits of NPD include:

-Exaggerated feelings of self-importance, a sense of grandiosity and extreme vanity

-An excessive need for admiration

-A lack of empathy

-A desire for power

-Manipulation of others

-A fragile sense of self-importance and bringing attention back to themselves when they don't have it, often by being unkind to others

-Distorted self-perception as being more talented, financially and professionally successful, intelligent, etc. than others

-A sense of entitlement and no awareness of their privilege

-Jealousy of others and expectations of jealousy from others

-Petty envy and obliviousness

I attended a rally in Belfast City Hall on Saturday 21st January, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration, in solidarity with women worldwide. It was genial, benevolent and extremely warm. There was love and respects at every turn and a sense of foundational solidarity infused the atmosphere. Womens' rights are human rights. It was a perfect antidote to the manipulative untruths that have been designed by Trump and perpetrated by him and his staff to facilitate the sowing of poisonous seeds. 

Speakers at the rally included Amnesty International, Black Lives Matter, Belfast's LGBT community, feminist groups and other fighters for the rights of marginalised and vulnerable groups and, of course, for women everywhere. 

I felt proud to be there with my wife and my son. Of course I missed Ruby too and wished she could be there. I could talk to her about Trump and about manipulative narcissists, about gender inequality and the amazing women who have laid the ground for her to get the independence she deserves. 

#womensmarch #womensrightsarehumanrights