David Brock, the founder of Media Matters for America, is not one of my patients. I have not interviewed him, and I would never hazard a diagnosis of him. He is, however, a public and influential person whose history of destructive behavior, admitted drug abuse and even reported psychosis, may be best seen through a psychological lens.
Now, onto David Brock.
First, it is important to note that Brock has a history of allying with whichever political group has shown him the most regard.
During the 1990s he attacked Clarence Thomas’ accuser Anita Hill and also wrote sharply critical articles and books about Bill and Hillary Clinton.
In a somewhat ominous and psychologically violent use of language, he described himself as a “right-wing hit man.”
Yet, when his book “The Seduction of Hillary Rodham” wasn’t embraced by politicians on the right, Brock grew bitter. He then recanted a great deal of what he had written about the Clintons, exposed one of his confidential sources (despite this being journalistically unethical) and began to cultivate a left-wing following.
A sailboat adrift, in danger of capsizing, looks for the strongest wind to keep it moving. Direction matters little or not at all when drowning is the other option. Brock would seem to be captaining such a ship-of-self.
Without stoking and tapping the hatred of one political group for another, without basking in the praise of elders who tell him he is worthwhile, his own self-loathing might be unbearably palpable.
Indeed, even as a young man, Brock was so needy of attention—so desperate for regard from an audience (and perhaps any audience)—that he admits, “I demonized my enemies on the staff...” at his college newspaper while he was a student at Berkeley.
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So it is also no surprise that Brock suffered for a time with delusional thinking—fixed and false beliefs, such as paranoia. A man cannot live untethered from his soul forever, lest he float free of all tethers to reality.
Seen through this psychological lens, Brock’s reported obsession with arming himself and being protected by body guards and running from snipers on rooftops would be nothing more than fleeing from the overheated projections of his self-loathing.
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/02/17/whats-wrong-with-media-matters-founder-david-brock/
Dr. Keith Ablow is a psychiatrist and member of the Fox News Medical A-Team.
Thank you for this great post.