A Shrink Asks: What's Wrong with Obama?

American Thinker ^ | June 11, 2010 | Robin of Berkeley

[neverdem]

So what is the matter with Obama? Conservatives have been asking this question for some time. I've written a number of articles trying to solve the mystery.  

Even some liberals are starting to wonder. James Carville railed about Obama's blasé attitude after the catastrophic oil spill. The New York Times' Maureen Dowd revamped Obama's "Yes We Can" motto into "Will We Ever?"

The liberal women of the TV show "The View" have expressed sympathy for Michelle Obama's living with a man so out of touch. Peggy Noonan, hardly a vehement Obama foe,  recently pronounced him disconnected. 

Obama's odd mannerisms intrigue a psychotherapist like me. He also presents a serious diagnostic challenge.  

For one, Obama's teleprompter and the men behind the Blackberry keep him well-scripted. We know so little about the facts of his life.

But it's more than just a lack of information. Obama himself is a strange bird. He doesn't fit easily into any diagnostic category.

Many people attribute Obama's oddness to his narcissism. True, Obama has a gargantuan ego, and he is notoriously thin-skinned.

Yet a personality disorder like narcissism does not explain Obama's strangeness: his giggling while being asked about the economy; his continuing a shout-out rather than announcing the Ft. Hood shootings; or his vacations, golfing, partying and fundraising during the calamitous oil spill.

Take also Obama's declaring on the "Today Show" that he wants to know whose ass to kick. Consummate narcissists would never stoop to this vulgar display of adolescent machismo.

Obama is flat when passion is needed; he's aggressive when savvy is required. What's most worrisome is that Obama doesn't even realize that his behavior is inappropriate.

So if it's not just simple narcissism, what is wrong with Obama? Since I've never evaluated him, I can't say for sure. But I can hazard some educated guesses.

If I saw a client as disconnected as him, the first thing I would wonder: Is something wrong with his brain? And I'd consider the following theoretical diagnostic possibilities. 

--Physical problems: There are a multitude of physiological conditions that can cause people to act strangely. For instance: head injuries, endocrine disturbances, epilepsy, and toxic chemical exposure.

It makes me wonder: Did Obama ever have a head injury? His stepfather in Indonesia was purportedly an alcoholic abuser. Was Obama subject to any physical abuse?

-- Drugs and alcohol: Damage to the brain from drugs and alcohol can also cause significant cognitive impairments. Obama once said that there were 57 states -- and didn't correct himself. Memory problems can be caused by both illicit and prescription drug use.

Obama admits to a history of drug use in his youth. Did his usage cause some damage? Does Obama still use? 

--Asperger's Syndrome: Also known as high-functioning autism, Asperger's causes deficits in social skills. A person with Asperger's can't read social cues. Consequently, he can be insensitive and hurtful without even knowing it. 

Could Obama have Asperger's? He might have some mild traits, but certainly not the full-blown disorder. In contrast to Obama, those with Asperger's get fixated on some behavior, like programming computers. Obama lacks this kind of passion and zeal.

--Mental Illness: Obama's family tree is replete with the unbalanced. His maternal great-grandmother committed suicide. His grandfather, Stanley Dunham, was particularly unhinged: He was expelled from high school for punching his principal; named his daughter Stanley because he wanted a boy; and exposed young Barry to not just drunken trash talk, but unrestricted visits with alleged pedophile Frank Marshall Davis (who might or might not be Obama's biological father). Barack Sr. was an abusive, alcoholic bigamist.

Since mental illness runs in the family, does Obama have any signs? Yes and no. No, he is not a schizophrenic babbling about Martians. But there are red flags for some other conditions.

While Obama doesn't appear to hallucinate, he seems to have delusions. His believing he has a Messiah-like special gift smacks of grandiose delusions. His externalizing all blame to conservatives, George W. Bush, or the "racist" bogeyman hints at persecutory delusions. 

Along with a delusional disorder, Obama may fit for a mild psychotic disorder called schizotypal disorder. It may explain some of Obama's oddness. 

People with schizotypal disorder hold bizarre beliefs, are suspicious and paranoid, and have inappropriate and constricted affect. They have few close friends and are socially awkward. A schizotypal is someone like your strange cousin Becky who is addicted to astrology, believes she is psychic, and is the oddball at social gatherings.

Schizotypal Disorder does ring some bells vis-à-vis Obama. One way the diagnosis doesn't fit, however, is that schizotypals are generally harmless, odd ducks. Not so with Obama.

--Trauma: My gut tells me that Obama was seriously traumatized in childhood. His mother disregarded his basic needs, dragged him all over the place, and ultimately abandoned him.

But I think there may be something even more insidious in his family background. While I can't prove it, the degree of Obama's disconnect reminds me of my sexually abused clients.

With serious sexual abuse, the brain chemistry may change. The child dissociates -- that is, disconnects from his being -- in order to cope. Many adult survivors still dissociate, from occasional trances to the most extreme cases of multiple personality disorder.

Apparently, young Barry was left in the care of Communist Frank Marshall Davis, who admitted to molesting a 13-year-old girl. As a teenager, Obama wrote a disturbing poem, "Pop," that evoked images of sexual abuse -- for instance, describing dual amber stains on both his and "Pop's" shorts.

Would trauma explain Obama's disconnect? In many ways, yes. A damaged and unattached child may develop a "false self." To compensate for the enormous deficits in identity and attachment, the child invents his own personality. For Obama, it may have been as a special, gifted person.

Let's return now to my original question: What is wrong with Obama? My guess is a great deal. The answer is complex and likely includes some combination of the above.

Along with the brain issues are personality disorders: narcissism, paranoia, passive-aggressiveness. There's even the possibility of the most destructive character defect of all, an antisocial personality. Untreated abuse can foster antisocial traits, especially among boys.

If my assessment is accurate, what does this mean? 

It means that liberals need to wake up and spit out the Kool-Aid...and that conservatives should put aside differences, band together, and elect as many Republicans as possible.

Because Obama will not change. He will not learn from his mistakes. He will not grow and mature from on-the-job experience. In fact, over time, Obama will likely become a more ferocious version of who he is today. 

Why? Because this is a damaged person. Obama's fate was sealed years ago growing up in his strange and poisonous family. Later on, his empty vessel was filled with the hateful bile of men like Rev. Wright and Bill Ayers. 

Obama will not evolve; he will not rise to the occasion; he will not become the man he was meant to be. This is for one reason and one reason alone:

He is not capable of it.

A frequent AT contributor, Robin is a psychotherapist in Berkeley and a recovering liberal. You can e-mail Robin at robinofberkeley@hotmail.com. She regrets that she may not be able to acknowledge your e-mail.

[Quix]

After all, simular criticisms could have been made about other great leaders....Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Chavez, Lenin, Stalin, etc etc

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INDEED. WELL PUT.

[Red Steel]

The @$$ can’t even show deference for even a few minutes at a memorial without showing his sourpuss.

[Ted Grant]

He’s an underachiever that has impersonated an overachiever for most of his life. That’s what’s wrong with him.

[Quix]

i AGREE.

[MHGinTN]

A deeply wicked man ... and a malignant narcissist.

[oprahstheantichrist]

Freepmail.

[240B]

You think that is crazy eyes.

Try this. Man, This guy is one angry dude. And i don't care what color he is.

He needs to get out for him and is family's welfare...before he goes nuts for real.

[RegulatorCountry]

Quix, your own reading skills are now sadly at question, as are the qualifications of the person who wrote this article. Go back and read my reply again.

Then, you should hopefully begin to understand that the intent was to question the qualifications claimed by the author.

You and I have had many pleasant exchanges on the religion forum, and I would have expected better of you as a result. Your memory appears to be slipping, right along with your ability to discern, in matters secular or religious.

But, since we're apparently being brutally frank here, it's my assessment that you've gleefully fallen prey to every ridiculous UFO and crop circle tale to come down the pike for the past half century, and you question my assessment skills? Please. I can't think of a single instance of your ever having demonstrated skepticism when skepticism is clearly warranted.

That's the apparent difference between yourself and me, Quix. I'm not capable of the automatic credulity that you exhibit, regarding analyses by purported "experts" hiding behind an online alias, who seem unfamiliar with the correct use of jargon from their own presumed area of study.

For the last time, that is the point I wished to convey, and it is the point that I did convey, your faulty interpretation notwithstanding.

I'll leave you with one last thought: perhaps it would be wise of you to check your own willingness to accept information with which you agree as authentic, despite the presence of hints and cues that this may well not be the case.

You have a good evening.

[Citizen Soldier]

well, isn’t there a photograpgh of the side of his head with a jagged scar on his scalp?

[potlatch]

Obama's a lot of hot air......

[Quix]

OK OK.

I’m not really trying to wholesale assault your whatevers.

It did seem to me that your assessment of the author’s assessment skills was grossly lacking.

Didn’t matter to me what the author’s credentials were, particularly. Any fool with a brain and the DSMIV can deduce much the same thing.

I think I was incredulous that you were throwing stones at what seemed obvious, to me.

I’m also

. . . tired and

. . . a little punchy about such issues hereon.

I admit I don’t always read thorougly and give overly flip responses without reading every sentence in a post. Sometimes I skip paragraphs.

And, my memory of some kinds of details has never been a priority.

I also don’t keep straight who agrees/disagrees with me about whatever unless I have a LOT of interactions about that in the space of a short span of time.

I too have enjoyed many of our exchanges and hope to enjoy more.

[Quix]

I apologize for unnecessarily offending you.

It wasn’t that warranted.

I’m sorry.

[RegulatorCountry]

Any fool with a brain and the DSMIV can deduce much the same thing.

A fool with a DSM-IV did do that; the resulting "analysis" is the topic of the thread.

Obama is a disturbing individual. It's very tempting to attribute all manner of mental disturbance to him as a result. I'm not going to automatically agree with every Tom, Dick and Harry who anonymously writes something along those lines for some blog just because of it, though.

Neither should you.

[freekitty]

We need to get Obama out of office. He needs to step down now.

[Lucky2]

“Who IS the man behind the curtain” so to speak?

I’m convinced BO’s a puppet for Soros and his gang.

[Quix]

Fair enough.

However, I have my own worn DSM IV

and the quality training and experience to go along with it.

[Candor7]

One of these days, someone is going to walk up to him and bop him right on his Mussolini snoot as it is up in the air.

I can hardly wait to see it.

THAT is a photo op.

Obama is not a Marxisr prolitarian BTW. He does not identify with the working class. He is a fascist.

[Candor7]

You gotta see this. Narcism in action.

[RegulatorCountry]

Apology accepted. My own apologies are due for blasing back with both barrels.

[kenth]

Obama will not evolve; he will not rise to the occasion; he will not become the man he was meant to be. This is for one reason and one reason alone:

He is not capable of it.

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Like almost every leftist out there. In that is my firm belief that leftist ideology is a sign of a mental disorder, one that does not allow them to mature.