Trumpsessive Trumpulsive Disorder (TTD)

Some may be aware that in addition to Statistics, I also teach Neuroanatomy and Behavior. I have a keen fascination with brain physiology and functionality as it relates to behavior.  True, I have interest biases such as the retinohypothalamic pathway, synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) role in immunology.  Likewise there are areas I have serious issues with and disdain for such as contrived abnormal behavior and mental illness as defined by any version of the DSMR. But with this said, I have decided to put aside this personal locution and consider the introduction of a new disorder that I will describe as Trumpsessive Trumpulsive Disorder (TTD).

As it is known, obsessions are irrational, disturbing thoughts that intrude into consciousness. Likewise, compulsions are repetitive actions performed to alleviate obsessions.  These have become more prevalent in my opinion after the recent general election which saw DonaldTrump win 83 percent of the geographical region of the United States and approximately 3,000 of the 3,143 counties in the US when compared to Hillary Clinton.

What is this abnormal behavior? For starters it is emblematic of symptomology of denial and irrational thoughts that are not grounded in fact or reality.  Basic symptomology includes, incessant name calling of Trump and his supporters, violent and destructive outburst directed toward Trump and his supporters and even violence in the form of vandalism and the destruction of property. This can be detected on many of the social media platforms across the internet and even in the print and broadcast of mainstream media.

On the first level, it is evinced in the continuous description of Trump and his supporters as being described as ‘dumb,’ ‘ignorant,’ racist,’ ‘un or undereducated,’ and ‘bigoted’ among others. Never mind that these portrayals are blanket stereotypes and generalizations applied to all equally whom supported Trump, regardless of race, ethnicity and educational attainment, the hilarity is that these same people would be offended for example if one were to generalize that all black men wearing hoodies were thugs or all blacks are lazy. They are the same cats that purport being tolerant to all and get their feelings in a bind when we talk of Muslims and immigrants in similar blanket terms. These are the same folk that state overtly a business owner cannot refuse a customer service based on race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, but you can if they support a different political view or voted for Trump. Thus this disorder is real since it demonstrates that these people say they want blacks, women, Latino, LGBTs and Hispanic all to have a seat at the table, unless they are republican, conservation and the cruncher – they voted for Trump.

Another tale-tale sign is social media activity.  Typically all is either emotional vitriolic attacks against those whom support Trump or even RT a positive Trump story. Or maybe they always RT anything anti-Trump. This was all speculation until I tested it.  How did I test it you query? My methodology was as follows: 1 I counted people whom RT a minimum of 5 anti-Trump tweets (these met the criterion in the prior paragraph), 2 Respond to said tweet with all included to the tweet, 3 count the attacks and tag team attacks.

Example 1:  The tweet in essence said the people voted for Hitler like they voted for Trump, #Heisnotmypresident. My response was that Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by Paul von Hindenburg and assumed presidency upon death of Hindenburg – he was never voted on by the citizenry.

It appears fact is the worst enemy for the person suffering from TTD. My response drew vilification from several group tweets and eventually stopped for my follow up tweet was one in which I use frequently: Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored– Aldous Huxley.

Example 2: This tweet asserted that the Carrier deal was just corporate welfare and thus no big deal. My response was that Obama was the king of corporate welfare – Boeing, Dell, Caterpillar, Chevron (even United Technologies) & gave us the Targeted Investment Program & the Temporary Liquidity Program not tomention TARP or the auto bailout. The results were the same as before, however instead of addressing the content, they resulted to repetitive actions performed to alleviate their obsessions (compulsion) in the form of calling me stupid and uneducated.

The severe or what I call TTD (i) are those with delusional symptomology. These ignore fact entirely and actually pretend that Trump is not their President.  This is just like saying they think they are Jesus Christ or that the Easter bunny and Santa Klaus is REAL. These are also dangerous.  They can destroy property, physically assault and attack Trump supporters and manifest delusion of grandeur that may be hazardous to themselves and all around them. These can be observed in threatening to kill Trump or his supporters or celebrating harm inflicted on a Trump supporter as we say in Chicago and regarding the Gatlinburg fires. But they are easily distracted about a story on Kanye West, a new Beyoncé video or celebrity awards show. It is even worse in mainstream media outlets.

Media outlets are mainly considered mainstream if they are from large cities on the east and west coast.  Their level of TDD (i) is disturbing.  They characteristically relinquish objectivity for partisan opinion making manipulated into being projected as news. They have even resorted to the use of Orwellian Newspeak proffered directly from the Oceana Ministry of Truth creating what they now call ‘Fake News.’  Fake News being anything they disagree with but more importantly, that does not metamorphasize from their pens, desk, computers or intellectual acumen. They even question the rules as most sore losers do after the fact. It seems end the Electoral College is retro chic currently.  Even changing the senate and obviating the Connecticut Compromise so that rural voters cannot have the same or more power than urban voters because they know best and used to getting a trophy even when they do not earn one.  Next it will be changing the rules of the World Series to where it is not the number of games won, but rather the total number of runs scored that determines the champion. This is simply delusional behavior.

TTD is real and it is just as much a sociopathy or psychopathy as gang banging and lynching.  There isn’t a psychopharmacological treatment for it yet nor hotline, albeit safe spaces can be found at your local university or DNC office.