Prescription for Trump Derangement Syndrome
Discovering Meaning Through the Lens of Politics
Early last year I published an article, “Why the Left’s Obsession with Donald Trump Will Backfire,” for Psychology Today with the explicit intent, putting specific political views aside, of demonstrating in a meaningful way how the wisdom of the world-renowned psychiatrist and existential philosopher, Viktor E. Frankl, could be applied to a very timely and polarizing topic — the presidency of Donald Trump. As expected, my article generated considerable interest, especially among those readers at the extremes of the political spectrum and, among other audience reactions, it prompted a radio show in San Francisco to invite me for an interview to learn more about what I had written.
Fast forward to today. What I had referred to as the “Left’s Obsession with Donald Trump” seems to have reached “epidemic” status with no sign of receding. Although it is not an official category in the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), this particular fixation has even been given its own diagnostic label, known somewhat facetiously as Trump Derangement Syndrome.
So what is Trump Derangement Syndrome or “TDS” and what, if anything, can and/or should be done about it?
Simply put, Trump Derangement Syndrome is a derogatory term used to describe a form of toxic criticism and, allegedly irrational, negative reactions to President Trump’s statements and political actions that presumably have little regard to his actual positions or actions. The origin of the term can be traced to the late political columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist, who first coined the phrase “Bush Derangement Syndrome” in 2003 during the presidency of George W. Bush.
Krauthammer, himself a harsh critic of Trump, later defined Trump Derangement Syndrome as a Trump-induced “general hysteria” among liberals, progressives, and Never Trump conservatives that produced an “inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology” in the President’s behavior.(1) Journalist Fareed Zakaria, moreover, defined TDS as “hatred of President Trump so intense that it impairs people’s judgment.”(2) Descriptions of the pathological symptoms presumed to be associated with Trump Derangement Syndrome vary greatly along a continuum of reactions, ranging from verbal expressions of intense hostility towards President Trump to overt acts of aggression and even violence against anyone or anything symbolizing, let alone supporting, his presidency or person. Even Donald Trump’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been targeted, including being smashed and graffitied, numerous times by those who strongly oppose his presidency.
References to the notion of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” in/by both the print and electronic media have increased significantly over the last several years, and even President Trump, who seems unfazed by the attention it brings him, has occasionally referred explicitly to this term and what it represents to him in his tweets and public appearances. Importantly, with the 2020 presidential election campaign already underway and the opportunity to unseat President Trump in sight, it is unlikely that the prevalence and incidence of TDS will decrease very much before November of next year. Moreover, if there is any probability that President Trump will be reelected it will only serve to exacerbate the “pre-existing conditions” linked to TDS and its manifestations.
What kind of “intervention” might help to alleviate some of the distress, anticipatory anxiety, and related symptoms caused by or at least related to TDS? Referring back to the article I mentioned at the very beginning of this piece, let’s examine the matter from a meaning-centric perspective using some of the principles grounded in Viktor Frankl’s System of Logotherapy.(3) This humanistic approach not only is an effective psychotherapeutic system but also is a philosophy that offers practical guideposts to advance the human quest for meaning in everyday life and work, including situations that may be unavoidable or inescapable.
Among the basic tenets of Dr. Frankl’s therapeutic/philosophical approach is the notion of “freedom of will.” A manifestation of such a freedom is famously expressed in his classic bestseller, Man’s Search for Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but…the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.”
In other words, in all situations, no matter how desperate they may appear or actually be, you always have the ultimate freedom to choose your attitude. It is this particular principle that is most commonly associated with Viktor Frankl’s life and legacy even though his ageless wisdom extends far beyond it.
Importantly, Frankl also warned that freedom threatens to degenerate into mere license to do virtually anything one wants unless it is lived responsibly. Indeed, he viewed the idea of freedom without responsibility to be an oxymoron. The coupling of these two fundamental concepts helped to frame both his meaning-centered system of psychotherapy and his unique brand of existential philosophy.
Frankl is equally well known for advising that when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. This recommendation echoes the wise words of the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus who is credited with the following: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”(4) Notice how both pieces of advice assume not only the exercise of freedom of will (i.e., freedom to choose, even if it involves only your attitude toward the situation and what happens to you) but also personal responsibility (i.e., actually changing yourself or how you react to the situation and what happens to you).
When viewed in the context of Trump Derangement Syndrome, knowing that you always have the ultimate freedom to choose your attitude can help you confront situations in a more healthy, positive, and meaningful way. Experience has shown that by not holding yourself a “prisoner of your thoughts,” as well as by not holding others prisoner in your thoughts, you will be able to gain additional degrees of freedom that, for example, will help build your capacity to manage stress and related symptoms of TDS. By doing so, you will also be more equipped to (re)act in ways that will be more in alignment with your highest good — that is, in line with your spiritual, emotional, and physical health.
Our ability to change ourselves and the way we react to what happens to us in life, once again, is largely a function of choice. The late Stephen R. Covey, who was influenced significantly by Viktor Frankl’s essential teachings, shared the following insight in his foreword to my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts:
Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our happiness.(5)
Although each of us always has the opportunity to be mindful of the “space” between stimulus and response, it is amazing how frequently we forget about or ignore its very existence. Rather than recognizing this space and leveraging the freedom and power that it provides before choosing our response, we often react automatically as if we are dealing solely with unconditional stimuli that are completely outside of our decision-making control and ability to respond.
In the case of TDS, “Donald Trump,” broadly defined to include anything associated with him and his presidency, has come to represent such an unconditional stimulus. As such, it triggers what appears to be an automatic response or reaction. It is reasonable to assume that this kind of response does not contain within it the opportunity for growth and happiness implied by Dr. Covey in the lines referenced above.
Against this backdrop, one antidote to the poisonous and debilitating effects of TDS requires the reclaiming of the space between stimulus and response, both as a way to change ourselves (as Viktor Frankl advised when we are challenged but unable to change a situation) and as a proactive strategy for influencing situations or events that are yet to come, such as the 2020 elections. Once again, this recommendation depends upon both freedom of will — “to choose one’s way” — and personal responsibility — a commitment to meaningful values and goals that only you can actualize and fulfill.(6)
I have long argued that you can change without growing but you can’t grow without changing. For this reason, there is another logotherapeutic principle that offers guidance when confronting situations that may trigger symptoms of Trump Derangement Syndrome. In brief, this principle states that only you can answer for your own life by detecting the meaning at any given moment and assuming responsibility for weaving your unique tapestry of existence.(7)
One technique that I’ve used effectively to put this principle into practice in all kinds of life situations is called “Existential Digging.” Whenever you encounter an experience or situation that may have been especially challenging, ask yourself the following four questions:
1. How did you respond to the situation or life experience? In other words, what did you do and think?
2. How did you feel about the situation or life experience? In other words, what kinds of emotions were stirred up as a result of the situation or experience?
3. What did you learn from the situation or life experience? In other words, what new knowledge, skills, or attitude do you now possess because of the situation or experience?
4. How will you grow as a result of the situation or experience? In other words, how will you apply what you have learned, especially key learning about yourself, for your personal growth?
By faithfully and authentically addressing these four levels of existential questions, you will engage in a systematic process of detecting the meaning of life’s moments, especially those moments that are (or were) especially negative, challenging, and/or stressful for you. Against this backdrop, are you really growing and developing as a result of your learning from life situations, or are you simply repeating old patterns of thinking and behavior? Moreover, do you recognize any common threads of meaning that may help you weave your unique tapestry of existence?
The practice of existential digging can be useful as a tool for personal growth by increasing self-awareness and providing guidance along the path to meaning. Importantly, it also provides a practical framework for building individual capacity to respond meaningfully to external stimuli that otherwise might simply trigger involuntary and unintended reactions and/or consequences. As a form of meaning analysis, this exercise helps to prevent the collapse or disappearance of the operating space between stimulus and response, which typically happens as a result of being “triggered.” Such triggering, for instance, can lead to the onset or worsening of symptoms associated with Trump Derangement Syndrome.
__________________
1. Krauthammer, Charles. “You can’t govern by ID.” The Oregonian. June 8, 2017.
2. Zakaria, Fareed. “Liberals have to avoid Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The Washington Post. April 13, 2017.
3. Pattakos, A., and Dundon, E. (2017). Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work, 3rd edition. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
4. For more on the subject of Greek philosophy and the human quest for meaning, see: Pattakos, A., and Dundon, E. (2015). The OPA! Way: Finding Joy & Meaning in Everyday Life & Work. BenBella Books.
5. Pattakos, A., and Dundon, E. (2017). Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work, 3rd edition. Berrett-Koehler Publishers, p. x. Note that Dr. Covey wasn’t able to identify the name of the author of these three lines, which are frequently attributed, albeit incorrectly, to Viktor Frankl. This said, he acknowledged that the message conveyed by them was consistent with and reaffirmed Frankl’s essential teachings.
6. This particular commitment, known also as the “Will to Meaning,” is explored in detail in Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work, 3rd edition, Chapter 4.
7. For more about this core principle of Viktor Frankl’s System of Logotherapy & Existential Analysis, see Chapter 5 of Prisoners of Our Thoughts.
