Is It Possible To Change a trumper’s Mind? by Art Smukler, MD, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Writing

Small t on purpose…

How would I approach treating a trumper in the office?

They’d be 100% for ex-president trump and would express how much they HATE Biden.

I’d say… Why do you hate President Biden? He’s brought stability to our relationship with NATO. The economy is doing well. He supports the military. He’s a man that places country first and self second. He supports battling global warming. He supports the Ukraine and Israel. He definitely supports closing our southern border but trump convinced the Republicans to deny any change in our porous border-law.

I hate him! Period. Done. Stop trying to convince me. They’d say.

It reminds me of the time, so long ago, when I was a first year psychiatric resident. If you’ve read THE MAN WITH A MICROPHONE IN HIS EAR, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Logic, no matter how cogent and appropriate doesn’t influence delusional thinking. The FBI is after me. They’re talking to me from the TV. Everyone’s trying to kill me. I’m ugly. There’s no hope. My depression will never go away. There’s a microphone in my ear. And on and on…

Should I place the trumper on anti-psychotic medication? ECT? Keep badgering him/her with my logic? Well, if I want to go to jail and lose my medical license I could give it a shot. For sure Biden won’t have me killed if I’m behind bars. trump? Not so sure.

How about this?

I’d ask, “Did you ever hear trump express anything that even sounded like empathy? Did he ever say anything that was even close to caring about anyone but himself? Maybe I’d add, “Just recently his only comment about Putin having Alexei Navalny killed was how that related to his (trump’s) fear that he better watch out for his own political opponents. Why would you vote for someone who mocks a military person who was in captivity? Or a man who mocks people with disabilities?

Would it work?

I’m not holding my breath.

But… please try. A friend just texted me that he and his wife are no longer voting for trump. Miracles do happen.

Art

#trumpandtrumpers, #PutinandNavalny, #Biden, #delusionalthinking, #psychiatry, #psychiatrictreatment

Published by artsmuklermd

Art Smukler, MD was born and raised in Philadelphia, went to college and medical school in Pennsylvania, and completed his psychiatric training at UCLA. He is a board-certified psychiatrist, specializing in the treatment of adults with a subspecialty in adolescents. As a member of the UCLA faculty, he ran an award-winning psychotherapy conference for psychiatric residents and received the coveted “Golden Ear” award. He has published in psychiatric journals, and won the award for excellence in creative writing at The Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Now a full-time author, he applies his deep understanding of the human psyche to the motivations of his fictional characters.

2 thoughts on “Is It Possible To Change a trumper’s Mind? by Art Smukler, MD, author & psychiatrist”

  2. I basically did not discuss politics when I was working.(retired 2.5 years ago) I do have a very dear friend who has been a trumpie. I discuss with her for 5 minutes limit. I told her that as I’m from NJ, I’ve know about him and his horrible treatment for the last 50 years or so. I used to be an R. Up until 1998. Now only Independent. Anyway, after 5 minutes, I call a halt and we move on to other topics. I think I have swayed her for this election. Whew! At least she never got into all the Qjunk. I just pray that enough people will come to their senses, and trumple will have to sell all of his stuff to pay all of his lawyers, before he can lift his head out of his hamburger from McD’s.

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