Category: Self Examination

Looking beneath the surface to understand why we do what we do

Battered Republican Syndrome, by Art Smukler, MD, author and psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Politics, Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view

Ever hear of battered Republican syndrome?

Probably not, because I just thought of it after reading how Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said that she could never support Trump and how sorry she is that her party supports him.

All of the Republicans in congress, except the seven who voted to impeach Trump, are his frightened slaves. Doesn’t it resemble what it must be like for a battered wife who refuses to call the authorities even after her sadistic, power hungry husband beats the hell out of her for the tenth time? Maybe, a small maybe at that, can turn her around after the bully beats up her kids.

Well, let’s think about it. Isn’t the batterer, Trump in this case, encouraging his followers to disparage war heroes, make fun of the impaired, laugh at stutterers, lie, not pay bills, abuse women sexually, and do all the things that you’ve taught your children not to do.

He’s not only attacking your values and your children’s values but threatening to imprison anyone who disagrees with him.

Or maybe Trump’s values are your values?

If so, then you’re probably not even reading this.

Happy Reading,

Art

#Trumpthebatterer, #batteredwifesyndrome, #Lisamurkowski, #batterers, #bullies

Trust A Liar? by Art Smukler, MD, author & psychiatrist

by artsmuklermd, posted in Politics, Psychiatry, Self Examination, World events, a psychological view, Writing

Decades ago as a young psychiatrist, my patient Jeremy, a 16 year-old boy who I hospitalized on an adolescent unit because of rampant drug use, running away from home, and stealing, was doing well. He participated in group, individual, and family therapy, did his school work, followed the adolescent unit rules, and told me how he was “a changed person”.

His mom warned me numerous times that whatever came out of Jeremy’s mouth was a lie. Nevertheless, after 4 weeks of excellent behavior, I made plans to discharge Jeremy and see him as an outpatient.

That night I got a call at 4 AM. Jeremy was in full restraints because he had tried to burn down the hospital and then violently attacked staff members.

To sum up a frustratingly long story, after many months of intensive inpatient therapy I again believed that Jeremy was improving and transferred him from the closed unit to the open unit. The next day, a few hours after a therapy session with Jeremy in which I silently congratulated myself on how well my approach was going, I got an emergency call from the hospital. Jeremy had run away.

Months later he was caught robbing a convenience store and placed in Juvenile Detention.

Years later I ran into his mother. She reported that he never returned home and was currently in prison for assault and breaking and entering. She said that from the beginning she hoped that I could help Jeremy but deep down knew that it was hopeless. He was a liar from the time he was a little boy and that never changed.

So, my honest and focus-on-the-positive readers, what is the moral of this true Tale From Smukler’s Couch?

Don’t trust liars.

Whether they are spouses, politicians, investment counselors, or “friends”, liars lie. One important characteristic of sociopaths (people with no conscience) is that many of them are really likable. They are great con men and their lies are very, very believable.

Most of us want to see the best in our fellow humans, but that doesn’t work with liars.

Does this remind you of anyone I’ve been railing against?

Happy reading.

Art

#conmen, #liars, #sociopaths, #sociopathicpoliticians, #treatingsociopaths