Everyday Psychology

Time 2020-09-29 12:04:05

Web Name: Everyday Psychology

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I originally published this article under a slightly different title in January 2009. The country was entering what would come to be called "the greatest recession since the Great Depression." The stock market had staged a rally on an exceedingly bad jobs report - the thinking was that the news was so bad, surely the government would take effective action and quickly. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Obama "stimulus package") would be signed the following month.I began the article with a story that was told by Ronald Reagan about achild who wakes up on Christmas to find a pile of manure: excited, the child begins digging, assuming their must be a pony in there somewhere.The story is about false optimism. My point at the time was that things were going to get worse before they get better and that people should expect to experience feelings of depression.A similar situation exists today in 2020 - people are facing an entirely uncertain future and there is a false sense of optimism afoot in the land. This time however, unrealistic expectations are being promoted in the context of political strife.The article was primarily addressed to individuals who had lost their job - people experiencing a life-challenging sense of loss.When the report came, showing that the economy had shed more than half a million jobs in November, the stock market staged a brief rally. The thinking was that with news this bad, surely the government would step in to help. It's like the story of the child who wakes up on Christmas to find a pile of manure: excited, the child begins digging, assuming their must be a pony in there somewhere.It is not at all likely, however, that those who have been thrown out of work in recent months will be looking to find a silver lining. There is an extensive literature on the connection between unemployment and psychological well-being, and the news is not good. In a recent report on work and health from the American Psychological Association, it was noted that: "the loss of work has been consistently linked to problems with self-esteem, relational conflicts, substance abuse, alcoholism and other more serious mental health concerns." In every respect, and not just financial, one's quality of life is at risk when unemployed.The fact is that work is often essential for psychological health. It is the "playing field" for our dreams and aspirations, and an important source of pride and satisfaction. Work is where we find challenges and a sense of meaning, and the chance for self-determination and personal empowerment. It is not just a matter of survival and security. Work plays a complex role in our social lives. It is a link to the broader cultural fabric of life and a regular source of social support.Clinical depression is a common and expected result of the experience of loss. Beyond the sense of loss, those who have been displaced from the economy can expect to experience shame, fear and uncertainty, and a whole series of stress factors related to survival and adaptation. Imagine what happens to your identity when you are no longer a breadwinner or when you suddenly become dependent on an unemployment check. Imagine the adjustments you might have to make in your lifestyle or your role in the family or your daily routine.The effects will also be felt by those who remain on the job. Their future is no longer certain, and it is often observed that they can suffer "survivor's guilt." It is a whole new stress at work: "Am I next?" Time that was previously devoted to productivity and engagement will be spent worrying, wondering and watching.Depression is a genuine and significant health concern. The current unemployment numbers are pointing towards a potential public health crisis.So how should you respond if you have become one of the "walking wounded?"First, if you are feeling depressed, don't worry about it. It is normal and expected. There is no reason to worry more about the fact that you are worried. You don't want to be depressed about the fact that you are depressed.Watch for the signs. What you may notice is: you are feeling sad or empty most days; life no longer feels interesting or satisfying; you can't sleep or you can't eat, or you are eating too much; you are unusually restless or fatigued; you are feeling worthless or guilty; it is harder to think or to concentrate; or you seem to have unusual pain or physical discomfort. These are the symptoms of clinical depression.If you are depressed, you might also notice that you are drinking more, fighting more often with your spouse, and more likely to be irritable and impatient with your kids.If you have thoughts of death or suicide, that is the only sign necessary to know that you are depressed.If you are depressed, don't hide from it. Don't pretend it's not happening to you. Talk to your friends, your family and the people you love. If you are a person of faith, talk to your faith leader.You also want to stay active. Stick to a routine, exercise regularly and think about working as a volunteer. When you are out of work, a real good use of your time is to go back to school. Classes will keep you occupied, interested and motivated. Education is a good way to fill that hole that is starting to grow in the middle of your work history and to prepare yourself what comes next in your career.Unemployment cannot readily be cured. Depression, however, can be cured. If it is becoming too much to handle, speak to your Doctor or find a therapist. Get help. Don't be ashamed. (Take the Psyris Depression Screening.)This recession is going to be deep. The rates of depression are going to rise. The research shows quite clearly that many who suffer emotionally will not fully recover, even when they return to work. We all need to understand that we are facing a pile of manure and that there is no pony to be found.The task now is to survive, to hold on, and to reach for the future. The best way to do that is to take care of yourself, and to remain optimistic, confident, and filled with a sense of meaning and purpose, despite all indications that this is an uphill battle.Copyright, Paul G. Mattiuzzi, Ph.D.The public is endlessly fascinated with murder. When it s on the news, we may recoil in shock and horror, but often and in other media, homicide is a source of entertainment. We wonder why people kill and we are intrigued by the ways in which the deed is accomplished.In the real world, there is in fact a practical duty we share in understanding the means and the motivations for crime. Understanding is necessary for prediction, prevention and protection.But the popular fascination with homicide goes far beyond the practical. The story lines are a staple of art and literature and a subject for both drama and comedy. The murder mystery is often most compelling when it abandons reality and is framed in fantasy.If Donald Trump decides to plead insanity in some future criminal proceeding, all the talk about him having a mental disorder is certain to come to an abrupt end. Everyone will say: he s not crazy, he knew what he was doing he can t get off on that. For Trump, an insanity plea would not be an irrational defense strategy. The person third in line for Presidential succession, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already said that in her opinion, the President does not know right from wrong. She also expressed compassion regarding his condition: it's a very sad thing."A criminal defendant can be found insane if as a result of mental disorder, they lacked the capacity to know the nature and quality of their act or if they lacked the capacity to distinguish right from wrong.Drummond mortally wounded by M'Naughten,as dramatized by PBS Masterpiece 'Victoria'Some form of this two-pronged insanity test ( did you know what you were doing and did you know it was wrong? ) is the law in most all U.S. jurisdictions, and is known as the M Naughten rule. In 1843, Daniel M Naughten shot and killed Edward Drummond, private secretary to British Prime Minister Robert Peel. At trial, it was said that M Naughten labored under delusions of persecution, believing he was being tormented and threatened by Peel s Tory Party. A jury found M Naughten insane and the Court was compelled to explain the verdict - the Queen was not happy.Since 1723, the Common Law insanity standard had rested on the case of Edward Arnold, where the Court noted that it is not any kind of frantic humour that renders a person insane, it must be a man that is totally deprived of his understanding, and doth not know what he is doing, no more than an infant or a Wild Beast. M Naughten did not act like a Wild Beast. He was not deranged or delirious, and he was not consumed by manic agitation. He was a madman of a different sort.Justice Tindall explained that a person must also be found insane if they were acting under the influence of a delusion which if true would serve to justify or excuse their behavior. In the context of their delusional system, the person does not know right from wrong, even if they are otherwise seemingly rational.Pelosi said that Trump was as good as insane after Trump told George Stephanopolous that it is still OK for him to accept foreign help in his election efforts. Trump said he would welcome assistance from Norway and claimed that the FBI Director was wrong about the propriety and legality of such collaboration.If Trump ever does plead insanity - claiming he believed that everything he did was OK - a forensic examiner will have to determine whether he was delusional or just character disordered. Did a psychotic thought disorder impair his capacity for moral reasoning or does he just happen to have his own set of moral standards that run contrary to those of society?If Trump has clinically impaired reality testing (i.e., psychosis), he could be found insane. If his actions are simply a manifestation of dissocial and antisocial beliefs (i.e., sick ideas and character pathology), he would be found sane.In California, the case law that guides an expert s opinion regarding this distinction is the precedent set in People v. Stress (1988), where the Court articulated what can be referred to as the Law of Subjective Moral Precepts. In November 1985, Stanley Stress killed his wife, leaving an ax embedded deep in her head. His belief was that drastic action was necessary to gain attention and publicly expose a vast government conspiracy. Extensive psychiatric observation confirmed that Stanley was a paranoid and psychotic man whose life was taken over by his delusional beliefs. Stress knew that killing his wife was a crime. The trial judge instructed the jury that he therefore must also have known that it was morally wrong. The Appellate Court disagreed, saying that even though he knew his act was illegal, Stress believed it did not violate society's generally accepted standards of moral obligation. Because he was delusional, Stress thought that people would agree that he did the right thing.The situation is different when a criminal, a narcissist or a sociopath claims that what they did was OK or justifiable, based on their "own distorted standards or their prison-influenced standards of morality.The insanity rule applies when a defendant with clinically impaired reasoning fails to understand society s moral imperatives. The Stress Court said that insanity does not apply when the excuse is based instead on the subjective moral precepts of the accused. In clinical terms, those subjective moral precepts are the equivalent of antisocial attitudes, values and beliefs, the markers of character pathology and personality disorder.On one occasion, a defendant pleading insanity told me that he killed a fellow inmate at new Folsom Prison because the guy called him a punk. He said that if someone calls you a punk and you don t do something about it, then you are his punk and the voices said I should do it. This killer was mentally disordered, but he was also antisocial. He believed that violence and aggression are acceptable methods for resolving various interpersonal difficulties in life. His beliefs were of precisely the same character as Donald Trump s core belief about vengeance.In a speech, Trump expressed his dissocial conviction as follows: If somebody hits you, you ve got to hit em back five times harder than they ever thought possible. You ve got to get even. Get even. And the reason, the reason you do is you have to do it, because if they do that to you, you have to leave a telltale sign that they just can t take advantage of you. In other words, Trump s moral creed is precisely aligned with that of a psychopathic killer who told me that you can t just let someone get away with calling you a punk.And that is why Donald Trump will never be found insane.The experts might say that he has made some quasi-delusional statements (e.g., I am the chosen one ), but they are likely to conclude that such utterances are a sign of malignant grandiosity and not evidence of actual delusions of grandeur.But the experts will also note that Donald Trump operates on the basis of his own distorted antisocial standards - his own subjective moral precepts. Depending on which crime triggers a prosecution, an expert might observe that Trump thinks there is nothing wrong with using a charity for his own benefit, bribing a porn star to influence an election, sexually assaulting women, obstructing justice or accepting emoluments.The question of psychosis versus psychopathy would also be triggered if Trump were ever to explain: I knew I could get away with it, so I thought there was nothing wrong with shooting that guy on 5th Avenue. Never before in history have so many commentators prefaced their remarks about a President by saying: you d have to ask a psychiatrist or I m not a psychologist. I am a psychologist. During the course of a 40 year career, I practiced as a criminal forensic specialist, visiting clients in jails, prisons and asylums, and testifying as an expert witness. Having worked primarily in the context of active criminal proceedings, I look at diagnostic questions more critically than clinicians credentialed in academia. President My Sick Idea Trump The most prominent voice in the Diagnose-Donald-Now Movement - aside from George Conway, derisively known as Mr. Kellyanne Conway - is that of Bandy X. Lee, respectfully known as a Yale psychiatrist. In 2017, she published essays from 27 assorted mental health experts under the title: The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. In Dr. Lee s book, a number of the experts bandy about words that are associated with different forms of mental illness, but it remains a discussion about character, personality type, temperament, judgment and behavior. Mr. Trump was excoriated on those grounds, but no diagnostic hypothesis emerged. More importantly, no distinct and unequivocal symptom of mental disorder was described.It turns out that the 27 psychiatrists and other experts represented in this collection of essays did not produce any consensus opinion or assessment of Donald Trump s mental health. Instead, they have shared individual perspectives, integrated primarily around the alarm, distress, disgust, angst, fear (and loathing) they all seem to feel in reaction to the President.To the extent that a unified psychological profile emerges from these essays, the formulation is lacking any comment on the President s intelligence - a foundational psychodiagnostic measurement. From a clinical perspective, nothing about his behavior should be interpreted without first answering the baseline question: is Donald Trump a moron? The experts here are silent on the intelligence question. Psychiatrist David M. Reiss identified innate, baseline, intellectual/cognitive skills and ability as one of five areas of concern regarding the cognitive abilities of a POTUS. He concluded, however, that no standards exist for measuring the I.Q. of a politician, and therefore, when it comes to this question, differentiating objective opinion versus politically based propaganda is an insurmountable problem. A concern about an appearance of bias did not stop the other essayists from outlining the now-familiar contours of Trump s personality type and temperament.Personality and character are always at issue in a presidential election, as is the sanity of the candidates. When a contender is referred to as a madman or lunatic, the comment is usually understood to be hyperbole.No one has accused Donald Trump of hearing voices or howling at the moon. However, many have called him a narcissist.I have qualified in court as an expert in the psychodiagnostic arts. In prisons and in jails, I commonly encounter narcissists, owing to the fact that clinical narcissism is a core component of the psychopathic mind and sociopathic character.As an expert in diagnosing disturbances of mind, emotion and character, I can state confidently that Donald Trump does not have narcissistic personality disorder a condition listed in the psychiatric Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.When it comes to avoiding scams, schemes and other rip-offs, there is no more universal piece of advice than: if it s too good to be true it probably isn t. This is usually said after someone has been victimized.Most everyone is familiar with this pithy observation - an aphorism with a ring of truth to it - but it is familiar only because the warning so persistently fails to prevent people from jumping into the quicksand.In hindsight, it is easy to see that relative to the cost and risk involved, the expected gain was unrealistic. In the rear view mirror, it is obvious that the promises were extravagant, false and empty.To know whether something is true and to be trusted, we are told that all you have to do is measure how good it is.The problem is that goodness is not a valid or reliable measure of truth. Originally published at the Huffington Post.The most common observation made about psychopaths is that they feel no empathy. I have said it myself in Courtroom testimony, repeating a truism I picked up years ago: they fail to empathize and are therefore prone to victimize. From the earliest days in my career as a criminal forensic psychologist, I have encountered treatises and learned discussions about the difference between psychopaths and sociopaths. Still, to this day, I have never had reason to use the terms, other as than as synonyms.On July 10, 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) released The Hoffman Report, an independent investigation into the ethics and behavior of psychologists and the Association, relative to the Bush-era CIA torture experiments.A week later, by coincidence, director Kyle Patrick Alvarez s film The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) was released in theaters. The movie is billed as an accurate portrayal of a famous 1971 research project that was conceived and overseen by Stanford psychology Professor Philip Zimbardo.everydaypsychology.comAn archive of articles,written over time, on topicsthat happened to be of interest.

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