Disturbed and Disturbing

Is mental illness contagious? Experts in the field say “no,” and I believe them, but now that we have a president who exhibits obviously disturbed behavior on a daily basis — deliberate or not — I have begun to wonder whether emotional or behavior disturbance actually can be passed onto others, at least in one sense.

That first sense sense is when the president’s inner circle, whatever their motivation, begins parroting his lies, deceptions, exaggerations, and distortions. Such blaming, deluded, and demented behavior often has nothing to do with the merits of specific policies the administration is proposing. Rather, it becomes a distraction to sidetrack voters from understanding fully the long-term ,often hidden motives behind the daily craziness.

Then, in a second sense, the contagion effect spreads further to the American public when anxiety, uncertainty, and even depression become more and more commonplace because citizens are constantly kept off balance, exhausted, and even more dependent on a leadership they can no longer trust.

The beginning of getting well is accepting that we have a president who is not well mentally, physically, and emotionally, supporting his agenda only when it is in concert with this country’s values and principles, and committing ourselves always, in every way possible, to positive change that will benefit all Americans, not just a few.