Concerns About Trump’s Cognitive Health
A psychiatrist, Richard A. Friedman, wrote in the September 12 Atlantic that Trump could be suffering from vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease based on his untethered and incoherent rants in the debate:
Expert Opinion
Friedman stated:
“If a patient presented to me with the verbal incoherence, tangential thinking, and repetitive speech that Trump now regularly demonstrates, I would almost certainly refer them for a rigorous neuropsychiatric evaluation to rule out a cognitive illness. A condition such as vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s disease would not be out of the ordinary for a 78-year-old. Only careful medical examination can establish whether someone indeed has a diagnosable illness—simply observing Trump, or anyone else, from afar is not enough. For those who do have such diseases or conditions, several treatments and services exist to help them and their loved ones cope with their decline.”
Professional Obligation
Friedman felt a professional obligation to clarify that he could not conclusively diagnose Trump with Alzheimer’s or vascular dementia without examining him personally. This is important because the psychiatric association prohibits psychiatrists from diagnosing anyone without an examination.
Support from Dr. Bandy X. Lee
Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a former Yale psychiatrist, was sent into professional exile for warning of Trump’s cognitive decline a few years back. She supported Friedman’s concerns on her Twitter account:
“Donald Trump should immediately seek a neurologist after exhibiting a classic and common sign of dementia at the … debates, according to a prominent psychiatrist,… Prof. Richard A. Friedman,,, Interesting how the dire warnings for which we have been castigated (and I dismissed from Yale) are now repeated everywhere: Am Psych Assoc ‘Goldwater Rule’…. Made sense in 1964-but being quiet now would be irresponsible. Stopping Trump takes priority.”
Gratitude for Dr. Lee
A debt of gratitude is owed to Lee for being a Cassandra about Trump’s cognitive decline and being shunned and fired from Yale as a result.
Friedman’s Blunt Assessment
Friedman bluntly wrote:
“The presidential debate was, among other things, an excellent real-world test of the candidates’ cognitive fitness—and any fair-minded mental-health expert would be very worried about Donald Trump’s performance.”
Conclusion
Someone who may have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease as commander in chief? Lord help us.
