Is Donald Trump clinically mentally ill? That is a question many of us have asked throughout this election season. Well, apparently some legitimate psychiatry professionals have similar concerns and have put those concerns into a formal request to the White House.
Here is the letter that was sent to President Obama on November 29, 2016:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500November 29, 2016
Dear President Obama,
We are writing to express our grave concern regarding the mental stability of our President-Elect. Professional standards do not permit us to venture a diagnosis for a public figure whom we have not evaluated personally. Nevertheless, his widely reported symptoms of mental instability — including grandiosity, impulsivity, hypersensitivity to slights or criticism, and an apparent inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality — lead us to question his fitness for the immense responsibilities of the office. We strongly recommend that, in preparation for assuming these responsibilities, he receive a full medical and neuropsychiatric evaluation by an impartial team of investigators.
Sincerely,
Judith Herman, M.D.
Professor of Psychiatry
Harvard Medical SchoolNanette Gartrell, M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry
University of California, San Francisco (1988-2011)
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School (1983-87)Dee Mosbacher, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor
Department of Community Health Systems
University of California, San Francisco (2005-2013)
These are not just any psychiatrists . They have the education and experience to make this request. Whether the President will do anything with it, who knows, but this request seems warranted considering all that is at stake. After all, this is a man who tweets about SNL, reviews of his restaurant and airplanes but hasn't tweeted once about Aleppo or hate crimes since his election.
President Obama, your move.
