The Paradox of "Trump Derangement Syndrome"

Source: Dean Moriarty / Pixabay

Early in 2018, I published a post, “Why the Left’s Obsession With Donald Trump Will Backfire,” for Psychology Today with the explicit intent of demonstrating how the wisdom of the world-renowned psychiatrist and existential philosopher Viktor E. Frankl could be applied to a very timely and polarizing topic—the presidency of Donald Trump. As expected, at the time, my post generated considerable interest among readers of all political persuasions and affiliations.

Fast forward to today, and the obsession with Donald Trump appears to have no signs of receding. This particular fixation has even been given its own label, known somewhat facetiously as “Trump derangement syndrome” or TDS.

What Is TDS?

Simply put, Trump derangement syndrome is a derogatory term used to describe a form of toxic criticism and negative reaction to former President Trump’s statements and political actions. The origin of the term can be traced to the late political columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist, who first coined the phrase “Bush derangement syndrome” in 2003.

Krauthammer, himself a harsh critic of Trump, later defined Trump derangement syndrome as a Trump-induced “general hysteria” that produced an “inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology” in the president’s behavior.¹ Journalist Fareed Zakaria, moreover, defined TDS as “hatred of President Trump so intense that it impairs people’s judgment.”²

Signs of TDS can be observed along a continuum of reactions, ranging from verbal expressions of intense hostility toward President Trump to overt acts of aggression and even violence against anyone supporting or anything symbolizing him. The recent assassination attempt on Trump’s life provides compelling evidence of the volatility and potential dangers of TDS if left unchecked.

A Meaning-Centric Response to TDS

So what actions might help to alleviate some of the distress, anticipatory anxiety, and related symptoms caused by or at least related to TDS? Let’s examine the matter from a meaning-centric perspective using some of the principles grounded in Viktor Frankl’s System of Logotherapy.³ This humanistic approach not only is an effective psychotherapeutic system but also a philosophy that offers practical guideposts to advance the human quest for meaning in everyday life and work, including situations that may be unavoidable or inescapable.

Among the basic tenets of Frankl’s approach is the notion of “freedom of will.” Such a freedom is famously expressed in his classic bestseller, Man’s Search for Meaning: “Everything can be taken from a man but…the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.” In other words, in all situations, no matter how desperate they may appear or actually be, you always have the ultimate freedom to choose your attitude.

Frankl is equally well known for advising that when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. This recommendation echoes the wise words of the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus who is credited with the following: “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”⁴ Notice how both pieces of advice assume not only the exercise of freedom of will (i.e., freedom to choose, even if it involves only your attitude toward the situation and what happens to you) but also personal responsibility (i.e., actually changing yourself or how you react to the situation and what happens to you).

When viewed in the context of TDS, knowing that you always have the ultimate freedom to choose your attitude can help you confront situations in a more healthy, positive, and meaningful way. Experience has shown that by not holding yourself a “prisoner of your thoughts,” as well as by not holding others prisoner in your thoughts, you will be able to gain additional degrees of freedom that, for example, will help build your capacity to manage stress and confront life challenges, be they in everyday life or at work, including potential signs of TDS.

Between Stimulus and Response

Our ability to change ourselves and the way we react to what happens to us in life, once again, is largely a function of choice. The late Dr. Stephen R. Covey, who was influenced significantly by Frankl’s essential teachings, shared the following insight in his foreword to my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts:

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Between stimulus and response, there is a space.
In that space lies our freedom and our power to choose our response.
In our response lies our growth and our happiness.⁵

Although each of us always has the opportunity to be mindful of the “space” between stimulus and response, it is amazing how frequently we forget about or ignore its very existence. Rather than recognizing this space and leveraging the freedom and power it provides before choosing our response, we often react automatically as if we are dealing solely with unconditional stimuli that are completely outside of our decision-making control and ability to respond.

In the case of TDS, “Donald Trump,” broadly defined to include anything associated with him, has come to represent such an unconditional stimulus. As such, it triggers what appears to be an automatic response or reaction. It is reasonable to assume that this kind of response does not contain within it the opportunity for growth and happiness implied by Covey in the lines referenced above.

Against this backdrop, one antidote to the debilitating effects of TDS requires the reclaiming of the space between stimulus and response, both as a way to change ourselves and as a proactive strategy for influencing situations or events that are yet to come, such as the 2024 election. Once again, this recommendation depends upon both freedom of will—“to choose one’s way”—and personal responsibility—to commit to meaningful values and goals that only you can actualize and fulfill.⁶