Is that job still open? No? Okay, then he'll just stick with his current job as President of the United States.
"Bush On The Couch - Inside the Mind of the President" is a new book by George Washington University psychiatrist Dr. Justin Frank that attempts to put together a psychological profile of the president based soley on available information such as public records, statements, biographies, and televised speeches to the world. He makes the necessary disclaimer that a proper diagnosis could only come from actual sessions with Bush in person, but finds that there is ample material to work with because of his high-profile, public life.For those who know psychology, this book is primarily a Freudian and Kleinian analysis of the man. For the rest of us, it is an interesting discussion of child development and how events and actions shape one's life.
One of the biggest issues for Bush, according to the book, is the early death of his sister Robin and how the family dealt, or did't deal, with the event. They didn't tell him what was going on, didn't grieve, and didn't mourn. It was packed in and left unresolved, leading to a host of problems later in life.
As one might expect in a Freudian/Kleinian analysis, his mother and father are also discussed. His mother, according to reports, was a cold disciplinarian. His father was absent. Bush was left to deal with the world by himself at an early age and began to develop his own coping mechanisms such as acting out in class, restless anxiety, and seeing the world in simplistic black and white terms.
Dr. Frank has found that Bush may very well have learning disabilites - from dyslexia and ADHD to thought disorders that prevent him from understanding metaphor and abstract thinking. He also appears to practice "clang association" whereby he listens to and uses words based on their sound. Dr. Frank gives the example of someone hearing a person talk about the "reign" of a queen while picturing "rain" in his/her mind.
Bush sees the world full of threats, which leads to a diagnosis of paranoia. He insists on loyalty, likes to be left alone, and clings to mistaken ideas well after they have been proven false.
His problems with his father leads him, the book says, to resolve the unresolvable. He is the enemy of his father's enemies - taking out Saddam more for personal reasons than anything else - yet is driven to outperform his father. This leads him to destructive policies, eliminating much of the policy work his father did as president while taking his father's staff and making them loyal to himself.
His untreated drinking and self-proclamation of being reformed also puts him in a precarious psychological position. He forces himself to compensate by embracing a simple-minded fundamentalism that relieves him of any responsibility for his actions becuase "we are all sinners." A very recent news story, in fact, suggests that he is being given powerful anti-depressant medication to keep him from exhibiting wild mood swings and angry outbursts. Dr. Franks compares Bush's behavior in meetings to that of a sleeping dog who, at a moments notice, might hop up and bit you if disturbed.
Ultimately, the diagnosis is meglomania. Bush sees himsefl as the center of the world. External reality is a threat as he tries to overcome his deep insecurity and fears. He feels persecuted and attacked by anyone who disagrees with him. He doesn't exhibit hope for the future, he proclaims what the future will be. He is indifferent to damage he causes and lacks an ability to make reparations when he has done wrong. He cannot admit mistakes for fear of his world view being shattered.
Dr. Frank says that Bush appears to not care about the lies he tells and the pain he inflicts on others and cannot be properly treated unless he sees a need for treatment himself. His delusions may go untreated for some time. He may remain popular with a percentage of the population that shares his fears and appreciates his lack of deep thought, but he isn't getting better and doesn't want to try.
In the end, Dr. Frank suggests two helpful paths for the patient - one for us, the nation of enablers allowing him to continue down this path unchecked - and one for him. We should pay attention by using this information to help understand his actions and responses of denial. And we must get over our own denial if we are to help him get over his. And, for the good of the patient, we should remove him from the office that allows him to continue his destructive behavior before it gets worse.
While the book is centered around Bush, it also has much to say about mental development in children and adults in general. Bush's problems are not unique and many of us share aspects of them. The difference is that Bush doesn't acknowledge his problems and sees no reason to change, instead choosing to act out his fears on the world stage while taking us along for the ride.
Dr. Frank does a service to us by presenting his professional perspective. The notes to the book are well-documented and he lists a number of colleagues and professionals that helped him on the project.
The book is getting attention, too, and some from unlikely sources. While I finished reading it, I was told that Cuba's Fidel Castro was reading from it during a speech he gave, broadcast on C-Span last week.
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"Bush on the Couch - Inside the Mind of the President" by Justin A. Frank, M.D. is published by Regan Books, an imprint of Harper Collins.