Do you believe that Sarah Palin has an undiagnosed mental illness?

[Very_Boring_Name]

Poll question: Do you believe that Sarah Palin has an undiagnosed mental illness?

[LeftishBrit]

1. No.

I think she's stupid and opportunistic and nasty.

[cali]

2. I'll second that.

[rock]

64. Agreed

Stupid is not a mental illness (same for opportunistic and nasty).

[Shagbark Hickory]

69. I think she's a ho.

Too many babies.

[cali]

3. I wish people would stop insulting folks with mental illness.

Calling people you dislike "mentally ill" is akin to calling someone you dislike gay.

[Very_Boring_Name]

4. Nobody is using it as an insult. If she's mentally ill and runs for president, we have a right to

know. She displays many symptoms of a mentally ill person.

[cali]

8. codswallop. and do tell what symptoms she's exhibiting?

[Very_Boring_Name]

11. Narcissistic personality disorder

* Reacts to criticism with rage, shame, or humiliation
* Takes advantage of other people to achieve his or her own goals
* Has feelings of self-importance
* Exaggerates achievements and talents
* Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love
* Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment
* Requires constant attention and admiration
* Disregards the feelings of others, lacks empathy
* Has obsessive self-interest
* Pursues mainly selfish goals

[cali]

32. lol.

1) How do you know this? Every reaction she's displayed to criticism seems politically crafted rather than an emotional reaction.

2) gee, do politicians as a whole actually do this? shocking.

3) and you know this how? (not that I doubt it, but by itself, it's hardly an indicator of bpd) and again, I'll wager that it's true of MANY pols.

4. And exactly how are you privy to her fantasies- btw, she's achieved many of them- and that says more about our sick culture than her.

5) again, not necessarily any kind of indicator of bpd

6) again, you know this how?

7),8), 9) once more, none of these are necessarily indicators of bpd.

having worked with many folks with the diagnosis of bpd, I can tell you that virtually all of them had a history of highly unstable personal relationships, most of them engaged in some form of self-harm, and or self-medication, and very few of them achieved any sort of success. It's quite an incapacitating illness in many case.

[Very_Boring_Name]

35. How do I know this? Simple observation

Try it sometime.

[cali]

49. uh, simple observation is not how such a diagnosis is made. duh.

[Ishoutandscream2]

94. Ah, the expert in everything

So I guess your "guess" is the right one. Typical.

[jbnow]

85. Of course none alone indicate a diagnosis and it would require

five (or more) of them existing along with other requirements

I noted below that narcissistic personality disorder is one of 5 personality disorders being dropped as a diagnosis in yet to be released DSM-5.

But borderline personality disorder (that I assume you mean by bpd is not narcissistic personality disorder. Those with the latter can be successful although the inability to work well cooperatively is pretty limiting for any enduring success.

Not that I am diagnosing her (nor is anyone. This thread asks what people THINK, they are opining) but it would explain recent reactions in response to criticism. They weren't the best for soothing the public tragedy or for a future career needing widespread acceptance.

[TorchTheWitch]

41. personality disorders aren't considered mental illnesses

although I don't think I agree that they aren't because I do believe that there is some sort of underlying brain malfunction or chemical reaction that is at the root of personality disorders like sociopath and narcissism and we just haven't figured that all out yet. As I understand it, the medical community officially considers personality disorders to be entirely learned/chosen behavior, and therefore, not mental illness.

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/180/2/110
Personality disorders are described in the International Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders (ICD-10) as 'deeply ingrained and enduring behaviour patterns, manifesting themselves as inflexible responses to a broad range of personal and social situations'; they represent 'either extreme or significant deviations from the way the average individual in a given culture perceives, thinks, feels, and particularly relates to others' and are 'developmental conditions, which appear in childhood or adolescence and continue into adulthood' (World Health Organization, 1992a). They are distinguished from mental illness by their enduring, potentially lifelong nature and by the assumption that they represent extremes of normal variation rather than a morbid process of some kind.

[EFerrari]

57. This is incorrect. While there is a debate ongoing about the causes

of personality disorders, they are considered to be a form of mental illness. The medical community does not consider it to be entirely learned/chosen. See for example, this little blurb up at the Mayo Clinic on BPD:

Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff

As with other mental disorders, the causes of borderline personality disorder aren't fully understood.

Factors that seem likely to play a role include:

* Genetics. Some studies of twins and families suggest that personality disorders may be inherited.
* Environmental factors. Many people with borderline personality disorder have a history of childhood abuse, neglect and separation from caregivers or loved ones.
* Brain abnormalities. Some research has shown changes in certain areas of the brain involved in emotion regulation, impulsivity and aggression. In addition, certain brain chemicals that help regulate mood, such as serotonin, may not function properly.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/borderline-personality-disorder/DS00442/DSECTION=causes

If you search causes personality disorder, you get millions of hits.

[jbnow]

84. But Narcissistic personality disorder eliminared as diagnosis in newest

DSM (DSM-5, out in 2013). It is one of five personality disorders being dropped.

See NY Times article from 11/29
A Fate That Narcissists Will Hate: Being Ignored

[pintobean]

10. Do you plan on voting for her

if she gets a clean bill of mental health?

[Very_Boring_Name]

12. Do we need to start an "is pintobean mentally ill" thread now too?

Just kidding :toast:

[cali]

22. man, I hate dismally stupid questions.

what have I ever said here that would indicate that I, a strong Sanders supporter, would ever vote for Palin for anything? I find her despicable- something I have made clear.

[pintobean]

28. It wasn't a reply to you

[pintobean]

82. Expecting you to admit your error and apologize for an unwarranted insult

was dismally stupid.

Character matters.

[pipi_k]

45. What's really interesting about all this mental illness stuff...

is that it would probably be reasonable to say that ALL of us have some sort of mental or emotional dis-ease (as opposed to "disease").

If it's not a full blown anxiety disorder, it might be a simple phobia...of snakes. Or spiders. Or whatever.


If it's not raging schizophrenia, it might be a touch of OCD or something.


In fact, there's really no such thing as "normal". Whose criteria are we using to judge what's "normal" and what's not? Some of the most damaged individuals I've ever known were in the mental health field.


You could probably take any person off the street and find SOME areas in which the individual "exhibits many symptoms of a mentally ill person".

I know that many people like to think they're "normal" and other people have the problems, but that's really not how it all works out.

[GoneOffShore]

54. Just try and remember...

.... the old aphorism:

Everyone is crazy, except me and thee.

And I find thee a bit odd.

[InvisibleTouch]

61. Good point.

And the obsessive human tendency to subdivide and label everything, makes it certain that everyone can get a label for themselves if they really want one. Or for those crazy others that surround us. ;) But to a degree it's artificial and overblown - a Munchausen's syndrome of mental health, if you will.

Just like nobody, really, had a flawless childhood or a non-dysfunctional family.

[LeftishBrit]

52. I would disagree on this

Of course I don't know her, and internet diagnosis has its limits; but she does not come across as having symptoms of *mental illness*. She does not appear to be depressed or severely anxious or otherwise to have any of the commoner psychological disorders; not does she show severe symptoms like hallucinations or delusions.

What she does show signs of is stupidity, combined with being promoted way beyond her abilities, and being so arrogant that she thinks she deserves this over-promotion.

[Posteritatis]

70. And there's a nice, big, irritating spike of it every time something like this hits the news cycle

I started seeing people pull out that idiotic "20-25% of the US has a mental disorder, therefore they're all Republicans!" thing again in the last several days.

This place is usually decent about not exactly encouraging bigots, but the attitudes towards mental health are certainly an exception.

[delightfulstar]

5. She's certainly narcissistic! n/t

[cali]

9. that is not necessarily, a mental illness

[Cirque du So-What]

14. Grandiosity is a diagnostic hallmark of pathological narcissism N/T

[pintobean]

19. It seems to be a requirement for political office.

[delightfulstar]

87. It can be a marker for other things...

Such as a personality/charcacter disorder (such as NPD), or can also be related to a number of depressive disorders. Grandiosity and narcissism can also be symptoms of the "manic" phase of bipolar disorder.

[IADEMO2004]

6. Lookatmeasles

Needs camera lights to survive.

[Cirque du So-What]

7. I'll take 'Borderline Personality Disorders' for $400, Alex!

Right now, her playing of the 'victim card' is the most prominent sign of her pathology, but there are other signs supporting the diagnosis of BPD as well. If not BPD, then surely narcissism.

[cali]

20. couldn't that be a political tactic?

and precisely what symptoms of Borderline Personality disorder do you detect?

[Very_Boring_Name]

23. Haven't I already answered your question

about what symptoms of mental illness she displays? You seem to have responded to every post in this thread except that one. Someone's working pretty hard to portray sarah palin as sane. Wonder why...

[cali]

25. you certainly did not answer it. you simply said she displays many

symptoms of mental illness.

[Very_Boring_Name]

26. And you asked me to give an example, I responded by listing ten

Now I have no problem with the fact that you went into hiding after being so thoroughly stomped, but the fact that you're now asking the same question of other posters, when I've already answered you up above, confuses me.

[Maru Kitteh]

73. You are so completely out of your depth against Cali. You should put the shovel down and walk away

before anyone bothers to remember you, lol.

[Cirque du So-What]

30. I believe she falls into the subcategories of 'witch' and 'queen'

The Witch's motto: Life Is War (not aimed at anyone else, BTW)
http://behavioralhealth.typepad.com/markhams_behavioral_healt/2007/08/the-borderline-.html

The borderline Queen - "It's all about me!"
http://behavioralhealth.typepad.com/markhams_behavioral_healt/2007/07/the-borderline-.html

I could go on, but by now I think you've figured out that I'm not going to change my views that Sarah Palin is mentally ill - no matter how vehemently you deny the evidence of her pathology.

[niyad]

66. WITCH is a category of mental illness? as a practicing witch, I find that incredibly offensive.

[Cirque du So-What]

88. I recommend taking up the issue with Markham's Behavioral Health N/T

[PBS Poll-435]

13. She is very stupid and gets advice from very stupid people

Stupid X Stupid does not equal Smart.

[Tesha]

15. Most everyone on the Far Right has undiagnosed mental illness.

If they were well-adjusted, they couldn't hold the sociopathic
views that they hold.

Tesha

[Harry Monroe]

17. Ding, Ding, Ding!!

We have a winner!!

[Odin2005]

62. I hate the bigoted "RW = Mentally Ill" BS.

[Posteritatis]

68. Don't forget the equally bigoted "Mentally ill = RW" BS. (nt)

[Tesha]

90. No problem -- prove it/me wrong.

But you'll need to prove that the folks on the Far Right *DON'T* act like
sociopaths and I don't believe you'll be able to do that.

Tesha

[Odin2005]

93. The burden of proof is one the one making the claim.

Those people are not mentally ill or sociopathic, they are just hateful jerks. Asshole-ism isn't a mental illness.

Palin, though, clearly has Narcissistic personality disorder. But a lot of politicians of all stripes have that.

[Tesha]

97. Completely sane people aren't "hateful jerks". (NT)

[Forkboy]

98. Sane people are all smiles and sunshine.

[Tesha]

101. No, but they're not "hateful jerks". (DU)

[Forkboy]

102. You must hang out with a good crowd.

I know lots of sane hateful jerks. Being a hateful jerk isn't a mental illness, and your repeated attempts to portray it that way is sad. Think about your argument here for a moment.

[Odin2005]

99. I disagree.

I know plenty of assholes that are perfectly sane, they are just assholes. It's easy to dismiss people you don't like as mentally ill, the Soviets did it, but that doesn't mean it's correct.

[muffin1]

16. No.

She is a merely a hateful, bigoted person. And I think some in this thread may be right about calling people we hate 'mentally ill' as some kind of insult. I can't imagine that someone suffering from a legitimate illness would want to be lumped in with Sarah Palin.

[stuntcat]

18. to clarify my vote, I think most people

most people I see every day have a serious mental illness.

[Flubadubya]

21. I'll diagnose it right now...

It's called chronic right wing assholism compounded by terminal Christian fundamentalism. :eyes:

[XanaDUer]

24. No, but I DO think she has a personality disorder

pathological narcissism. Way diff from an organic mental disease.

[Ilsa]

27. No, I think she's just a lazy, ignorant person who

thinks everything should be about her. I'm not about her always wanting to kill animals, but that's her view of life. I could never be friends with her if she was my neighbor.

[madmax]

29. Is Greedy/Grifter in the DSM? nt

[Celeborn Skywalker]

31. If narcissism is a mental illness, then yes.

Otherwise no.

[TorchTheWitch]

43. personality disorders aren't considered mental illnesses

See my post #41 on this up thread.

[Nye Bevan]

33. Wow. I never realized that DU has so many mental health experts (nt)

[Cirque du So-What]

36. There's certainly no shortage of snark specialists N/T

[randr]

34. Narcissistic personality with severe persecution disorder

[nenagh]

37. The question I'd really like to see addressed by DU..

Is Sarah Palin and her church.. and how does that affect how she thinks..

All I can say is creepy.. and they seemed to treat her like a goddess..

[DailyGrind51]

38. Sarah Palin IS an undiagnosed mental illness!

[WinkyDink]

39. No.She is simply one of many stupid people who do not grasp the extent of their stupidity, and so

feel superior.

[JohnnyLib2]

40. No

Ambitious, calculating, might been a Vegas showgirl who went into production in that field.....

[begin_within]

42. She clearly has a need for attention,

and the commercial media, the right-wingers and even us here on DU are willing and happy to lavish attention on her, much more attention that is appropriate. I think her greatest fear is that nobody will pay attention to her. Whether or not that is a mental illness is debatable. I call it immaturity; she seems stuck in the adolescent stage where she must be the center of attention. But others could diagnose it under an established mental illness if they want to.

[MadBadger]

44. She doenst have an excuse

[elocs]

46. It would be nice if people who are clueless and ignorant about what mental illness is all about

would just STFU.

IF Sarah Palin were mentally ill, then that means she has a disease. Then all the clever remarks and insults about her here at DU should stop because we do not put down the disabled. Or maybe we do. I don't.

[baldguy]

47. Not unless stupidity, contempt for others & egocentrism are mental illnesses.

[gauguin57]

48. It's hubris, plain and simple.

Hubris and raging, RAGING ego.

No mental illness.

BTW: Great piece on "Nightline" last night, with Patrick Kennedy talking so emotionally about his father, about his own struggles with mental illness and substance abuse, and about his new crusade to make sure insurance companies cover mental illness the way they do "physical" illness.

[Ichingcarpenter]

50. Voted No but she has tendencies that put her in either a grade 1 or 2

Most people have at least some portions of grade one but her 2 scales
are something to watch.....

She will not be able to keep that pace
into old age unless there is change.


Narcism disorder with illusions of grandeur.
Unfortunately commercial, media and political Reality can affirm her Reality in affirmation.

[Avalux]

51. She is not mentallly ill, she's a psychopath. You can't make someone feel empathy.

That's the gist of it. There isn't a drug or behavioral modification program that can make someone feel empathy for others, to make someone actually care about the well being of other humans. I am inclined to think that Palin and people like her are biologically flawed; a sense of right and wrong just doesn't exist.

[spin]

53. Just because we don't agree with her views ...

is no reason to make that type of accusation.

[JonLP24]

55. Please no

[Lucian]

56. I don't know any sane person that's as nuts as she is.

[Iggo]

58. She ain't crazy. She's an idiot.

[InvisibleTouch]

59. No, she's just mind-numbingly stupid.

Not everything has to be pathologized. Some people are just stupid. Some people are just assholes.

[Odin2005]

60. Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Her reaction to the shooting proves it, trying to make HERSELF out as a victim is pure NPD.

A pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, and lack of empathy, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

1. Has a grandiose sense of self-importance (e.g., exaggerates achievements and talents, expects to be recognized as superior without commensurate achievements)
2. Is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or ideal love
3. Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status people (or institutions)
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Has a sense of entitlement, i.e., unreasonable expectations of especially favorable treatment or automatic compliance with his or her expectations
6. Is interpersonally exploitative, i.e., takes advantage of others to achieve his or her own ends
7. Lacks empathy: is unwilling to recognize or identify with the feelings and needs of others
8. Is often envious of others or believes others are envious of him or her
9. Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes

Fanatic narcissist - including paranoid features. An individual whose self-esteem was severely arrested during childhood, who usually displays major paranoid tendencies, and who holds on to an illusion of omnipotence. These people are fighting delusions of insignificance and lost value, and trying to re-establish their self-esteem through grandiose fantasies and self-reinforcement. When unable to gain recognition of support from others, they take on the role of a heroic or worshipped person with a grandiose mission.

[firehorse]

75. What other small townie mayor thinks their credentials qualify them

to be president?


On the checklist of 1-9, she has all the narcissistic traits to an extreme degree.

[proud2BlibKansan]

63. No she's just stupid and mean

Calling her mentally ill would be giving her a pass.

[deacon]

65. She's a psycho. n/t

[prolesunited]

67. Please stop indulging in this crap

It's wrong on multiple levels

[upi402]

71. tone it down?

don't tell me the media meme got you!

[rbnyc]

72. Everyone has an undiagnosed mental illness...

...unless they have a diagnosed mental illness.

[madinmaryland]

74. Un-recced. AND FUCKING STOP IT.

[Forkboy]

76. No more than I feel you do.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

77. No, she's just dumber than a neutrino. -nt

[eowyn_of_rohan]

78. Megalomania for one, Mythomaniac for another

Pathological liar, Definitely a Sociopath and perhaps a borderline Psychopath

I don't love labels -- just playing along ;)

[Raine]

79. She's just STUPID, though I think she has

lots of issues from her childhood.

[kestrel91316]

80. No. Her problem, unlike Loughners, is most definitely a character deect.

[Pancho Sanza]

81. Mental illness is not intentional. She absolutely means to do the shit she does.

That's my completely unprofessional, untutored and admittedly biased diagnosis.
:evilgrin:

[Texasgal]

83. NO.

I just think she's stupid and lacks common sense. That dosen't make her a mental case.

[undeterred]

86. No, she's just a selfish bitch.

[Dappleganger]

89. No, she's just stupid.

[workinclasszero]

91. No unless

being as dumb as a box of rocks plus an ego maniacal attention whore are considered mental illness.

Sarah suffers from a smallness of the soul like all reich wing haters.

[steve2470]

92. Let's just say we don't like her character or her ideas and leave it at that

If Republicans and the RW start "diagnosing" Democrats and the Left, we would howl in indignation. Even if it's correct.

[Ishoutandscream2]

95. My "guess" is that she is not a fully developed person

Very concrete in her thinking. A "black and white" mentality. Simple-minded. I don't know if I would think of her as mentally ill. Like all of us here, just a hunch.

[11 Bravo]

96. I'm not qualified to determine her mental state, I just think she's a fucking asshole.

[Cleita]

100. No. She just a mentally lazy, opportunistic

bimbo used to getting by with her looks.