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Nope, Trump Derangement Syndrome Isn’t a Real Condition
Misuse of mental health labels like “TDS” harms all Americans, and in this case, democracy itself.
Recently Minnesota legislators introduced a bill declaring “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) — which for the record applied to Trump detractors, not the president himself — to be a mental illness. But TDS is not recognized by any mental health organization or any medical classification system, and even in this topsy turvy world, isn’t likely to become an official diagnosis.
The group’s proposed legislation defines TDS as:
…the acute onset of paranoia in otherwise normal persons that is in reaction to the policies and presidencies of President Donald J. Trump. Symptoms may include Trump-induced general hysteria, which produces an inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology in President Donald J. Trump’s behavior. This may be expressed by:
(1) verbal expressions of intense hostility toward President Donald J. Trump; and
(2) overt acts of aggression and violence against anyone supporting President Donald J. Trump or anything that symbolizes President Donald J. Trump.
The Republican leader of the Minnesota Senate tried to deflect criticism of the proposal by suggesting that it might not have been made seriously. But words matter. Mental health labels have an impact. Democracies depend on informed discussions.
This is serious stuff, for all Americans, no matter what your political proclivities.
I’ve already had the TDS label flung at me. And I’m aware that this very article may garner more such attacks. However, I believe it’s worth exploring how TDS differs from established mental health diagnoses, and how the current use of the term degrades our discourse. This is particularly important given that the intended use of TDS is most often to shut down further conversation.
Categorizing mental health conditions
Since 1952, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has published a Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM. The most recent and eighth volume…
