While being asked this week about his trade war with China, our president, Donald J. Trump, looked skyward and stated, "I am the chosen one." I can only describe it as an alarming display. And no, I'm not kidding.
This self-anointing declaration came shortly after he canceled a planned trip to Denmark because the country's prime minister was not willing to sell Greenland to the United States.
Even before these incidents, Trump's behavior has been analyzed at a distance by mental health experts, who have found his behavior disturbing. He constantly contradicts himself and cannot seem to follow a conversation. Psychoanalysis professor and author Justin A. Frank wrote an entire book, "Trump on The Couch," on the subject. This isn't the first book Frank has written about the mental state of a president, previously theorizing about both former presidents Bush and Obama.
But his analysis of President Trump is, frankly, disturbing. Frank discussed the POTUS's apparent incestual fantasies, along with his bizarre tweets.
Now we can add delusions to the list. When I say that he has delusions or is delusional, I do not mean it in the cultural context, but the medical definition: a serious disorder, often linked with psychosis, which can prevent a person from "telling what is real or imagined."
I am not a doctor.
I do not need to be a doctor to see that there is something going on here.
I do not need to be a doctor to worry about the mental health of the president of my country, as he makes incredibly important choices that affect my day to day life.
I do not want a grandiose, delusional, president. Even his manner of speaking has declined noticeably since his election.
We cannot continue to pretend that the president's mental state is not a problem. As discussions of the 25th Amendment and impeachment inquiries continue, it's important we recognize how important an honest discussion of the president's mental state is.
Editor's note: The views expressed in this article are not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.