I’ve been a sober member of a global recovery community for more than 30 consecutive years. The purpose of this admission is not to inflate my own ego, nor to seek approval but to establish credibility via my personal experience and deep familiarity with the crippling disease of addiction.
Why do I wish to expose myself to public criticism and draw attention to the demons I have endured?
I see and recognize a sickness in our country, and beyond, that can be described as mass addiction. This contagion stems from relentless propaganda disseminated by media, academic, and governmental sources. The primary symptom is pathological anxiety, expressed through compulsive resentment, anger and rage— and ultimately personal destruction.
Compulsion is the sine qua non of addiction and spawns its codependent partner, denial. The overpowering need to hate and scapegoat requires a villain to justify the self righteous belief that contrarians must be vilified and depersonalized. Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), despite its comical connotation, symbolizes the addict’s passion to rationalize shortcomings and transfer blame to others.
TDS began to fester when Donald Trump, after fifteen years of playing the lead role in “The Apprentice,” descended an escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 and announced his candidacy for President of the United States.
Trump’s striking differences from his political rivals and frankness instantly made him the butt of jokes from talking heads and late night comedians. These antics descended into ridicule and vitriol, as the billionaire real estate developer was portrayed as a buffoon—an unqualified, crude, obnoxious, womanizing, oft bankrupted, street fighter from the Bronx.
There was a problem with this contrived portrayal of Trump. He spoke to the forgotten men and women of the country and promised to Make America Great Again. The message resonated with We the People, and he accomplished the unexpected. He defeated the darling of the elite class, Hillary Clinton, who had been prematurely anointed as America’s first female President.
The rebuke to the ruling class initiated a scenario that led to the formation of the anti-Trump addict class. Bingo! In warp speed Orange Man TDS was born, induced by angry cohorts who disdained MAGA supporters and could not accept loss.
Their stress turned to resentment, resentment led to anxiety, anxiety morphed to compulsion, and compulsion to full fledged addiction to TDS. Its dependency on denial and lies to fulfill the addiction became an excuse to resort to any means to destroy Trump and his supporters. The machine ramped up an acrimonious, sometimes violent crusade, to destroy what they considered an illegitimate presidency.
A cascade of uncontrollable events ensued. An addict’s resentments are nurtured in nests of fear. What is wanted is denied. All that is cherished is taken away. The deprivation of personal resolve is redefined as deprivation of having one’s way. Trump’s defeat for reelection in 2020 did little to mollify his critics. Like a cancer that must be destroyed by any means, an addict’s lust for retribution is never satisfied until one’s personal demons are annihilated.
As one who has struggled with addiction, I recognize the unbridled hatred of Trump as a syndrome that has metastasized to great swatches of Americana. Having interacted with many of this persuasion, I recognize the similarity to alcoholism, drug dependency, and sex compulsion, whose victims are devoid of coping mechanisms to deal with disagreement, dislike, disharmony, disdain and division. The quintessential addict thrives on denial of root causes and dismisses arguments that challenge self centered narratives.
It is disconcerting to understand that a large proportion of our populace is mentally ill with TDS addiction. Are they amenable to interventions like a 12 Step Recovery Program that begins the recovery process and restores self esteem? What say you, whose lives are in shambles due to TDS—wanna go to a meeting?
The road to recovery requires honesty, purpose, and in-depth introspection to deal with anger management and the resultant serenity of acceptance. The alternative is to wallow in the stinking pot of anxiety and the constant demand to get high on self righteousness and hate. I know. I’ve seen it ruin far too many lives.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for protest and peaceful civil disobedience— not the uncontrolled violence of riots, looting, burning of neighborhoods and physical harm to one’s fellow citizens. We’re had far too many of these tantrums.
But, hey, that ain’t addition. That ain’t denial. It’s Trump’s doing!
Right?
Gordon W. Mac Alister is an 85 year old retired director, who spent 30 years in the film industry. He received his BA from the University of Denver and then began his career at a Denver studio that eventually led him to Hollywood, New York City, Bloomfield Hills Michigan, and northeastern New Mexico.