Illinois' narcissistic governor

Rod Blagojevich, embattled governor of the state of Illinois, clearly suffers from a well-documented personality disorder, narcissism, which causes enormous suffering to others both in public and private, and is akin to alcoholism and schizophrenia in terms of the damage caused to others. It's definition and traits follow:

"Narcissistic personality disorder is a condition characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and an extreme preoccupation with one's self.
Symptoms

A person with narcissistic personality disorder:

* Reacts to criticism with feelings or rage, shame, or humiliation
*Takes advantage of others, even children, to achieve own goals
*Has feelings of self-importance
*Exaggerates achievements and talents
*Is preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, perfect health, beauty, intelligence, or ideal love
*Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment from everyone surrounding them
*Requires constant attention and admiration from others
*Lacks empathy; unable to see the viewpoints of others

Causes

The cause of this disorder is unknown. Narcissistic personality disorder usually begins by early adulthood and is marked by disregard for the feelings of others, grandiosity, obsessive self-interest, and the pursuit of primarily selfish goals.

Other symptoms and examples:

The cocky photo of a young Blagojevich in the recent news media, the would-be boxer who views himself proudly as a fighter who fights to win, is typical of an adolescent narcissist who postures being an expert with no real expertise.

Narcissism has early onset, particularly manifest in early adolescence, when such a person's combativeness with parents and siblings may assume abnormal extremes. These extremes then follow into adult life, and are aggravated under stress. Narcissists always exhibit adolescent behavior when they are upset, despite their chronological age, and the more loudly they proclaim their maturity or adult superiority, the more they remain trapped in adolescent patterns of behavior such as feuding, being spiteful toward others, poisoning others with gossip, etc. Mature adults understand that change is inevitable, control of others is impossible, and control of one's destiny is a falsehood; however, narcissists will frequently be heard making loud and absolute proclamations of absolute control and authority: “I will never...”, “You will never ...” “They will never...” -- as though they can control time, other people, and human events.

Other notable signs of the disorder include:

*refusing to speak to a family member/formerly close friend or even to acknowledge their physical presence for hours, days, months, or even years, due to some perceived slight or insult.
*running away from home, and not returning until lists of demanded conditions must be met -- since they perceive their constant needs have not been attended to adequately. Similarly, they will issue absolute decrees in their home about how all others shall always and ever behave.
* obsessiveness, most especially related to food and exercise, and forcing opinions about these obsessions upon others. If attention is not paid to their point of view, insult will be felt.
*Obsession with hair, make-up, and/or clothing, or an obsessive lack of attention to these. Blagojevich's obsession with his hair is well-documented. Insistence about appearance, about what is right to wear versus wrong to wear, etc. are a mark of control issues.
*feelings that only one way of doing things, or one way of thinking about things, exists. Such persons do not acknowledge the existence of the “either-or ” logical fallacy; they believe they are right, have always been right, and all others are wrong; and thus, the error of other people's ways must always be pointed out to them.
*obsessive exercise routines, often involving hours and hours of jogging/biking/lifting weights, during which time the person reviews over and over what recent disturbances or perceived insults have occurred, gradually rationalizing everything to be an attack upon them. During these ritualistic episodes, the person can often be observed muttering to themselves, clenching their teeth, or growling.
*Use of other people as pawns to achieve their ends, or, to punish those who are perceived to be attackers – this includes using their children, spouses, parents, mutual friends, school personnel, and any other members of a shared social network as tools to gain attention to themselves. Narcissists will steadfastly stand watch over all others they wish to “use” in order to assure that they are not being “disloyal”. Since they perceive that they are right, and others are wrongful/immoral/unethical/ attackers, they believe they are serving the best interests of the people they use as their pawns
* A pattern of constantly losing former close friends, constantly warring with siblings, constantly losing or changing jobs over issues of who is right and who is wrong are typical of narissists.
*Narcissists will spy on their own parents,siblings, children and/or spouses, viewing their private diaries, checking cell phone histories, tracking all websites visited, eavesdropping on e-mails, searching bedrooms for any signs of straying from the rules or consorting with the “wrong” people. They will often not allow any independent forms of communication to their own children out of fear of losing control over them (ie, no cell phones, e-mail, texting, and no mail that is not first opened by, or "read over the shoulder" by the narcissist.
*Narcissists are deeply suspicious of people who are psychologists or religionists, because on the one hand such people can lay claim to scientific research and experience that proves the truth, and/or on the other hand, espouse a faith that reveals “truth” to them. In either case, anyone with higher or professional authority is a threat to a narcissist's internal "understanding" of “truth”. Narcissists will sometimes defend their authority by finding a highly self-righteous religious or political group, and then use it's beliefs to bolster their “infallibility” -- always in ways that are not open to logical proof or logical argumentation by any one, even professional experts.
*Often are unable to hold a full-time job, maintain career, attain any authentic professional degree status, or, stay in any one line of work for long -- because the longer they stay in a job, the more their infallibility will be called into question. They will be unable to deal with any authority figures who are in a position to tell what must be done and how it must be done. In the narcissist's mind, they are the only ones who“truly know”, and any authority is subject to their approval or denial in all cases.
*Often narcissists will particularly see same-sex persons as a threat, especially if they are of different physical type/stature, race, ethnicity, beauty, or accomplishments. Narcissists are often misogynists, and/or racists, and hold other deep-seated and often virulent prejudices against people perceived to be 'not like me.' In extreme situations, they will talk about how they would “kill” such rivals, how these rivals deserve to be killed or exiled forever, or even how they would “die” before allowing such rivals any authority or power. Blagojevich even now speaks of "bringing down the Madigan brand.'
*All narcissists see arguing only as a 'blood-sport,' rather than a struggle to reach agreement or consensus. Narcissists argue ONLY to win and to always have the last word, ...not to listen, not to learn, not to empathize. As parents, narcissists will have frequent problems with their children, especially their adolescent children, who will begin the normal process of breaking away from the home, and thus, breaking away from the narcissist's authority and control.
*Bully and threaten other people even if they have absolutely no real resources, or leverage, or power to do so. They can be heard screaming “I'll do what I want” or “You'll do as I say!” or “You'll never have ...x... again!”. Governor Blagojevich's cavalier disregard for other law-makers continued happening EVEN AFTER his own ARREST! His emerging defense seems not to be about his guilt/innocence, but about control of and retribution to perceived attackers. Like all narcissists, he speaks in terms of fighting “to the death” or “to his last breath”. As with all narcissists, whatever happens is always about them and centers upon them, never really about other people or issues.
*Only very rarely will narcissists submit themselves to psycho-therapy or counseling; if they do, they will immediately find faults with the counselor, subsequently feel under attack, and finally refuse to continue the counseling as soon as any hint of the possibility of their being wrong or being mistaken surfaces in the counseling. Narcissists are among the humans who are least able to engage in self-reflection. They see themselves, by definition of their existence, as right and logical and faultless and deserving of everyone's attention and adoration.

Narcissists emerge in many professions, but are attracted to teaching, law, preaching, and even counseling itself, because these are professional activities that, once a person is allowed into the profession, automatically confer an unassailable position of professional status and of “being right”. Narcissistic teachers and preachers are able to hide behind closed doors, with hardly any official over-sight, and, are often in front of 'clients' who by virtue of their age or mental condition are powerless and must listen to them unquestioningly. Seeking this position-power is also typical of narcissists who stay at home rearing children, only with the added twist that they then have parental authority as well.

More narcissists seem to seek elementary education, because in secondary education and higher education, adolescents and adult students are too smart, too cynical, and too rebellious for narcissists to create a constantly controlled and adoring circle. Elementary youngsters are much easier to manipulate. In politics, narcissists will keep a loyal groups of apologists (one thinks of Nixon, Blagojevich, Jim Bakker) even despite any public loss or humiliation. In religion (and also things they have made into a quasi-religion such as exercise or diet), narcissists viciously guard the status quo, in which they can remain the center of all power and all attention. This is also true in the family setting, especially whenever any new situation, new person, new neighbor, or other new or outside 'threats' to their control are perceived, and thus also threaten the constant attention they believe should be given to them.

Narcissists are doomed to have epic battles for control and attention when their own children become normally rebellious adolescents, and they will sadly often cause their stressed-out children to self-medicate, engage in risky behaviors, deliberately dis-obey rules, and even run away from home, and/or run off at a very young age with a person who will protect them and/or give them the unselfish attention they need and which the narcissist parent is incapable of honestly giving. Often, these kinds of behaviors have already happened between the narcissist and his/her sibling(s) where, for example, a brother, sister, or step-parent has already chosen to completely cut off any ties or any social relations with the narcissist due to their fears of, or, their weariness of dealing with constantly being tested and judged and told what to think. It is noteworthy that not one member of Blagovevich's own childhood family has proclaimed his innocence. His spouses family immediately tried to rescue their daughter from him.

Surprisingly, because narcissists are often also bi-polar personalities, they may be seen by a distant public as wonderful, friendly, caring individuals, and may be given all sorts of public praise (just as Blagojevich is even now seen by some as a wonderful man crusading to end corruption in the state). However, those who must work with them, supervise them, or live with them know that Dr. Jekyll is really most often Mr. Hyde. Reports about Blaogjevich are surfacing that while he was a smiling Cubs fan/friend of the poor/carer of the sick and poor, that behind the scenes he would fly into screaming rages at his staff, instructed everyone that the prime objective was to “bring down the Madigan brand”, hated Barack Obama because he was utterly jealous of him, and hid at home giving instructions to his staff via voice mail and conference call – apparently too cowardly to truly face people, and when he did face them, was often unable to argue rationally.

In their families as in their public life, narcissists suffer terribly due to their condition, since it takes enormous energy to constantly -- 24 hours a day and seven days a week -- thrust themselves into the limelight while also mounting elaborate defenses, rationalizations, and counter-assaults against perceived enemies and rivals for attention. However, because they can be expert manipulators, they often get help from a parent or significant other person who “enables” them and may have long-enabled their behaviors -- someone who typically rushes to pay attention to their needs, who may alter their entire lives or travel great distances to lavish attention onto the narcissist. Such 'enablers' rush to smooth over a narcissist's outbursts, reckless words, running away from responsibility, or other hurtful behaviors -- often in the name of keeping peace in a family rather than facing the hurtful person who desperately needs psychotherapy. Normal parents or spouses rush to attend to their children or mate, but they do such things by rational choice; an 'enabling' parent or spouse of a narcissist is utterly controlled BY the narcissist, and therefore feels bound to spring into action by virtue of the narcissist's bad behaviors. This process is much the same with parents of alcoholics in families, who will go to great lengths to disguise and excuse the problem of alcoholism.Blagojevich's enablers are, of course, all poltical people who have eagerly sought to get wealth and status from his office.

A narcissist's circumstances are even more psychologically complex if he/she was raised by grandparents rather than by birth parents, or, if he/she was adopted. The complication comes because of deep-seated angers about having been utterly rejected by birth parents. The angers lingering from childhood may persist, and if left untreated or unresolved, no amount of attention or obedience will ever be enough from any other human being.

Other life events involving rejection may add to the fuel for a narcissistic personality disorder: traumatic divorce of parents, being abnormally small or frail and thus teased and/or rejected at a young age, being an adopted child in a mixed family, abandonment due to the death of a loved one, or even guilt over the death of a sibling.


TREATMENT:
Most narcissists refuse any kind of treatment and will even ignore a total family intervention. In their minds, the world owes them total attention, they are and always have been completely right, and there can be no rational discussion with others. Psycho-active drugs given to bi-polar patients can have some positive effect with narcissists, but narcissists are suspicious of all drugs, because they are a threat to their control. Counseling can help, but is expensive, and often takes many years -- during which time the narcissist will find hundreds of excuses to quit. Counseling will be difficult, because it will need to probe root causes, sometimes not consciously recalled, and often exploring far back into childhood experiences of loss, rejection, or abuse that are likely extremely painful life-changing events.

The people who must live with an un-treated narcissist are like those in the families of alcoholics...theirs will be a daily roller coaster ride, in which every single day, like Blagojevich's staff and family, everyone will whisper "what mood is she/he in? Who does she/he hate now??"

Impeachment (like a divorce) will do nothing to "cure" a narcissist. Even if they are the last person standing in an empty field in an empty country, they will scream their perfection to the air. Blagojevich will face federal charges in a federal court and it is only there, in a court of law, that a judge can legally require a court-ordered psychiatrict evaluation, which any defendant cannot ignore on pain of being held in contempt and subsequently thrown into jail. However, unless they become violent, narcissists rarely allow themselves to lose control to the ultimate public authority: the courts.

If they do become violent, enormous damage can be done without anyone able to stop it: the woman who poisoned her children in Naperville several years ago, or the woman on the east coast who drove the car containing her children into the water and drowned them all, or Jim Jones who forced his followers to obey the ultimate act of obedience and adoration....these were likely all deranged narcissists who rationalized that only death would take everyone to a place where the narcissist would finally be God, adored by all."