Name, Campus Carrier (Reporter or official title)
Donald Trump drew a lot of fire on Monday after he implied that veterans with PTSD are weaker than those without. Trump is known for his constant barrage of insensitive, even offensive language, but I believe that his latest remark has more potential for harm than the run of the mill comments that constantly escape his lips.
USA Today reports that Trump was speaking to a room of veterans on Monday when he was asked to share his plans to prevent veteran suicide. He gave a typically vague answer, but included something that I believe can be extremely harmful to veterans with PTSD.
“You’re strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can’t handle it,” he said, implying that veterans with PTSD are weaker than those without.
Comments from influential people such as Trump only reinforce the stigma attached to mental illness, and make it even harder for those veterans to get the treatment they need. Stigmas are powerful. According to the World Health Organization, stigma can “prevent people from seeking mental health care.”
Despite growing understanding of mental illness, stigma is still attached to many mental illnesses. This can leave people feeling ostracized and judged for factors beyond their control. Many people already feel guilty because of their mental disorder, which is why people are scared to share their struggles with others. Public figures should comfort and spread awareness. Instead, Trump has chosen to beat down an already beat-down group of people. These people have fought for our country, and by Trump’s own admission they “see horror stories, they see events you couldn’t see in a movie, nobody would believe it.”
This hits close to home for me. I have many friends who have mental illnesses, and many are scared and confused. Their conditions cause them to wonder what people will think of them if they find out. This fear of the stigma causes unnecessary suffering and anguish and prevents them from seeking the help they need. I can only listen and try my best to understand, and I hope that others do the same.
Any progress can be destroyed with a single comment from a public figure such as Trump. What scares me even more is that Trump could potentially be running our country. How much more damage could Trump commit in such a powerful position?
I think that Trump has greatly demonstrated his inability to be sensitive to the feelings of others. I shudder at the damage Trump could wreak over four years in office, after he has caused so much damage in this short election season. I shudder for my friends if Trump ever tells them that their illness is because of their weakness. Those who are mentally ill have a lot to deal with even if people are understanding.
Ken Rabow, a mentor for troubled teens, writes in the Huffington Post, “the harshest judge of your mental health… is you.” This means that people need support from others, not judgment and shunning. When you judge others for their mental illness, it makes that person feel worse.
That is why Trump’s comment really gets under my skin. If he claims to be the best person to run our country, let him act like the kind of person who cares for everyone in America. Some people like Trump because he says what he means. I don’t like him because what he means is often inconsiderate and hateful. Trump does not show compassion for those with mental illness, and furthermore those who fought for our freedom at great personal cost, are called weak by one who would seek to be their Commander in Chief.
Trump’s actions and behavior are unacceptable and unbefitting of the President of the United States. Trump has a track record of being volatile and intolerant, and thus I believe he would make a terrible president. Trump is out of control, and his behavior is definitely something to keep in mind as the election draws nearer.