The events since January 6 remind me of a borderline personality disorder patient. A borderline personality (BPD for short) is basically a “drama queen”, hellbent on portraying him-/herself as a victim at all costs. BPD people create, exaggerate or manufacture crises in order to paint themselves as the victims, thereby acquiring more psychological and other kinds of power over those around them. To use their favorite word, they “incite” or foster unearned guilt in others, as a way to attain control. Anyone with the misfortune of being the child, parent or having been the spouse of a borderline personality knows what I mean. Mental health professionals like myself know the borderline personality scenario well.
The borderline personality is an emotional tyrant, or bully. At present, AOC, Nancy Pelosi and other emotional tyrants are exploiting January 6 to the fullest. Pelosi claims that the Congress is so traumatized they may never get over it, which therefore justifies unlimited prosecution (media and legal) against Donald Trump, his supporters and anyone who shares his policy views, for all time. In other words, January 6 is an excuse for the dictatorship always intended. AOC likewise made comments that she’s in “counseling” to get over the trauma of being exposed to the events of that day.
I’m not minimizing the trauma of being in a situation like that, not for reasonable people who actually were victims. But you don’t recover from any upsetting event by lying, exaggerating or distorting the details of the event, or by manufacturing a nonexistent guilty party, such as Donald Trump. It’s impossible and unjust to show sympathy or empathy for people who shed crocodile tears over their own misfortune while showing absolutely zero sympathy for the honest business owners and other individuals in places like Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Chicago and elsewhere who will perhaps NEVER get over the financial and emotional distress over having their cities ravaged with the aid and support of political dictators like AOC and Pelosi.
Of course they’re stressed. Being a liar, a cheater and a sociopath is no way to live. The constant quest to control and dominate your fellow man, at any cost, is wildly unhealthy and way beyond neurotic. Living a life of constant political gamesmanship is not healthy, and has massive stress built into it. As a therapist, I don’t recommend it. You’re constantly on the run from yourself, from the truth and from the decent people upon whom you could otherwise rely for support, and instead whom you destroy. I don’t envy these legalized criminals we have installed in the Imperial City and ridiculously label as “leaders”. But I feel absolutely nothing for their plight, because they are not the victims; they are the victimizers.