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James Hamilton, M. D.
Lies?
I have for some time now, and still am, trying to avoid politics on this Forum. So, what I shall say briefly here is something more medical than political, and a belief that I have had now for several years.
Yes, I am of conservative beliefs and have strong beliefs that our current president is not right for our country. I prefer not to further debate that at this time. I doubt that if I would change anyone's viewpoint or them change mine. I shall let others who are more adept at expressing views that I share express them.
Every day I read or hear of the current president's cognitive difficulties and that some of the things that he says are false, i.e. lies. And that may be a correct assessment.
However, even though lying is always a possibility especially in politics, my impression is more that this is a part of his mental problems, a process known as confabulation. If you do not quite understand what all that entails please at least Google, Bing or research it on some other platform.
Basically, this is a true brain abnormality that can be caused be a number of different disorders (including prior traumas or injuries, internal or external) whereas the patient truly believes that an event or some experience that did not actually happen in his or her life, really did. Once "engrained" into their mind it seems real and gets repeated over and over again. It may be an inflated version, a distorted version, a made-up version, a non-version or something that they observed someone else doing or read about or saw in the media.
Granted, I do not like to make diagnoses on individuals whom I have not seen or examined as patients. Confabulation, however, is a symptom of a neurologic problem, not a diagnosis of a specific disease.
I, as well as many experts and non-experts, realize that President Biden most likely has some degree, mild or greater, of cognitive impairment. Could confabulation be a symptom associated with this? Or does he just lie about certain things? Or do we believe everything he says is true? I'll leave the choices to each who observes and listens to what he says and does.
Whatever it is - or isn't - should be evaluated by a team of medical and neuropsychological professionals. This is the President of our country and this is a time of many national and international problems and conflicts. Does this not qualify for such an evaluation, and the results be openly reported to the American people? Yes, medical privacy does have some limitations where the public welfare is at stake.
I suspect there will be those of you who vehemently disagree with me on this but, regardless of political views, I think that this all deserves serious consideration.
Jim
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