The man in the Oval Office is becoming increasingly anxious and angry. This is never a good thing for someone with so much power. While Americans have been accustomed to wild swings in President Joe Biden’s behavior, the frequency and intensity of what can only be labeled as temper tantrums are increasing. That NBC News – not exactly a well-balanced political arbiter — felt the necessity to sift through the chief executive’s staffers and write about his unwieldy temperament is telling.
So far, the narrative has been that Biden is frustrated by his poll numbers and feels hemmed in by overprotective White House aides. But one has to wonder if perhaps a medical reason is, at the very least, contributing to these outbursts of frustration.
In its “behind-the-scenes” report, NBC used the words seething, angry, anxious, chafed, and irritated in describing the president’s mental state. His actions, said one lawmaker, included shouting and swearing in a meeting. This comes on the heels of his State of the Union address, which was delivered in a tempestuous and turbulent manner. Basically, many Americans felt Biden was yelling his speech instead of presenting it with poise.
Temper Tantrums May Be Symptoms
It’s not news that Biden’s temperament has become more uneven with age, but keeping his frustrations in check appears to be more of a challenge. Chalking up such unusual public behavior to poll numbers seems a superficial explanation for uncontrolled anger. But for those suffering from dementia, it’s par for the course.
Psychology Today cited “irritability, agitation … combativeness, inappropriate behavior … and willfulness” as common characteristics exhibited in the aggressive stage of dementia. According to the Mayo Clinic, cognitive symptoms of dementia include memory loss, problems communicating or finding words, confusion, disorientation, and poor movement control. Psychological changes include anxiety, agitation, and inappropriate behavior.
Considering this specificity of symptoms, it doesn’t take much to notice the similarities between the president’s public (and likely private) persona and this horrible disease. Considering Biden’s complicated neurological history, it is not a stretch to believe he may be moving into the latter stages of the illness, where temper tantrums begin to manifest in the patient’s personality.
Recently, Biden underwent his annual physical at Walter Reed National Medical Center. Even though he is the oldest president in US history, doctors gave him a “clean bill of health,” according to Time. The president’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, MD, “said a neurological exam didn’t reveal any evidence of stroke, neurological disorders or Parkinson’s disease, [while] the memo did not say whether the physical included tests for cognitive decline or dementia,” according to US News & World Report.
However, it did mention that the 80-year-old suffers from neuropathy in his feet, which explains his unusual gait and perhaps even his propensity to trip and fall since it includes a loss of feeling or numbness in the feet.
Just as neuropathy might be at the root of his trips and falls, a diagnosis of dementia could explain many of Biden’s recent temper tantrums. Of course, we are not doctors, but when it looks like a duck and walks like a duck — well, you know the rest.
