What Is the Remedy for Megalomania?

First I believe it is most helpful to name it.

Megalomania:

noun; (1) obsession with the exercise of power, especially in the domination of others;

(2) delusion about one's own power or importance (typically as a symptom of manic or paranoid disorder).

Second, I believe it is crucial to be willing to ask for help.

Third, I believe in making timely, proper use of good, qualified, therapeutic help.

Some say, “Treatments for megalomania depend upon the underlying condition causing it…Four conditions are associated with this state, where individuals believe themselves omnipotent, have a deluded sense of possessing extraordinary power, or exhibit grandiosity,… [and, have] a view of personal superiority and disdain for others… Antisocial personality disorder [2nd of 4 conditions:]…Antisocial personality disorder is a mental health condition marked by difficulty relating to others and abnormalities in thought processes and perceptions.

“Treatments for megalomania in schizophrenia and bipolar directly address the underlying chemical dysfunctions responsible for the disorders.[emphasis mine]” In the context of chemical dysfunctions, it is very interesting to note, per the National Institutes of Health, that: “There is growing interest in the possible health threat posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), …substances in our environment, food, and consumer products that interfere with…neuroendocrinology…and cardiovascular endocrinology. …studies converge to implicate EDCs as a significant concern to public

health.” Neuroendocrinology documents how the nervous and endocrine systems act together. And, the endocrine system is the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate mood, among other things. And, that is the tip of an iceberg of another story for another day.

Other say, “Not all misbehavior reflects psychopathology; the fact is that ordinary human meanness and incompetence are far more common than mental illness.” What I am suggesting is that megalomania is not only complicated but requires a broad brush approach to completely understand. Is a person who is displaying grandiosity, impulsivity, hypersensitivity to slights or criticism, or an apparent inability to distinguish between fantasy and reality suffering from an emotional, physiological, psychological condition or some combination of all those factors, and/or suffering on account of other possible causes?

Whatever the cause, when high profile, highly influential individuals consistently behave in ways typical of megalomania, I personally start to ask myself, what can I do about it? Despite the possibility of feeling disempowered either because of another person’s position or their perceived power, be that political, social, economic or otherwise, there is another possibility, and that is this: to find empowerment in naming the situation and searching for a remedy.

Since each one of us is still responsible for our own actions, and given the tendency of a megalomaniac for lack of empathy and respect for others, creating the remedy will likely be more of an interactive, social process. In my world, compassion is required all the time. Have compassion first for yourself, and then for your world. Only by doing your

best to heal your own wounds will you be able to truly make a lasting difference in the rest of your world. That is another subject for another day.

Today, for example, let’s say some megalomaniac in my world was in a position to heighten international tensions to the extent that the concern over the potential for global nuclear war was making the news. If I was in a position of political influence, political power and political responsibility I might very well consider putting the needs of my country, let alone the needs of the rest of the world, ahead of my personal political affiliations. I might very well understand that compassion required me to get past any sense of being limited by petty political concerns so that I could in good conscience take timely and appropriate, responsible, considered, mature, therapeutic steps to remedy a situation that, if not addressed proactively and head on, clearly could make your and my world a more dangerous place.

In an ideal world, that might be a popular remedy. In today’s world, we are faced with complications. The perception of a threat to the stability of our immediate reality, divorced from the reality of the rest of the world, can make us myopic. So, put the fear of the megalomaniac and the myopia induced by so many threats, including social and economic, next to each other and we end up in an apparent social, political, cultural, existential stalemate, potentially going nowhere except closer to the precipice of irreparably threatening our very existence as a species and as a planet. Again, what is the remedy? First, naming the apparent stalemate, and starting from the inside out, healing that stalemate. What does that mean, in practical terms? Just this: remember what Albert said: "No problem can be solved by the same KIND OF THINKING that created it.” [see: danshawen, Junior Member]

In other words, get to another kind of thinking. I suggest the kind of thinking that incorporates the ancient science of the soul (not a belief system, hence not in conflict with any belief system), which presupposes the connection between your mind, your heart, your body and your soul. That is, however, only the first step. Whatever your first step, my suggestion is to NOT trust the time, that is: do something today that will help you get closer to the remedy you might need, should you be facing the question of what you need to do with any person in your world exhibiting the characteristics of megalomania.