On this episode of Blunt Force Truth, Chuck and Mark welcome Nassir Ghaemi, an academic psychiatrist who specializes in mood illnesses. Their discussion about historical leaders and the possible mental illness they suffered is prompted by Ghaemi’s book, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness.

Ghaemi details some behaviors that leaders like Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill and John F. Kennedy possessed, based on medical records, personal communications and anecdotes, and public actions. Ghaemi’s profiles of these people indicate that many leaders suffered from varying degrees of manic depression, and it may have actually helped them in their leadership. They consider how some medical conditions may have influenced major historical events.

Chuck and Mark ask Ghaemi to hypothesize about the psychological profiles of some current leaders, including Putin and Obama, and what type of profile might be beneficial for America in the upcoming election.

Ghaemi is Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, where he directs the Mood Disorders Program. He written a number of books, published over 100 scientific articles, over 30 scientific book chapters and has also edited a number of texts.

Learn more about Nassir Ghaemi at his website: http://www.nassirghaemi.com/

Find more on Nassir Ghaemi’s book, A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness, here: http://www.nassirghaemi.com/a_first_rate_madness__uncovering_the_links_between_leadership_and_mental_illness_106180.htm