Hip Hop Psychiatrist

August 29, 2010

I was concerned today to read an article in a music periodical entitled “NME” in which my patient Kanye West was mentioned.

My first concern is that the author is not interpreting the term “super-ego” correctly. If this is, indeed, the “year of the super-ego” then I would expect more socially appropriate behavior from my patients, rather than the level that I am seeing.

Another concern, which is much more grave, is that the author is using ego in the sense of an inflated sense of self-worth. Apparently Mr. West is exhibiting a level of self-delusion that I only see in my most serious cases but I was not able to observe in our initial session.

If it is true that the patient’s creative touchstones are “Michelangelo, Picasso, and the pyramids,” then I must explore this urgently in our next session. I did not get the sense that he is anything more than a modern-day Antonio Salieri, at best.

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August 27, 2010

Patient File: Kanye West

Today I met with a young man named Kanye who apparently is having a problem relating to women. His mistrust is no doubt denying him the chance to have a successful long-term relationship. When telling me about a particular woman that he is fond of, he hesitated to call her opportunistic, but kept repeating that she did not prefer to keep company with gentlemen having poor financial status.

The patient feels that women only want men for their money, and he would not consider matrimony without a contractual arrangement with the intended bride which denies her any rights to monetary rewards in case the marriage is unsuccessful.

This patient obviously has problems with the relationship with his mother. Perhaps he has strong feelings for his mother and somehow she betrayed his trust, affecting his perception of the opposite sex. I must explore his maternal relationship further in future sessions.

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August 24, 2010

Patient File: Marshall Mathers, Session #2

Today I was able to observe the patient’s id, ego, and superego interacting in a classic pattern. As I began the session, Mr. Mathers started to act out a fantasy in which he assumed the roles of several personalities (named “Eddie”, “Stan”, and “Grady”).

The patient’s id (which I believe manifests itself as the “Slim Shady” persona which I have previously written about) encourages each of the personalities to commit wrongdoing. The patient’s superego, which apparently takes the form of “Dr. Dre”, struggles with “Slim Shady” to control the actions of the alter egos.

Dr. Dre, as you may remember, is the mysterious physician whose name came up in the last session with Mr. Mathers (as well as my session with another patient). So strong is the influence of this “Dr. Dre” on the patient that he has become part of the imaginary world that the patient has constructed.

However, I was concerned toward the end of the session, since the patient’s superego was rendered ineffective by the repeated assault of the id. Apparently the violent and antisocial tendencies of the patient’s id are also present in the superego, and the id was able to draw those tendencies out.

I’m afraid that the patient’s mental state is continually deteriorating and I must act more aggressively with the treatment.

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August 22, 2010

eminemexclusive asked: Patient File: Hip Hop Psychiatrist.

Can you do a free consultation on like yourself?

You seem to be really confused.

Thank you good reader for your excellent suggestion.

Through my interactions with these practitioners of so-called “hip hop” I hope to better understand my own condition.

I may also reach the same goal through my discipline of self-analysis, which I think is providing me many valuable insights.

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August 20, 2010

Patient file: Sean Carter

Today’s session was with a fascinating new patient. Like many of my recent new patients, he prefers to be addressed by a pseudonym, in this case Jay-Z. I am uncertain of the significance of this moniker but in the interest of accelerating the healing process I accommodated his request.

His self-confidence, particularly with the opposite sex, is extreme even though he is a quite unremarkable-looking young man. Although he strikes me as thoughtful and somewhat intelligent, I feel that his abilities do not justify his extreme conceit and his disregard for others that he sees as inferior.

The patient claims to have a multitude of issues (ninety-nine, to be exact, as he kept repeating), but insists that none of them involve the fairer sex. This immediately aroused my suspicion, since I suspect that, to quote the Bard, he “doth protest too much”.

I was a bit taken aback, however, when he offered his sympathies to me, suggesting that I was not successful with the opposite sex. Indeed! I think this act of bravado was meant to throw me off guard and detract from the real issue, which of course must be a poor relationship with his mother.

The patient kept relating episodes in which he claimed to be persecuted by various parties; his paranoia is particularly severe with regard to the local constables, who he seems to think have a particular interest in tormenting and incarcerating him.

He also thinks that his so-called enemies are trying to kill him, and feels persecuted by entities that he calls his “critics”, who accuse him of compromising his integrity in return for a large monetary reward.

This is quite an interesting case indeed. Perhaps I need to seek out this Dr. Dre in haste so that he can help me with this patient as well as Mr. Mathers.

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Patient File: Marshall Mathers

The patient exhibits confusion; he does not seem to know his name. He introduces himself as a persona named “Slim Shady” who apparently does not like himself. He talks about ways he will injure his person and has exhibitionist tendencies.

According to the patient, his confusion started at age 12; he claims that he had multiple personalities and “killed” one of them at that time. He admits to using copious amounts of illicit substances, particularly marijuana, and fantasizing about committing violence toward certain persons in the public eye.

He repeatedly mentions a “Dr. Dre”, no doubt the psychiatrist formerly caring for him. I will have to talk to this Dr. Dre in order to learn more about the patient’s condition.

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