Forget for the moment that Anthony Weiner is running for Mayor of New York City. Set aside your politics and think about Anthony Weiner’s behavior.

Let’s pretend Weiner comes to see me because he has been ordered by someone to get help. Just pretend with me.

He tells me he calls himself Carlos Danger on social media and sends sexting messages and lewd photos of himself to women, had inappropriate online relationships and then lied about them. When he was confronted, he tells me he admitted to his behavior, but really lied about what happened after the confrontation. He tells me his wife is covering for him.

What would I be thinking as a therapist? 

He is obviously reckless with risk and enjoys the “catch me if you can” game.

He is a high sensation seeker, willing to do things for the sake of novelty? Impulsivity wins over reason. This indicates problems with self-control.

He is a pathological liar, a behavior that doesn’t remit with confession.

He seems to have an inflated view of his personal beauty and seems to be unaware of how his behavior affects others.

He is acting more like an out of control adolescent with a budding sex addiction than a grown man.

He has intimacy issues.

I would be telling his wife to stop enabling his behavior, get him out of the public spot light so he can stop humiliating himself, and get him into treatment. He is psychologically disturbed and is not trustworthy. He needs help.

In other words, if he wasn’t a public official, we would all agree this man needs help and shouldn’t be leading anything at the moment.