Leading psychologist Jeffrey Gardere says scandal-plagued New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner could crash into a relapse of more lurid Internet sexting if he is elected.
"I would say to Anthony Weiner directly he needs to do a re-evaluation as to where he is in his life mentally, emotionally," Gardere told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
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"[He must] determine for himself if he can handle the pressure of running for mayor or even being elected mayor knowing that he has this severe impulse control problem.
Gardere, known on television and radio as "America’s Psychologist," compared Weiner to an alcoholic or a drug addict who has not stabilized his situation.
"Then [they] take on something that has more stress than anything we can think of that will only throw them into a relapse," he said.
Weiner was forced to resign from Congress in 2011 after it was revealed he sent graphic messages and explicit photos of himself to women via Twitter.
The 48-year-old candidate held a hastily called press conference on Tuesday to admit he continued sexting even after resigning and getting treatment. His confession came after a blog called The Dirty released messages it said Weiner, calling himself Carlos Danger, had sent to a woman last year.
Weiner’s problem stems from issues of sexual addiction and impulse control, according to Gardere, an adjunct clinical professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York City.
"There may be . . . some kind of underlying depression and he self-medicates on these wild, sexual deviations, if you will, that are extremely dangerous and therefore that's why he uses the name Carlos Danger," he said.
"That's straight from the subconscious, but it's the dangerousness of losing all credibility of losing his political life, of losing his wife that adds to the sexual excitement.
"So yes, he does have some severe psychiatric issues that do need to be addressed in further treatment."
At Weiner’s side on Tuesday was his long-suffering wife Huma Abedin, who insisted she has forgiven him.
Gardere said Abedin, a longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton, was standing by her man for three reasons: she loves him, is dedicated to his career in politics, and gets a secondary gain out of it.
"She's no fool … She's not only trying to save her husband, but the legacy that their child and future children of theirs will have to live with," he told Steve Malzberg.
"So she's on a mission. She's the 'good wife.' She's superior to him in every way – in intelligence, in morals – and she's healthier emotionally."
Gardere said the only way Weiner could survive in office is if he admits he's powerless over his addiction and continues to get treatment.
"There's no way he's going to survive, if he makes it as mayor, if he's not in treatment," Gardere said.
"The stress will throw him back into these sorts of very inappropriate… I would say carefully consider whether you're emotionally stable enough to run."
Gardere is co-author with TV personality Montel Williams of the book "Practical Parenting."
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