Two Lovefraud readers brought an article in the latest issue of The New Yorker magazine to my attention. It’s entitled Suffering Souls—the search for the roots of psychopathy, by John Seabrook.
The article starts off describing the work of a researcher, Dr. Kent Kiehl, who is using an fMRI machine to study the brains of prisoners in the Western New Mexico Correctional Facility, searching for physical indications of psychopathy. The author provides a brief history of the evolution of scientific understanding about this personality disorder, and describes today’s conflicting opinions about it. Seabrook reviewed the literature and interviewed experts, including Dr. Robert Hare.
All in all, the article provides an excellent summary of the state of scientific research about psychopathy. If you want to understand how the researchers think about this personality disorder, I recommend that you read it.
Never met a psychopath
Although the story is comprehensive, one of the points made me think that we at Lovefraud have a better understanding of psychopaths than researchers.
“Unlike most academic psychopathy researchers, Kiehl has spent many hours in the company of his subjects. When he meets colleagues at conferences, he told me, “they always ask, ”˜What are they like?’ These are guys who have spent twenty years studying psychopaths and never met one.” Although the number of psychopaths who are not in prisons is thought to exceed the number who are—if the one-per-cent figure is correct, there are more than a million psychopaths at large in the United States alone—they are much harder to identify in the outside world. Some are “successful psychopaths,” holding down good jobs in many types of industries. It is generally only if they commit a crime and enter the criminal-justice system that they become available for research.”
This is scary—many researchers in psychopathy never met one? We should consider ourselves better informed, because we’ve all had extremely close encounters with these predators. And we know exactly how the ones who are not in jail behave.
More information is needed about psychopaths in the community. That’s why our contributions to the study, Victimizations, coping, and social support of adult survivors of psychopaths, are so important. If you haven’t yet filled out the survey, be sure to do it.
Parents and children
According to the New Yorker article, Dr. Robert Hare does not approve of using his Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in child custody disputes. Although I can understand where Dr. Hare is coming from—his test was designed specifically to predict recidivism among offenders—it is still the gold standard in identifying psychopaths. As we at Lovefraud know, psychopaths make terrible parents. Unfortunately, there is no scientific documentation—yet—of what we know to be true.
This points to the need for more research on psychopaths who are not in jail. First of all, we need to be able to identify them, especially in family court cases. Secondly, we need research documenting that psychopaths do, indeed, harm their children. I know this cause is very important to Dr. Liane Leedom, and we hope to contribute to more thorough understanding of these problems.
The article also touches on the issues of children with psychopathic traits. On the one hand, it states that psychologists don’t want to label children as psychopaths. On the other hand, there is some evidence that children with psychopathic traits can be helped, “if you catch it young enough.” That means they need to be identified.
It’s a circular problem. There is a very strong genetic component to this personality disorder, so it is crucial to identify psychopathic parents, because their children may be at risk of also becoming psychopaths. We also need to identify children who have inherited the dispostion to the personality disorder and are, in fact, at risk. That means diagnosing them so we can try to help them.
The issue of at-risk children is not one in which we should be squeamish or politically correct about identifying the disorder. Lives are at stake.
Mental illness?
In scanning prisoners’ brains, Dr. Kent Kiehl hopes to find a biological cause for the psychopathic personality disorder. By finding a cause, there is the chance of developing drugs to treat the disorder.
This raises philosophical and ethical questions. What if he succeeds? What if he proves that psychopathy is a form of mental illness? But what if people are diagnosed and treatment doesn’t work? If psychopathy is a mental illness, does that mean that these predators aren’t responsible for their crimes?
I don’t have the answers to these questions. But I do know that here at Lovefraud, we are building a valuable knowledge base beyond that of the scientific researchers. We know how psychopaths behave when they are free, out in the community, and doing what predators do.
Wini
BloggerT7165: What about the use of antihistamines for colds or allergies? My EX constantly took over the counter stuff … Winter through to the next winter. And I always wondered why someone would constantly take that stuff. Is this a secret addiction?
Ox Drover
There are misdiagnosis events in all forms of medicine and in mental illness I would think more than in physical medicine (at this point in time).
I have a son who is VERY ADHD, but he has never been violent and has a conscience and empathy. Dr. Leedom published an article (CRS cant remember the name of it) with statistics showing that about 1/3 of people who are bi-polar are also psychopaths. Even well regulated bi-polars (as far as the mania/depression are concerned) can still be psychopaths. My Trojan HOrse Psychopath was/is. she also noted in that or another article that ADHDs are more likely to be psychoopathic. Apparently the genes for bi-polar and ADHD have something in common with the genes for Psychopathic tendency. And, some of the behaviors for bi-polar and ADHD can be similar.
My ADHD son though has never exhibited any kind of manipulative or hateful behavior at all, ever. My psychopathic son, however, is NOT ADHD at all. In fact, he is very calculating and manipulative and lays his plans far in advance and with malice aforethought. My ADHD son may be from time to time “impulsive” but not in ways that harm others. He can delay gratification, and manages his money well. He (like me) has some “enabling” behaviors but is (like I am) working on them and his own healing. Personally, he is a very likeable and trustworthy person.
So, yes, diagnosis can be a problem. And not all criminals are psychopaths, and not all psychopaths are criminals. However, my experience *(which may not be typical) with the criminals I have know, there is no (or rarely at least) such thing as an EX-convict.
The “best indicator of future behavior is past behavior”–doesn’t mean someone convicted of a crime can’t change, but with the recidivism rate what it is–what? 60-70%–? I will not lose any sleep over thinking that someone might change if only I would take them under my wing when they get out of prison.
BloggerT7165
One thing I have learned over the years is that people can become addicted to almost anything. Gambling, drugs, alcohol, texting, online gaming, eating, car racing, bungee jumping, etc.
Wini
I hear you on the calculating and manipulative and the laying of plans far in advance. My co-workers were masters at laying out plans, stepping way back (weeks, months or even a year)… out of sight … as they watched safely how their victim they set up took the fall.
Incredible, absolutely diabolical and incredible.
I always wonder what the point was? What possible kick could they possibly derive out of any of this?
Don’t answer that, I have since, found out why?
Peace.
BloggerT7165
I also do not think adhd should be a get out of jail free card.
No disorder should be a get out jail free card and that was not implied by me in any way. Everyone is responsible for their own actions regardless of why they did them.
Wini
Ghee, and I always thought any of the diagnosis were a free for all for anything and everything, cause heavens if you should happen to slip one day and call them a spoiled brat?
That is so politically incorrect.
BloggerT7165
Unless a person knows for sure that the child/person is a spoiled brat, and I mean knows for sure not just thinks based on limited interactions, than it is not just politically incorrect it is judgemental and abusive.
bird
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081110/ap_on_re_us/child_charged
spoiled brat or 8 year old sociopath?
I find this case interesting
bird
The mom didn’t have custody. The dad did. Makes me wonder if the boys mother is a sociopath! I would love to hear more about her.
Ox Drover
Well, there are “non abusive” labels we can hang on them, like “insincere” or “narcissisticly inclined” or just say “they are ACTING like a spoiled brat” (not implying that they ARE a spoiled brat” LOL)
One of the funniest psychological cartoons I ever saw was this woman squatting down to speak to a small girl age 4 or 5, and in the back ground is the smoking remains of a house that has obviously been burned to the ground. The woman says to the kid “Mommie and daddy are not mad at YOU, Marilyn, Mommie and Daddy are upset by the naughty thing you’ve done” LOL ROTFLMAO.
When my kids were under my roof, I tried to differentiate between their acts and their character, but there comes a point when I can’t distinguish the action from the character. My youngest biological son is a psychopathic murdering, conniving, hateful, malignant criminal who should stay in prison for the rest of his life for the good of society and his family. Those are the most positive things I can say about what he is, what he chose to be. It is a waste of much God-given talent and intelligence, but he made the choices and he is paying the price for his choices.