Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Some individuals show an extreme preoccupation with rules, order, organization, schedules, and doing things the correct way. In fact, they often become so wrapped up in the details of their perfectionism that they lose sight of the main goal or purpose and fail to complete their tasks. They may become excessively dedicated to their work, they often do not have time for friends and leisure. Other personality features include being overly conscientious and inflexible in their views of morality, ethics and values. Individuals with this disorder often rather formal and cool in their relationships with others and so they frequently are not comfortable in social situations. They also tend to be humorless and critical of other’s and they tend to think that no one else can do a job as well as they can. Therefore, they have trouble delegating work. When they take on a demanding task they frequently retreat into the details of the project to such a degree that they may be unable to make timely progress. Other personality characteristics include hoarding useless possessions, miserliness with money, and rigidity and stubbornness.
A representative example
A couple sought marriage counseling because the wife complained about her husband’s need to always be in control. The therapist found him to be a very serious and reserved individual who was uncomfortable talking about his feelings. The wife complained that even small changes in plans upset him, he was angered over the normal messiness and disarray caused by the play of their three young children. The wife praised him for the way he kept the lawn, bushes, patio, garage, cars, and all things that he was “in charge of”, but was frustrated and angered that he was constantly critical of her and “nagging” about the ways she managed her part of the partnership. He complained that the meals not always on time, the bathrooms were unsanitary, the kid’s hair was not right, there were spots on the dishes, there was dust, and much more. Friends and relatives also saw her husband as being way too critical and worried about details. It was clear that the wife was not a poor housekeeper or mother.
There was constant tension between she and her husband over such details and she correctly surmised that she could never please him no matter how she tried. She reported that they were growing less loving to each other and worried that the children were being affected by there deteriorating relationship.
In therapy, the husband launched one complaint after another and was irritated at the therapist whenever he attempted to portray his home life as being common to families deep into child rearing. He stubbornly refused to consider that any of his criticisms were unjustified.
The prognosis for any significant change in this troubled relationship was poor.
Possible Causes
It has long been thought that the excessive concerns for neatness and orderliness must have been caused by overly ridged and punishing methods of toilet training children, who then adopted these demanding standards for the rest of their lives. Frankly, many psychologists consider this to be a gross oversimplification of the problem. I share this view.
While exact causes of Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder are unknown, it seems most likely that they reside in an interaction of modeling and imitation, rewards (reinforcement) and punishment, and perhaps there are even biological determinants which will someday be identified.
I have often observed that Obsessive compulsive individuals have also come from homes in which there has been intense fear and anxiety related to abuse, nasty divorces, or other tragedies. From this perspective, the great control that these individuals attempt to impose upon their world would appear to be a defense against the anxiety produced by things beyond their control.
Neither the husband or the wife wanted a divorce. But, regrettably, with the passing years of continued conflict the likelihood of a divorce would increase for this family.
This example further illustrates that the mechanisms and effects of bad behavioral contagion can be subtle and far reaching.
Dr. Tom, 4/8/10
Showing posts with label Behavioral Contagion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Behavioral Contagion. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Behavioral Contagion: Histrionic Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Individuals diagnosed with Histrionic Disorder often act as though they were “on stage” performing for a large audience. They are theatrical in the ways that they exaggerate their emotions, use drama, and use exaggerated speech. The exaggerated emotions of this personality type were once named Hysterical Personality Disorder. These individuals may dress in ways that make their physical appearance the focus of everyone’s attention. They are uncomfortable when they lose the attention of other’s and they may react in sexually suggestive and provocative ways to remain “center stage”. Others around them may initially see these behaviors as attractive, exciting or charming. However, histrionic behavior patterns make it difficult to maintain close and enduring relationships. After a time, the over-exaggerated happy and excited or profoundly upset and sad emotions become intolerable to many others. They often come to see such emotional displays as shallow and manipulative. This leads to chronic relationship problems.
A Representative Example
She was very beautiful young woman who shined and sparkled in every way. She was a bleach blond, with heavy make-up, lots of jewelry, and she dressed in short dresses with plunging neck lines. She also had the ability to move into a social setting and “take over the spotlight”. She was witty, charming, entertaining, and she had and infectious laugh that enlivened happy social occasions. The lady had a special ability to make a man think that she was attracted to him and that she was “available” to him. She “never met a stranger”, and was never at a loss for words.
The lady in question was married to her third husband who was very jealous of her flirtatious ways with other men. He did his best to satisfy her extravagant wants and desires, but she always wanted more. He did his best to raise his step son, but the boy was oppositional and defiant to him, as he treated his mother the same way. This ladies husband found his family life to be in constant conflict and turmoil.
If the husband took exception to her dramatic or flirtatious behaviors, she was “deeply wounded” and her anger at him could last for days. She was as extreme in her upset as she was in her joy and happiness.
The marriage ended when her husband found out that she had been arranging to meet a lover (another married man)when she was away on business trips.
Possible Causes
Histrionic personality disorder is thought to be caused by emotionally cold and over-controlling parents who have caused their children to feel unloved and fearful of abandonment. These kinds of early experiences are thought, for many, to lead to extremely high needs for attention and nurturance from others in adult life. It is thought that by creating situations in which they play the role of a victim, in some form of crisis, these individuals are able to manipulate others into supporting and caring for them. Histrionic behavior patterns are thought to be a defense against a deep fear of rejection and abandonment. At other times they are extremely skilled at using different methods to remain the center of attention.
The spread of psychological problems within a population resulting from Histrionic personality disorders can occur through the ways in which these individuals treat their children. In the example above, the son became frustrated, angry and oppositional towards not only his mother and step father, but also all other adults. The series of divorces that this woman experienced was not only harmful to her son and her extended family, but also to her husbands, their families, and any children that the husband may have brought to his new marriage. Also, in the example above, the woman had an afair with another married man which threatens to be a destructive force in that family.
Dr. Tom 4/7/10
Individuals diagnosed with Histrionic Disorder often act as though they were “on stage” performing for a large audience. They are theatrical in the ways that they exaggerate their emotions, use drama, and use exaggerated speech. The exaggerated emotions of this personality type were once named Hysterical Personality Disorder. These individuals may dress in ways that make their physical appearance the focus of everyone’s attention. They are uncomfortable when they lose the attention of other’s and they may react in sexually suggestive and provocative ways to remain “center stage”. Others around them may initially see these behaviors as attractive, exciting or charming. However, histrionic behavior patterns make it difficult to maintain close and enduring relationships. After a time, the over-exaggerated happy and excited or profoundly upset and sad emotions become intolerable to many others. They often come to see such emotional displays as shallow and manipulative. This leads to chronic relationship problems.
A Representative Example
She was very beautiful young woman who shined and sparkled in every way. She was a bleach blond, with heavy make-up, lots of jewelry, and she dressed in short dresses with plunging neck lines. She also had the ability to move into a social setting and “take over the spotlight”. She was witty, charming, entertaining, and she had and infectious laugh that enlivened happy social occasions. The lady had a special ability to make a man think that she was attracted to him and that she was “available” to him. She “never met a stranger”, and was never at a loss for words.
The lady in question was married to her third husband who was very jealous of her flirtatious ways with other men. He did his best to satisfy her extravagant wants and desires, but she always wanted more. He did his best to raise his step son, but the boy was oppositional and defiant to him, as he treated his mother the same way. This ladies husband found his family life to be in constant conflict and turmoil.
If the husband took exception to her dramatic or flirtatious behaviors, she was “deeply wounded” and her anger at him could last for days. She was as extreme in her upset as she was in her joy and happiness.
The marriage ended when her husband found out that she had been arranging to meet a lover (another married man)when she was away on business trips.
Possible Causes
Histrionic personality disorder is thought to be caused by emotionally cold and over-controlling parents who have caused their children to feel unloved and fearful of abandonment. These kinds of early experiences are thought, for many, to lead to extremely high needs for attention and nurturance from others in adult life. It is thought that by creating situations in which they play the role of a victim, in some form of crisis, these individuals are able to manipulate others into supporting and caring for them. Histrionic behavior patterns are thought to be a defense against a deep fear of rejection and abandonment. At other times they are extremely skilled at using different methods to remain the center of attention.
The spread of psychological problems within a population resulting from Histrionic personality disorders can occur through the ways in which these individuals treat their children. In the example above, the son became frustrated, angry and oppositional towards not only his mother and step father, but also all other adults. The series of divorces that this woman experienced was not only harmful to her son and her extended family, but also to her husbands, their families, and any children that the husband may have brought to his new marriage. Also, in the example above, the woman had an afair with another married man which threatens to be a destructive force in that family.
Dr. Tom 4/7/10
Monday, April 5, 2010
Behavoral Contagion: Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
We all depend upon others. Indeed, to be socially connected to others is to be interdependent with them. But individuals diagnosed with dependent personality disorder show a near total reliance upon others who make almost all of their major and minor decisions for them, to bolster their self-esteem, and to care for their child-like needs. These individuals strongly feel that they cannot manage their own lives (though they may be capable), they are unable to assert their personal needs in a relationship, and they are desperate to hang-on to those on whom they depend---no matter what. As a result, such individuals lack the ability to manage their own lives and behave as a fully functional adult. Such individuals dread separation from those who they let run their lives, they are often depressed, and can suffer from suicidal thinking. They will often do degrading things in order not to lose the ones they depend on.
All of these features can worsen if they feel they are going to be abandoned by their care-taker (parent, boyfriend/girlfriend, or spouse). As a result, these individuals often suffer emotional and physical abuse at the hands of others, and they may tolerate emotional, physical, or sexual abuse of their children by those upon whom they are pathologically dependent.
If separated from those who they depend upon, they are likely to quickly “latch-on” to another dependent relationship to avoid feelings of intense anxiety and fear.
Representative Examples
It is not hard to identify examples of dependent personality disorder. These problems are most prevalent in women, but they can and do occur in men.
I recall the shocking media pictures from several decades ago, of wife and mother who had been beaten for many years by her husband, a successful New York attorney. Her face was shockingly disfigured by the chronic beatings she had endured.
To compound this tragedy, the mother also allowed her husband to beat her young daughter. This couple was prosecuted when an autopsy of their dead child revealed broken bones dating back to her earliest years of life.
A woman with three children sought the help of a therapist to extricate her and her children from an abusive marriage. The man had beat her repeatedly in front of her children, had held them all at gun point threatening to kill them. The therapist worked diligently to get this woman to take action: providing the phone number of the local women's shelter, prompting to call and talk to the professionals there, and to make the necessary plans to leave her home in a safe manner to gain refuge at the woman's shelter. The woman withdrew from therapy and stayed with this man.
Possible Causes
Dependent personality disorder has traditionally been thought to result from a lack of loving care during the first year or so of life. This could lead to a desperate life-long search for care and nurturance. As with so many other personality disorders, parental separation, loss, or rejection have often been implicated. Some theorists suggest that opposite causes of parental over-protectiveness and over-involvement in their children's lives could yield the same excessive dependency needs in later life. Behavioral explanations suggest that parents may actually reward (reinforce) extreme dependence in their children and punish their efforts at independence by withdrawing their love and support. It is also possible that some parents show their own dependency problems and their children come to imitate their dependent behaviors.
Dr. Tom 4/5/10
We all depend upon others. Indeed, to be socially connected to others is to be interdependent with them. But individuals diagnosed with dependent personality disorder show a near total reliance upon others who make almost all of their major and minor decisions for them, to bolster their self-esteem, and to care for their child-like needs. These individuals strongly feel that they cannot manage their own lives (though they may be capable), they are unable to assert their personal needs in a relationship, and they are desperate to hang-on to those on whom they depend---no matter what. As a result, such individuals lack the ability to manage their own lives and behave as a fully functional adult. Such individuals dread separation from those who they let run their lives, they are often depressed, and can suffer from suicidal thinking. They will often do degrading things in order not to lose the ones they depend on.
All of these features can worsen if they feel they are going to be abandoned by their care-taker (parent, boyfriend/girlfriend, or spouse). As a result, these individuals often suffer emotional and physical abuse at the hands of others, and they may tolerate emotional, physical, or sexual abuse of their children by those upon whom they are pathologically dependent.
If separated from those who they depend upon, they are likely to quickly “latch-on” to another dependent relationship to avoid feelings of intense anxiety and fear.
Representative Examples
It is not hard to identify examples of dependent personality disorder. These problems are most prevalent in women, but they can and do occur in men.
I recall the shocking media pictures from several decades ago, of wife and mother who had been beaten for many years by her husband, a successful New York attorney. Her face was shockingly disfigured by the chronic beatings she had endured.
To compound this tragedy, the mother also allowed her husband to beat her young daughter. This couple was prosecuted when an autopsy of their dead child revealed broken bones dating back to her earliest years of life.
A woman with three children sought the help of a therapist to extricate her and her children from an abusive marriage. The man had beat her repeatedly in front of her children, had held them all at gun point threatening to kill them. The therapist worked diligently to get this woman to take action: providing the phone number of the local women's shelter, prompting to call and talk to the professionals there, and to make the necessary plans to leave her home in a safe manner to gain refuge at the woman's shelter. The woman withdrew from therapy and stayed with this man.
Possible Causes
Dependent personality disorder has traditionally been thought to result from a lack of loving care during the first year or so of life. This could lead to a desperate life-long search for care and nurturance. As with so many other personality disorders, parental separation, loss, or rejection have often been implicated. Some theorists suggest that opposite causes of parental over-protectiveness and over-involvement in their children's lives could yield the same excessive dependency needs in later life. Behavioral explanations suggest that parents may actually reward (reinforce) extreme dependence in their children and punish their efforts at independence by withdrawing their love and support. It is also possible that some parents show their own dependency problems and their children come to imitate their dependent behaviors.
Dr. Tom 4/5/10
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Behavioral Contagion: Avoidant Personality Disorder
Avoidant Personality Disorder
Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder can become isolated from other people in a way that looks superficially similar to the schizoid personality type.
The big difference is that the schizoid really does not want, or feel, the need to have a relationship with anyone. They are content in their state of relative social isolation. The avoidant individual is actually lonely, unhappy, and desirous of close and loving relationships. But, after seeking and acheiving a relationship with someone, they thenbegin to withdraw from it. This process may repeat itself many times, and is likely to destroy marriages, romantic relationshops and friendships.
What appears to stand in their way of achieving lasting intimacy is their fear of criticism, fear of appearing inadequate, and fear of being rejected by those who with whom they wish to be close. These individuals withdraw from relationships because and they are uncomfortable with psychological intimacy and they fear shame, ridicule, and failure. They struggle to overcome feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, but they are inhibited and become isolated by these feelings.
If someone with these avoidant tendencies does find the courage to enter an intimate relationship with someone, they are apt to vacillate in and out of it until the relationship is destroyed. These anxieties about inadequacy are pervasive and they can inhibit other social, vocational, recreational and educational opportunities. Through it all, those with avoidant personality features feel lonely and unfulfilled.
A Representative Example
A handsome, bright, and articulate man in his thirties once sought counseling because of his distress in a relationship with his fiancee. His chief complaint was that she was the perfect woman for him, but “he could not help doing the things that damaged their relationship” and made it less likely that they would ever marry.
He would purposefully be late for their various dates and other events. He would not call for long periods of time and at other times would be quiet and cool in their relationship for reasons that he could not understand. At other times he would “pull himself together” and be especially attentive and caring to her, before he slipped into another cycle of avoidance of intimacy. The man was deeply distressed and perplexed by his inability to form a lasting intimate relationship a woman and he recounted many such failed attempts in the past with other girlfriends. Not only was he very unhappy, but so were the ones that he attempted to have relationships with.
Possible Causes
Therapists have found that individuals showing avoidant personality symptoms often were shamed and ridiculed by parents, who were highly critical and who did not showed much love and affection. It is thought that children so treated are in danger of “internalizing” (believing that such treatment reflects their true nature) and then continuing this treatment of themselves in their own thinking.
Many clinicians also think that this culture’s high rates of divorce can traumatize children into fearing such outcomes in their own lives if they attempt to have close and enduring relationships with others. In fact, this appeared to be the case with the man described above. The divorce of his parents was an exceedingly painful loss for him and (as typical of children) he had feared that he might have had something to do with it, hence his feelings of being flawed and inferior in some ways.
This is another example of bad behavioral contagion. There are conditions under which divorce is advisable such as abuse, chronic addiction, or chronic infidelity. However, I believe that divorce is very bad for the children involved and some of the effects are fairly subtle.
Often the tendency of young adults to remain single longer than in the past, and to divorce at alarmingly high rates, is attributed to various socio-economic factors,. The spread of relationship insecurities within our population, now called Avoidant Personality Disorder, contributes to this trend and it self-propagates through the mechanisms of behavioral contagion.
Dr. Tom 4/3/10
Individuals with Avoidant Personality Disorder can become isolated from other people in a way that looks superficially similar to the schizoid personality type.
The big difference is that the schizoid really does not want, or feel, the need to have a relationship with anyone. They are content in their state of relative social isolation. The avoidant individual is actually lonely, unhappy, and desirous of close and loving relationships. But, after seeking and acheiving a relationship with someone, they thenbegin to withdraw from it. This process may repeat itself many times, and is likely to destroy marriages, romantic relationshops and friendships.
What appears to stand in their way of achieving lasting intimacy is their fear of criticism, fear of appearing inadequate, and fear of being rejected by those who with whom they wish to be close. These individuals withdraw from relationships because and they are uncomfortable with psychological intimacy and they fear shame, ridicule, and failure. They struggle to overcome feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, but they are inhibited and become isolated by these feelings.
If someone with these avoidant tendencies does find the courage to enter an intimate relationship with someone, they are apt to vacillate in and out of it until the relationship is destroyed. These anxieties about inadequacy are pervasive and they can inhibit other social, vocational, recreational and educational opportunities. Through it all, those with avoidant personality features feel lonely and unfulfilled.
A Representative Example
A handsome, bright, and articulate man in his thirties once sought counseling because of his distress in a relationship with his fiancee. His chief complaint was that she was the perfect woman for him, but “he could not help doing the things that damaged their relationship” and made it less likely that they would ever marry.
He would purposefully be late for their various dates and other events. He would not call for long periods of time and at other times would be quiet and cool in their relationship for reasons that he could not understand. At other times he would “pull himself together” and be especially attentive and caring to her, before he slipped into another cycle of avoidance of intimacy. The man was deeply distressed and perplexed by his inability to form a lasting intimate relationship a woman and he recounted many such failed attempts in the past with other girlfriends. Not only was he very unhappy, but so were the ones that he attempted to have relationships with.
Possible Causes
Therapists have found that individuals showing avoidant personality symptoms often were shamed and ridiculed by parents, who were highly critical and who did not showed much love and affection. It is thought that children so treated are in danger of “internalizing” (believing that such treatment reflects their true nature) and then continuing this treatment of themselves in their own thinking.
Many clinicians also think that this culture’s high rates of divorce can traumatize children into fearing such outcomes in their own lives if they attempt to have close and enduring relationships with others. In fact, this appeared to be the case with the man described above. The divorce of his parents was an exceedingly painful loss for him and (as typical of children) he had feared that he might have had something to do with it, hence his feelings of being flawed and inferior in some ways.
This is another example of bad behavioral contagion. There are conditions under which divorce is advisable such as abuse, chronic addiction, or chronic infidelity. However, I believe that divorce is very bad for the children involved and some of the effects are fairly subtle.
Often the tendency of young adults to remain single longer than in the past, and to divorce at alarmingly high rates, is attributed to various socio-economic factors,. The spread of relationship insecurities within our population, now called Avoidant Personality Disorder, contributes to this trend and it self-propagates through the mechanisms of behavioral contagion.
Dr. Tom 4/3/10
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Antisocial Personality Disorder
This destructive personality disorder tends to emerge from childhood patterns of a disregard for the feelings and rights of others and for family, institutional, or social conventions,rules and laws. Childhood diagnoses for such behavior patterns are Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. These disorders are listed under Axis I in the DSM-IV. I have presented them here with Axis II disorders because I think it is important that you see the tendency of these childhood problems to evolve into similar but more fully developed adult behavior patterns. It does not always happen, but all too frequently these behavior patterns tend to develop through one or two other child and adolescent diagnoses into its fully mature manifestation known as Antisocial Personality Disorder. The developmental steps toward the fully mature personality disorder are as follows:
In Oppositional Defiant Disorder, children challenge adult rules and demands, argue with adults, have often have bad temper problems, lie and blame others for their troubles. These problems normally start before puberty at around eight years of age.
Conduct Disorder is a more severe pattern of problem behaviors in which the rights of others are frequently violated. These children often lie, cheat, damage property, and run away from school and/or home. They may often aggress against others and may even hurt animals for entertainment. Other illegal activities such a robbery, extortion, rape, and murder may also occur in extreme cases. Conduct disorder can start sometime before 10 years or in later adolescence.
When an individual reaches the age of 18 years and still shows the enough of the previously mentioned behavior patterns they will be diagnosed as antisocial personality disorder. Individuals showing these behavior patterns are also sometimes called "sociopaths" or "psychopaths"; the names may change--but the behaviors the same.
As adults, these people show a strong disregard for the rights of others and the rule of law. They appear to have failed to develop the ability to empathize with others and they do not suffer conscious pangs of consciousness if they hurt or kill others. They are impulsive, seek thrills, take risks, are unreliable, spend money foolishly, can be irritable and aggressive, and have trouble maintaining close relationships with anyone. The motto for this category of diagnosis may be "if I want it---I'll take it, if it feels good---I'll do it: lying, cheating, manipulating, and stealing is good fun."
A Representative Example
Not surprisingly, these individuals have problems with drug and alcohol addiction and are often sentenced to prison for criminal behavior. Charles Manson is often cited as someone who shows many of the features of antisocial personality disorder, as well as other psychological problems.
A thirty year old man sought help from a therapist because he claimed to be having problems with his wife and wished to leave her for his girlfriend, of over one year. He attended only several sessions and attempted to persuade the therapist that leaving his wife and four children for his girlfriend was the right thing for him to do.
He contended that his wife was unstable. When the therapist discussed his responsibilities to his wife and children, and his moral obligation to work on his problem (actually only his reported “problem”) he did not return. Predictably he did not pay the bill for his sessions.
It was apparent that he was seeking a psychologist to support him in an impending court battle with his wife. At the start of the first session, this individual, with unmistakable pride and pleasure, reeled off a report of the drugs he had taken (nearly all that we might think of), the fights, the high speed chases with the police, fires that he set, a car he blew up, a "knee capping" ("shoot the guy in the knee cap --it won't kill them but it will hurt like hell--and others won't mess with you anymore"), and a stint in prison. He seemed excited to tell the therapist what he called the "Sicilian Motto": "The sweetest form of forgiveness is revenge!" Yes, these and similar behavior patterns extended back into this man's childhood; and yes, the diagnosis was antisocial personality disorder.
As you may already surmised, his wife’s psychological problems were largely a result of living with him. She would eventually divorce him, but he would remain a very damaging factor in his children’s lives. If he would remain connected to him, which is doubtful, he would be a very bad model for them to imitate. If he deserted them, they would suffer feelings of abandonment for the rest of their lives. It is common for such divorcing personality disordered individuals to remain unreliably connected to their ex spouses and children to frustrate and torture their ex and to propagandize their children against her or him. They will frequently spend significant sums of money and time to hire lawyers to drain their meager funds with legal fees and make them miserable.
The above is a strong example of how behavioral contagion can damage others who are associated with someone who suffers from a serious personality disorder. Unfortunately, research strongly indicates that anti-social personality disorder has a significant heritability factor and so behavior patterns similar to those of the problem parent are more likely to show-up in the children as they mature.
Suspected Causes
Genes
Antisocial personality disorder is perhaps the best researched of all the personality disorders. There is strong evidence that tendencies to show antisocial personality disorder can be inherited. Many studies have demonstrated elevated correlations in antisocial behavior of within families.
While some of the similarities could be due to imitation factors, children adopted and raised by adoptive parents still show stronger correlations for antisocial behavior with their biological parents than with their adoptive parents.
There is evidence that individuals with antisocial tendencies have slower central nervous systems, lower levels of autonomic nervous system arousal and slower skin conductance than normal individuals. They crave excitement and are not much affected by punishing consequences for their inappropriate behavior. One of the earmarks such individuals is their failure to learn from their painful experiences.
Learning
Antisocial personality disordered individuals are very likely to have lived in families that experienced poverty, disorganization, discord, family violence, divorce, abuse and abandonment. Presumably as a result of this, antisocial individuals do not trust others and they lack the moral development and interpersonal empathy so important to normal social relationships.
It is also thought that antisocial parents may teach their children to behave in similar ways through their modeling these behavior patterns and children learning to imitate them. Furthermore, it is very possible that when children tantrum, argue, and become aggressive to parental instructions that parents may "give-in" and terminate their demands, thereby teaching the children to behave in these oppositional and coercive ways to authority figures.
It should also be noted that Children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder seem to at an increased risk of eventually being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
It is likely that any, or all, of these factors could contribute to the development of antisocial personality disorder in any specific case.
If these behavior pattern emerge in your family, seek help early from an experienced psychologist. Protect yourselves from association with others who show antisocial tendencies and vote for representatives who will work to reduce the growth of these behavioral tendencies
within our population.
Dr. Tom, 3/27/10
This destructive personality disorder tends to emerge from childhood patterns of a disregard for the feelings and rights of others and for family, institutional, or social conventions,rules and laws. Childhood diagnoses for such behavior patterns are Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder. These disorders are listed under Axis I in the DSM-IV. I have presented them here with Axis II disorders because I think it is important that you see the tendency of these childhood problems to evolve into similar but more fully developed adult behavior patterns. It does not always happen, but all too frequently these behavior patterns tend to develop through one or two other child and adolescent diagnoses into its fully mature manifestation known as Antisocial Personality Disorder. The developmental steps toward the fully mature personality disorder are as follows:
In Oppositional Defiant Disorder, children challenge adult rules and demands, argue with adults, have often have bad temper problems, lie and blame others for their troubles. These problems normally start before puberty at around eight years of age.
Conduct Disorder is a more severe pattern of problem behaviors in which the rights of others are frequently violated. These children often lie, cheat, damage property, and run away from school and/or home. They may often aggress against others and may even hurt animals for entertainment. Other illegal activities such a robbery, extortion, rape, and murder may also occur in extreme cases. Conduct disorder can start sometime before 10 years or in later adolescence.
When an individual reaches the age of 18 years and still shows the enough of the previously mentioned behavior patterns they will be diagnosed as antisocial personality disorder. Individuals showing these behavior patterns are also sometimes called "sociopaths" or "psychopaths"; the names may change--but the behaviors the same.
As adults, these people show a strong disregard for the rights of others and the rule of law. They appear to have failed to develop the ability to empathize with others and they do not suffer conscious pangs of consciousness if they hurt or kill others. They are impulsive, seek thrills, take risks, are unreliable, spend money foolishly, can be irritable and aggressive, and have trouble maintaining close relationships with anyone. The motto for this category of diagnosis may be "if I want it---I'll take it, if it feels good---I'll do it: lying, cheating, manipulating, and stealing is good fun."
A Representative Example
Not surprisingly, these individuals have problems with drug and alcohol addiction and are often sentenced to prison for criminal behavior. Charles Manson is often cited as someone who shows many of the features of antisocial personality disorder, as well as other psychological problems.
A thirty year old man sought help from a therapist because he claimed to be having problems with his wife and wished to leave her for his girlfriend, of over one year. He attended only several sessions and attempted to persuade the therapist that leaving his wife and four children for his girlfriend was the right thing for him to do.
He contended that his wife was unstable. When the therapist discussed his responsibilities to his wife and children, and his moral obligation to work on his problem (actually only his reported “problem”) he did not return. Predictably he did not pay the bill for his sessions.
It was apparent that he was seeking a psychologist to support him in an impending court battle with his wife. At the start of the first session, this individual, with unmistakable pride and pleasure, reeled off a report of the drugs he had taken (nearly all that we might think of), the fights, the high speed chases with the police, fires that he set, a car he blew up, a "knee capping" ("shoot the guy in the knee cap --it won't kill them but it will hurt like hell--and others won't mess with you anymore"), and a stint in prison. He seemed excited to tell the therapist what he called the "Sicilian Motto": "The sweetest form of forgiveness is revenge!" Yes, these and similar behavior patterns extended back into this man's childhood; and yes, the diagnosis was antisocial personality disorder.
As you may already surmised, his wife’s psychological problems were largely a result of living with him. She would eventually divorce him, but he would remain a very damaging factor in his children’s lives. If he would remain connected to him, which is doubtful, he would be a very bad model for them to imitate. If he deserted them, they would suffer feelings of abandonment for the rest of their lives. It is common for such divorcing personality disordered individuals to remain unreliably connected to their ex spouses and children to frustrate and torture their ex and to propagandize their children against her or him. They will frequently spend significant sums of money and time to hire lawyers to drain their meager funds with legal fees and make them miserable.
The above is a strong example of how behavioral contagion can damage others who are associated with someone who suffers from a serious personality disorder. Unfortunately, research strongly indicates that anti-social personality disorder has a significant heritability factor and so behavior patterns similar to those of the problem parent are more likely to show-up in the children as they mature.
Suspected Causes
Genes
Antisocial personality disorder is perhaps the best researched of all the personality disorders. There is strong evidence that tendencies to show antisocial personality disorder can be inherited. Many studies have demonstrated elevated correlations in antisocial behavior of within families.
While some of the similarities could be due to imitation factors, children adopted and raised by adoptive parents still show stronger correlations for antisocial behavior with their biological parents than with their adoptive parents.
There is evidence that individuals with antisocial tendencies have slower central nervous systems, lower levels of autonomic nervous system arousal and slower skin conductance than normal individuals. They crave excitement and are not much affected by punishing consequences for their inappropriate behavior. One of the earmarks such individuals is their failure to learn from their painful experiences.
Learning
Antisocial personality disordered individuals are very likely to have lived in families that experienced poverty, disorganization, discord, family violence, divorce, abuse and abandonment. Presumably as a result of this, antisocial individuals do not trust others and they lack the moral development and interpersonal empathy so important to normal social relationships.
It is also thought that antisocial parents may teach their children to behave in similar ways through their modeling these behavior patterns and children learning to imitate them. Furthermore, it is very possible that when children tantrum, argue, and become aggressive to parental instructions that parents may "give-in" and terminate their demands, thereby teaching the children to behave in these oppositional and coercive ways to authority figures.
It should also be noted that Children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder seem to at an increased risk of eventually being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder.
It is likely that any, or all, of these factors could contribute to the development of antisocial personality disorder in any specific case.
If these behavior pattern emerge in your family, seek help early from an experienced psychologist. Protect yourselves from association with others who show antisocial tendencies and vote for representatives who will work to reduce the growth of these behavioral tendencies
within our population.
Dr. Tom, 3/27/10
Monday, March 15, 2010
Population Psychological Problems Reciprocally Related To Cultural Decline
Population Psychological Problems Reciprocally Related To Cultural Decline
It is not a simple relationship, but one that swirls back upon itself. Psychological disorders cause cultural decline and they are produced by cultural decline. This synergistic causal whirlwind is taking America down.
Personality disorders are deeply ingrained inflexible and maladaptive “traits” or ways of behaving. My use of the word “behaving” includes ways of thinking (“I can’t take care of myself” or “I am such a looser”); and having emotions (often becoming frantically upset or unable to feel emotions); perceiving (“they are laughing at me” or “they are out to get me”). A few examples of the behaviors that may be shown by those who have personality disorders are habitual lying, breaking the law, acting superior to everyone else, being abusive to others. As you will soon see, there are many other examples of damaging and distressing ways in which people think, perceive, emote, and act.
Personality disorders usually start to show themselves in adolescence or young adulthood and they are highly resistant to change. Personality disorders normally persist a life-time.
When someone has a personality disorder these characteristic damaging personality patterns will show themselves across a wide variety of settings and social situations and they generally hurt the individuals ability to work, play, and have close relations with others. More importantly they hurt other people with whom the personality disordered individual interacts.
Naturally the examples of problem behavior patterns that I have provided (there are many more) are hurtful and crippling to the individual who shows them. But, everyone fails to appreciate the trauma experienced by others who’s lives are damaged and sometimes ruined by the actions of those with personality disorders. This tunnel vision which focuses only upon the self-defeating nature of the one with the personality disorder blinds us to costs to the socioculture of such individuals. The damage of personality disorders spreads from the troubled individual to others who come in contact with them (employers, friends, spouses, children, and other family members). In cases of criminal behavior, those damaged may be unsuspecting strangers who have not elected to associate with the disordered individual.
Do not forget that the damaging effects of a personality disorder are damaging to the many people who interact with the individual who has this psychological problem. The negative effects of these behaviors can be very contagious to others.
Dr. Tom 3/15/10
It is not a simple relationship, but one that swirls back upon itself. Psychological disorders cause cultural decline and they are produced by cultural decline. This synergistic causal whirlwind is taking America down.
Personality disorders are deeply ingrained inflexible and maladaptive “traits” or ways of behaving. My use of the word “behaving” includes ways of thinking (“I can’t take care of myself” or “I am such a looser”); and having emotions (often becoming frantically upset or unable to feel emotions); perceiving (“they are laughing at me” or “they are out to get me”). A few examples of the behaviors that may be shown by those who have personality disorders are habitual lying, breaking the law, acting superior to everyone else, being abusive to others. As you will soon see, there are many other examples of damaging and distressing ways in which people think, perceive, emote, and act.
Personality disorders usually start to show themselves in adolescence or young adulthood and they are highly resistant to change. Personality disorders normally persist a life-time.
When someone has a personality disorder these characteristic damaging personality patterns will show themselves across a wide variety of settings and social situations and they generally hurt the individuals ability to work, play, and have close relations with others. More importantly they hurt other people with whom the personality disordered individual interacts.
Naturally the examples of problem behavior patterns that I have provided (there are many more) are hurtful and crippling to the individual who shows them. But, everyone fails to appreciate the trauma experienced by others who’s lives are damaged and sometimes ruined by the actions of those with personality disorders. This tunnel vision which focuses only upon the self-defeating nature of the one with the personality disorder blinds us to costs to the socioculture of such individuals. The damage of personality disorders spreads from the troubled individual to others who come in contact with them (employers, friends, spouses, children, and other family members). In cases of criminal behavior, those damaged may be unsuspecting strangers who have not elected to associate with the disordered individual.
Do not forget that the damaging effects of a personality disorder are damaging to the many people who interact with the individual who has this psychological problem. The negative effects of these behaviors can be very contagious to others.
Dr. Tom 3/15/10
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Suspected Causes of Depression
Many potential causes of depression have been identified on the basis of research and keen observation. Various of these factors can interact and summate as they determine the course and severity of depressive episodes.
The following is a brief summary of possible causes:
Genetic factors have been implicated by researchers who study the extended families of depressed individuals and find that relatives have a significantly higher incidence of depression than the general population. Closer relatives of depressed persons have higher rates of depression than do distant relatives.
In twin studies identical twins have a much higher chance of both suffering from depression than do fraternal (nonidentical) twins. These kinds of studies could be taken as evidence for the learning of depressed behavior in families as a result of similar experiences, and learning can be an important factor. Adoption studies have also suggest that genetics can play a significant role in the development of depression.
Biochemical factors may also be involved in depression. Neurotransmitters are molecules that move between the neurons (special nervous system cells in the brain) allowing neuro-impulses to travel from one cell to the next. The search is not over, but so far, two specific neurotransmitters have been found to occur at low levels in depressed individuals. It has also possible that these neurotransmitters could be present in sufficient quantity, but may not used effectively by the brain. These neurotransmitters are norepinephrine and serotonin. Anti-depressant medications are known to increase the availability of these brain chemicals and/or to improve the way the brain uses them, thereby relieving depression.
Hormonal factors may also be involved in depression. It has been found that people who are depressed frequently show elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands when individuals are under stress. Stressful events are often found to have preceded episodes of depression. High levels of another hormone named melatonin have also been implicated in depression. It is thought that the lack of sun associated with winter months may cause a build up of melatonin and produce the depression that is called seasonal affective disorder.
Psychological theories have identified many life events that predispose individuals to depression. Psychodynamic theorists have noted that the death or loss of a loved one early in life increases the likelihood of depression for the person experiencing the loss. The separation of children under six from their mothers has been found to lead to a form of child depression (anaclitic depression). These findings also hold for infant monkeys separated from their mothers. It appears that maintaining early emotional attachments with caretakers is very important to mental health of children and the adults that they become.
Behaviorists have observed that depressed individuals have often lost a significant proportion of the rewarding people, places, things, or abilities that they have customarily enjoyed in life. In some individuals a loss of important sources of rewards are thought to precipitate a downward spiral of depression in which these people do fewer things and therefore obtain even fewer rewards in their lives. Also, studies have demonstrated a behavioral contagion effect in which non-depressed people were exposed to other individuals who acted depressed. The findings were that some of those who were simply exposed to a depressed person began to feel depressed themselves.
Cognitive factors refer to a persons beliefs, attitudes and ways of thinking about the world. Cognitive-behavioral research has found that feelings of helplessness accompanying depressed behavior can be produced by repeatedly experiencing painful events over which the individual has no control. More recent changes to this theory note that a perceived lack of control over such painful events is more important than the actual control which is available.
Other psychologists have examined cognitive factors that can lead to depression. For example people can learn to think negatively about their past, present and future. They can also magnify various minor problems and minimize the good things in their lives. Depressed people also frequently have automatic thoughts which they think in a “reflexive”-like and uncritical way. Such thoughts might include things like: "I certainly am damaged goods", “I’ll never amount to anything”, I'm the biggest screw-up on earth", or "I've got so many problems I just can't take it anymore."
It is good that you have taken the time to become familiar with some of the likely factors that may predispose people to periods of depression. Knowing your risk factors could help you to lower some of them. Perhaps you could share this information with your loved ones. Knowing our risk factors can help us all to be more alert for early indications of depression and to seek professional help early.
As always, prevention and early treatment are the best approaches.
Dr. Tom
11/29/09
Many potential causes of depression have been identified on the basis of research and keen observation. Various of these factors can interact and summate as they determine the course and severity of depressive episodes.
The following is a brief summary of possible causes:
Genetic factors have been implicated by researchers who study the extended families of depressed individuals and find that relatives have a significantly higher incidence of depression than the general population. Closer relatives of depressed persons have higher rates of depression than do distant relatives.
In twin studies identical twins have a much higher chance of both suffering from depression than do fraternal (nonidentical) twins. These kinds of studies could be taken as evidence for the learning of depressed behavior in families as a result of similar experiences, and learning can be an important factor. Adoption studies have also suggest that genetics can play a significant role in the development of depression.
Biochemical factors may also be involved in depression. Neurotransmitters are molecules that move between the neurons (special nervous system cells in the brain) allowing neuro-impulses to travel from one cell to the next. The search is not over, but so far, two specific neurotransmitters have been found to occur at low levels in depressed individuals. It has also possible that these neurotransmitters could be present in sufficient quantity, but may not used effectively by the brain. These neurotransmitters are norepinephrine and serotonin. Anti-depressant medications are known to increase the availability of these brain chemicals and/or to improve the way the brain uses them, thereby relieving depression.
Hormonal factors may also be involved in depression. It has been found that people who are depressed frequently show elevated levels of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands when individuals are under stress. Stressful events are often found to have preceded episodes of depression. High levels of another hormone named melatonin have also been implicated in depression. It is thought that the lack of sun associated with winter months may cause a build up of melatonin and produce the depression that is called seasonal affective disorder.
Psychological theories have identified many life events that predispose individuals to depression. Psychodynamic theorists have noted that the death or loss of a loved one early in life increases the likelihood of depression for the person experiencing the loss. The separation of children under six from their mothers has been found to lead to a form of child depression (anaclitic depression). These findings also hold for infant monkeys separated from their mothers. It appears that maintaining early emotional attachments with caretakers is very important to mental health of children and the adults that they become.
Behaviorists have observed that depressed individuals have often lost a significant proportion of the rewarding people, places, things, or abilities that they have customarily enjoyed in life. In some individuals a loss of important sources of rewards are thought to precipitate a downward spiral of depression in which these people do fewer things and therefore obtain even fewer rewards in their lives. Also, studies have demonstrated a behavioral contagion effect in which non-depressed people were exposed to other individuals who acted depressed. The findings were that some of those who were simply exposed to a depressed person began to feel depressed themselves.
Cognitive factors refer to a persons beliefs, attitudes and ways of thinking about the world. Cognitive-behavioral research has found that feelings of helplessness accompanying depressed behavior can be produced by repeatedly experiencing painful events over which the individual has no control. More recent changes to this theory note that a perceived lack of control over such painful events is more important than the actual control which is available.
Other psychologists have examined cognitive factors that can lead to depression. For example people can learn to think negatively about their past, present and future. They can also magnify various minor problems and minimize the good things in their lives. Depressed people also frequently have automatic thoughts which they think in a “reflexive”-like and uncritical way. Such thoughts might include things like: "I certainly am damaged goods", “I’ll never amount to anything”, I'm the biggest screw-up on earth", or "I've got so many problems I just can't take it anymore."
It is good that you have taken the time to become familiar with some of the likely factors that may predispose people to periods of depression. Knowing your risk factors could help you to lower some of them. Perhaps you could share this information with your loved ones. Knowing our risk factors can help us all to be more alert for early indications of depression and to seek professional help early.
As always, prevention and early treatment are the best approaches.
Dr. Tom
11/29/09
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrom (FAS)
Prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy put their infants at risk for biological damage. Binge drinking among college students and early alcohol consumption among teens has increased dramatically. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risks of a newborn infant suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS often shows itself in head and facial deformities that tend to create elf-like facial features, slow growth, abnormal joints (feet, fingers, toes), heart defects, tremors and agitation in newborns, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, abnormal brain development and possible mild to moderate mental retardation.
Rough estimates of the occurrence of FAS are 1 to 2 of every 1000 babies. This figure increases to around 29 of 1000 women who heavily consume alcohol early in their pregnancies.
In general, alcohol consumption among our female population has also increased in recent decades. Guidelines for the safe consumption of alcohol during pregnancy are not clear and this has led many health professionals to recommend zero alcohol use during pregnancy.
This leaves society with three major problems: The first is that many pregnant women do not get this message. Secondly, many of the women who do understand that alcohol is dangerous to their in-utero developing babies simply behave irresponsibly: some knowingly take the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. In many other cases pregnant women are addicted to alcohol and believe they cannot control their alcohol intake. Finally, and most diabolically, women may drink alcohol during that early time interval when they have not yet discovered that they are pregnant.
Physical and neurological damage caused by woman who consume alcohol or other drugs during pregnancy cannot be cured. These infants are damaged for the rest of their lives. The effects of these impairments will reverberate for at least three generations: the mother’s life, the child’s life, and the lives of the many others with whom the damaged and growing person will interact. The costs in lost human potential and financial resources of substance abuse to the unborn and society are huge and difficult to establish.
What, in general, are the costs of an impaired child through life? There are the costs of special education, unemployment, medical care and welfare. Insurance costs must increase as well as our taxes. What about the costs of crime, law enforcement, prosecution, and prison?
We seldom think about the costs to us all of the forms of behavioral contagion that I have outlined above. If we fail to control these costs to society through prevention, this human source drain upon our health and viabilitycan destroy America’s health and viability.
We must prevent FAS and other factors that destroy our children.
I am reminded of a nursery rhyme from my childhood:
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the Kings men and all the Kings horses couldn’t put poor Humpty Dumpty together again.”
The prevention of our human problems is the best and most cost-effective way.
God Bless,
Dr. Tom
Women who drink alcohol during pregnancy put their infants at risk for biological damage. Binge drinking among college students and early alcohol consumption among teens has increased dramatically. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risks of a newborn infant suffering from fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS often shows itself in head and facial deformities that tend to create elf-like facial features, slow growth, abnormal joints (feet, fingers, toes), heart defects, tremors and agitation in newborns, hyperactivity, learning disabilities, abnormal brain development and possible mild to moderate mental retardation.
Rough estimates of the occurrence of FAS are 1 to 2 of every 1000 babies. This figure increases to around 29 of 1000 women who heavily consume alcohol early in their pregnancies.
In general, alcohol consumption among our female population has also increased in recent decades. Guidelines for the safe consumption of alcohol during pregnancy are not clear and this has led many health professionals to recommend zero alcohol use during pregnancy.
This leaves society with three major problems: The first is that many pregnant women do not get this message. Secondly, many of the women who do understand that alcohol is dangerous to their in-utero developing babies simply behave irresponsibly: some knowingly take the risks of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. In many other cases pregnant women are addicted to alcohol and believe they cannot control their alcohol intake. Finally, and most diabolically, women may drink alcohol during that early time interval when they have not yet discovered that they are pregnant.
Physical and neurological damage caused by woman who consume alcohol or other drugs during pregnancy cannot be cured. These infants are damaged for the rest of their lives. The effects of these impairments will reverberate for at least three generations: the mother’s life, the child’s life, and the lives of the many others with whom the damaged and growing person will interact. The costs in lost human potential and financial resources of substance abuse to the unborn and society are huge and difficult to establish.
What, in general, are the costs of an impaired child through life? There are the costs of special education, unemployment, medical care and welfare. Insurance costs must increase as well as our taxes. What about the costs of crime, law enforcement, prosecution, and prison?
We seldom think about the costs to us all of the forms of behavioral contagion that I have outlined above. If we fail to control these costs to society through prevention, this human source drain upon our health and viabilitycan destroy America’s health and viability.
We must prevent FAS and other factors that destroy our children.
I am reminded of a nursery rhyme from my childhood:
“Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the Kings men and all the Kings horses couldn’t put poor Humpty Dumpty together again.”
The prevention of our human problems is the best and most cost-effective way.
God Bless,
Dr. Tom
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