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What would you do if you knew your young child is a psychopath?

13

Comments

  • #62
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    The university of yore ma, where'd you get yours? Fun fact, I'm bipolar, doesn't mean I know everything about it, same as having a kid with Asperger's and adhd doesn't make you and expert.

    And no, I'm an absolute bollix.


  • #63
    flutterflye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,538 ✭✭✭flutterflye


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    The university of yore ma, where'd you get yours? Fun fact, I'm bipolar, doesn't mean I know everything about it, same as having a kid with Asperger's and adhd doesn't make you and expert.

    And no, I'm an absolute bollix.

    Read the grief thread.
    my mom when I was a kid died asshole.

    Edit: Oh and I have studied psychology in university on and off for 3 years.


  • #64
    WooPeeA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,136 ✭✭✭WooPeeA


    I'd send him to Norway. He'd get no more than 21 years in luxurious resort with Japanese personal psychologist.


  • #65
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    flutterflye wrote: »
    Read the grief thread.
    my mom when I was a kid died asshole.

    And that's genuinely terrible despite having absolutely nothing to do wth the conversation. My Grand dad got ass cancer, seeing as how we're sharing stories.


  • #66
    flutterflye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,538 ✭✭✭flutterflye


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    And that's genuinely terrible despite having absolutely nothing to do wth the conversation. My Grand dad got ass cancer, seeing as how we're sharing stories.

    See edit btw.
    It has something to do with "yore ma".
    I am not continuing this crap anyway.
    You have just started insulting me and being an a$$ for no reason that I can see.
    I may not know all there is to know about asd, but I bet I know a damn sight more than you.
    Goodnight to you.


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  • #67
    take everything
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,995 ✭✭✭take everything


    MCMLXXV wrote: »
    Psycopathy
    Psychosis

    What's the difference?

    (Genuine question)

    Psychopathy is basically a personality disorder (antisocial/dissocial personality). So it's about abnormal personality traits. In this case, as mentioned, superficial charm, lack of empathy, manipulation, etc. These traits are enduring and difficult to treat.

    Psychosis is a general term for mental disorder where there is a break with reality. So, essentially abnormality in perception (hallucinations), thinking (delusions eg paranoia) and insight into the disorder (they don't see themselves as sick).
    Schizophrenia is one type of psychosis. It comes with its own specific delusions and hallucinations. Psychosis is treated with antipsychotics.


  • #68
    Big Nasty
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 22,066 ✭✭✭✭Big Nasty


    Thread is spiraling out of control! :eek::eek::eek:


  • #69
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    flutterflye wrote: »
    See edit btw.
    It has something to do with "yore ma".
    I am not continuing this crap anyway.
    You have just started insulting me and being an a$$ for no reason that I can see.
    I may not know all there is to know about asd, but I bet I know a damn sight more than you.
    Goodnight to you.

    Night love, I'll be in to you in a minute.


  • #70
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,511 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    I think the only logical thing is to make a ennuch out of the child , that usually turns them back into well behaved kids quickly .


  • #71
    Shane L
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 89 ✭✭Shane L


    Psychopaths are meant to be great actors and learn how to act emotionally when they are young. I'd say most psychopaths wouldn't know there was anything wrong with them at all. On average your a CEO of a major company is a couple of percent more likely to a psychopath compared to any other profession! I'd send my kid into business but use the fact I know he's a psychopath to get MOneh :cool: I'll probably end up dead though :pac:


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  • #72
    c_man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,436 ✭✭✭c_man


    What would you do if you knew your young child is a psychopath?

    Discard the defective. Have another one. Simple.


  • #73
    ToddyDoody
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,419 ✭✭✭ToddyDoody


    Consider if an amygdolotomy might be a good option? It seems to be a mild form of brain surgery -very expensive i'm sure and it does interfere with the child's personality, maybe unnecessarily if therapy might improve things to acceptable levels. More info from wikipedia, the student surgeon's best friend. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychosurgery


  • #74
    not yet
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭not yet


    send em back and ask for a refund.


  • #75
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,098 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    flutterflye wrote: »
    Different how?
    A sociopath may 'know' right from wrong, but it's not their 'fault' that they don't care.
    If they are just made that way, and someone with asd is made the way they are.
    Neither is better or worse.
    Both are disorders.
    One is pc, and one isn't, that is all.

    Anyway, I was only refering to the empathy aspect.

    The point of the OP was that this is a very challenging moral dylemma. A psychopath is going to grow up and is almost certain to cause harm to others while pursuing his/her own self gratification regardless of the consequences.

    The dylemma is, as a parent, should you try to protect your child from the authorities who would probably lock him/her up in an institution if they knew he/she was a psychopath, or should you try and protect the wider public from your child given the risk that he/she might kill or rape or mutilate or even take control of a corporation and use it's resources in a way that would show no regard for society (there are studies that show that there are a significant number of psychopaths at the higher echelons of the political/corporate/religious ladder and the current global socio economic situation demonstrates how damaging it can be to have a culture of almost universal corporate irresponsibility)

    For parents of autistic children, the decisions are mainly about the childs own welfare, unless there are other factors at play in the individual case, an autistic person is unlikely to be a significant threat to others, while a psychopathic person is almost always a significant threat to others almost all of the time.

    I don't know what I would do if I was faced with the choice of protecting my child who happened to be born a psychopath, or betraying him and turning him in. I wonder how many parents who kill their own child do so because they believe that their children are evil (psychopathic) and i wonder how many of them may have been correct about their assessment and how many innocent people were spared the misfortune of having been prey to one of these psychopaths.

    Ban billionaires



  • #76
    Solnskaya
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭Solnskaya


    Bipolar Joe wrote: »
    Night love, I'll be in to you in a minute.
    psycho!:D I'd just send the little fecker to live with Bipolar-joe, I reckon he'd break the hardest heart.


  • #77
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 33,057 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Akrasia wrote: »
    Psychopaths are people who are born without the capacity for empathy. They are extremely likely to grow up and commit some horrendous crimes. There is no cure. most psychopaths spend their lives in jail or a mental institution or are loose in society causing devastation to innocent people around them. If you were the parent of a 8 year old who you discovered was secretly torturing animals and displaying all the symptoms of being a psychopath, what would you do?

    No-one is born an emotionless psychopath. If your kid turns out to be one it's probably your fault. Also just because someone is an emotionless psychopath does not mean they have a mental disorder.


  • #78
    Solnskaya
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,463 ✭✭✭Solnskaya


    Mahatma coat wrote: »
    To those who say Put down the Psychopath
    heres another question for you

    What would you do if you knew your young Child had Down Synrome??
    is the answer somthing to do with "up"??


  • #79
    flutterflye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,538 ✭✭✭flutterflye


    Akrasia wrote: »
    The point of the OP was that this is a very challenging moral dylemma. A psychopath is going to grow up and is almost certain to cause harm to others while pursuing his/her own self gratification regardless of the consequences.

    The dylemma is, as a parent, should you try to protect your child from the authorities who would probably lock him/her up in an institution if they knew he/she was a psychopath, or should you try and protect the wider public from your child given the risk that he/she might kill or rape or mutilate or even take control of a corporation and use it's resources in a way that would show no regard for society (there are studies that show that there are a significant number of psychopaths at the higher echelons of the political/corporate/religious ladder and the current global socio economic situation demonstrates how damaging it can be to have a culture of almost universal corporate irresponsibility)

    For parents of autistic children, the decisions are mainly about the childs own welfare, unless there are other factors at play in the individual case, an autistic person is unlikely to be a significant threat to others, while a psychopathic person is almost always a significant threat to others almost all of the time.

    I don't know what I would do if I was faced with the choice of protecting my child who happened to be born a psychopath, or betraying him and turning him in. I wonder how many parents who kill their own child do so because they believe that their children are evil (psychopathic) and i wonder how many of them may have been correct about their assessment and how many innocent people were spared the misfortune of having been prey to one of these psychopaths.

    My son is more of a threat to others than himself tbh.
    If you have a child with asd, maybe they are different.
    I am just basing my posts on my own experience with my own child.
    You cannot say what I face as a parent.
    I have to watch my son like a hawk around my daughter, as he is likely to hurt her otherwise.


  • #80
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,098 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    flutterflye wrote: »
    My son is more of a threat to others than himself tbh.
    If you have a child with asd, maybe they are different.
    I am just basing my posts on my own experience with my own child.
    You cannot say what I face as a parent.
    I have to watch my son like a hawk around my daughter, as he is likely to hurt her otherwise.

    Then I am very sorry for your situation, It must be a great torment to you. As I said, I do not know what I would do if I had to deal with something like that

    If there are other siblings that could be vulnerable to your child then I suppose I would have to find a way to keep them safe. Do your son's social care workers know about your concerns? Have they presented you with any options about treatments or safeguards to protect your son and his brothers and sisters (and yourself?)

    Ban billionaires



  • #81
    wild_cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭wild_cat


    Not all of them grow up to be killers. Some sit on the boards of the biggest companies in the world. Having no empathy also helps you climb the career ladder.
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2005/apr/18/medicineandhealth


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  • #82
    ScumLord
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,787 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Same thing I'd tell any child, to be themselves and to not let anything stand in the way of their dreams.


  • #83
    spider guardian
    Closed Accounts Posts: 884 ✭✭✭spider guardian


    I got the theme from the omen playing in my head right now


  • #84
    Akrasia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 24,098 ✭✭✭✭Akrasia


    Mickeroo wrote: »
    No-one is born an emotionless psychopath. If your kid turns out to be one it's probably your fault. Also just because someone is an emotionless psychopath does not mean they have a mental disorder.

    The current thinking is that psychopaths are born with a different medulla to the rest of the population. The medibula is the part of the brain that controls consequences and the anticipation of pain and fear. It means that a psychopath can not remember the pain he has suffered in the past and so can not fear a repeat of that pain in the future, he has no fear of the consequences of his actions. because he can not remember his own pain, he can not empathise with the pain of others.

    He has all the drive and intelligence of an ordinary person, but is is more impulsive and is more likely to take risks and not fear the consequences. He can learn strategies to make himself more successful in the future and this is how he learns, through trial and error and reason, not through fear of the negative consequences of failure.

    In many ways this provides the psychopath with all kinds of advantages over ordinary people, but the downside is that they are constantly at the risk of allowing their impulses to overwhelm their well laid plans and do sometheng very nasty indeed

    Ban billionaires



  • #85
    Mickeroo
    Administrators, Computer Games Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 33,057 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Mickeroo


    Akrasia wrote: »
    The current thinking is that psychopaths are born with a different medulla to the rest of the population. The medibula is the part of the brain that controls consequences and the anticipation of pain and fear. It means that a psychopath can not remember the pain he has suffered in the past and so can not fear a repeat of that pain in the future, he has no fear of the consequences of his actions. because he can not remember his own pain, he can not empathise with the pain of others.

    He has all the drive and intelligence of an ordinary person, but is is more impulsive and is more likely to take risks and not fear the consequences. He can learn strategies to make himself more successful in the future and this is how he learns, through trial and error and reason, not through fear of the negative consequences of failure.

    In many ways this provides the psychopath with all kinds of advantages over ordinary people, but the downside is that they are constantly at the risk of allowing their impulses to overwhelm their well laid plans and do sometheng very nasty indeed

    I wasn't aware of neurological abnormalities being linked with psychopathy, pretty interesting stuff. They seem to conclude that its a factor alright but not the sole influence in a psychopaths characterisitcs.

    According to wiki it's the amygdala and the prefrontal cortext where the anomalies occur :
    Recent studies have triggered theories on determining whether there is a biological relationship between the brain and psychopathy. One theory suggests that psychopathy is associated with both the amygdala, which is associated with emotional reactions and emotional learning, and the prefrontal cortex, associated with impulse control, decision-making, emotional learning and behavioral adaptation. Some studies have shown there is less "gray matter" in these areas in psychopaths than in non-psychopaths.


  • #86
    stovelid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,252 ✭✭✭✭stovelid


    Draw up a list of people I would like them to kill for me (under threat of Christmas being cancelled) before they're old enough to get sent down for it.


  • #87
    take everything
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,995 ✭✭✭take everything


    Akrasia wrote: »
    The current thinking is that psychopaths are born with a different medulla to the rest of the population. The medibula is the part of the brain that controls consequences and the anticipation of pain and fear. It means that a psychopath can not remember the pain he has suffered in the past and so can not fear a repeat of that pain in the future, he has no fear of the consequences of his actions. because he can not remember his own pain, he can not empathise with the pain of others.

    He has all the drive and intelligence of an ordinary person, but is is more impulsive and is more likely to take risks and not fear the consequences. He can learn strategies to make himself more successful in the future and this is how he learns, through trial and error and reason, not through fear of the negative consequences of failure.

    In many ways this provides the psychopath with all kinds of advantages over ordinary people, but the downside is that they are constantly at the risk of allowing their impulses to overwhelm their well laid plans and do sometheng very nasty indeed
    Akrasia wrote: »
    The current thinking is that psychopaths are born with a different medulla to the rest of the population. The medibula is the part of the brain that controls consequences and the anticipation of pain and fear. It means that a psychopath can not remember the pain he has suffered in the past and so can not fear a repeat of that pain in the future, he has no fear of the consequences of his actions. because he can not remember his own pain, he can not empathise with the pain of others.

    He has all the drive and intelligence of an ordinary person, but is is more impulsive and is more likely to take risks and not fear the consequences. He can learn strategies to make himself more successful in the future and this is how he learns, through trial and error and reason, not through fear of the negative consequences of failure.

    In many ways this provides the psychopath with all kinds of advantages over ordinary people, but the downside is that they are constantly at the risk of allowing their impulses to overwhelm their well laid plans and do sometheng very nasty indeed

    I think you probably mean Amygdala, part of the limbic system. Never heard of a "medibula" but i'm open to correction. :p The medulla is concerned with more basic vital processes like breathing, heart rate, consciousness etc. The limbic system, as you say is concerned with, essentially, for want of a better description, emotion and memory. So yeah the amygdala is probably involved in some way.
    The aetiology of psychopathy is ill understood. The frontal lobe (prefrontal cortex and impulse control etc and how it regulates the limbic system) probably has a lot to do with it.
    Environmental insults (head injury?) and i guess upbringing probably have a role as well.


  • #88
    ejmaztec
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 24,369 ✭✭✭✭ejmaztec


    I'd leave lists lying around with the names and addresses of people I didn't like on them. I'd then buy him a Fisher Price chainsaw for his birthday.


  • #89
    Bipolar Joe
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,443 ✭✭✭Bipolar Joe


    Solnskaya wrote: »
    psycho!:D I'd just send the little fecker to live with Bipolar-joe, I reckon he'd break the hardest heart.

    I'm not allowed to baby sit for friends, any more :(:( .


  • #90
    zanador
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 505 ✭✭✭zanador


    what's the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath?


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  • #91
    Hank_Jones
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,783 ✭✭✭Hank_Jones


    Give him a box of matches and tell him to go play.


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