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Gregorian

(23,867 posts)

78. Studies have also shown that early abuse leads to physical changes in the brains structure.

Sun Dec 16, 2012, 09:20 PM

Dec 2012

Very curious. I wonder if psychopaths might be manufactured. By parents.

And I can find a source. But it's buried in one of the Alice Miller books. She's the author, if you want to check her out. And I totally advise everyone who was once a child to read her. She has the solution to what ails the planet. It's just too uncomfortable for most to even go near.

We're going to make a better world, if we want to.

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Raising Adam Lanza's.. Raising 9-Year-Old a Psychopaths [View all] HipChick Dec 2012 OP

These kids grow up to be CEOs, lobbyists, and U.S. politicians. nt valerief Dec 2012 #1

Exactly. Psychopaths/sociopaths are SUCCESSFUL in life, one way or another -- downandoutnow Dec 2012 #3

So if Adam Lanza Turbineguy Dec 2012 #28

From the article csziggy Dec 2012 #59

You didn't get just the tiniest 'Anti-Social Personality Disorder-Sociopathic Type' vibe off coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #63

I agreed with that. . . Springslips Dec 2012 #107

Just the smart ones eridani Dec 2012 #98

Some of our most highly valued and rewarded behaviors. n/t Egalitarian Thug Dec 2012 #2

Even these guys are still missing the point. They're getting warmer though. It's the parents. Gregorian Dec 2012 #4

Most likely the parents play a minor role FarCenter Dec 2012 #5

well said Blue_Roses Dec 2012 #46

Why in the world would she keep guns in the house? vlyons Dec 2012 #50

+1 gazillion valerief Dec 2012 #99

Did you actually read the article? Live and Learn Dec 2012 #7

This is why Alice Miller had such a difficult time getting her work to be accepted. Gregorian Dec 2012 #17

So you completely disregard the physiological differences? nt Live and Learn Dec 2012 #18

They are so many magnitudes apart, in numbers, that one is all we need to look at. Gregorian Dec 2012 #20

Gregorian, I agree with you and I have read Alice Miller and Gabor Mate. vanlassie Dec 2012 #58

You know that statement, "We are not born with it (empathy)" flies in the face of everything I've 1monster Dec 2012 #71

If you read to the place where it says "How is empathy generated?" vanlassie Dec 2012 #94

Alice Miller was wrong. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #102

Both you and Alice Miller are right. Let's not kill this conversation. Gregorian Dec 2012 #115

"so-called research" Odin2005 Dec 2012 #119

I believe, like autism laundry_queen Dec 2012 #38

I think this is all such important for the conversation we're having. Thank you for even joining in. Gregorian Dec 2012 #116

autism use to be thought of as a parenting problem liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #30

Hell, asthma used to be thought of as a parenting problem. hunter Dec 2012 #37

Yep, called smother mothers. libdem4life Dec 2012 #47

I find this attitude to be highly offensive. KSstellarcat Dec 2012 #32

I cannot suggest strongly enough that you read Alice Miller's books. Gregorian Dec 2012 #44

So what makes Alice Miller more of an expert than others? 1monster Dec 2012 #72

Her willingness to explore what every other professional won't dare touch. Gregorian Dec 2012 #81

Maybe her abuse predisposes her toward the parent angle adigal Dec 2012 #90

Sorry, assuming all disturbed people had bad parents leads to witch hunts... Odin2005 Dec 2012 #103

That was one of the stupidest books easttexaslefty Dec 2012 #118

Alice M. studied/wrote about environmental influences. However, she did not MichiganVote Dec 2012 #53

The problem is most likely to arise when a person has contributing factors AND is poorly parented. vanlassie Dec 2012 #60

Alice M. studies/wrote about child abuse and mistreatment. MichiganVote Dec 2012 #61

I agree. vanlassie Dec 2012 #93

Disagree with you. The current thinking is that the causes of personality disorders are biological. Michigan Alum Dec 2012 #97

"Drama of the Gifted Child", "For Your Own Good". She was a genius. Cetacea Dec 2012 #109

As you can see, it's hard even among the smart liberals here to get the message across. Gregorian Dec 2012 #114

Thank you. She had that effect on me as well And others I have known. Cetacea Dec 2012 #120

Bullshit. Sociopaths have actual problems in their brains. white_wolf Dec 2012 #8

Nonsense.. sendero Dec 2012 #10

MOST of the time it, parents aren't adapting appropriately. In a small fraction of instances, they patrice Dec 2012 #12

That's pretty much my point too. Gregorian Dec 2012 #19

Thank you for the reading suggestions. I am thinking about why the difference between the 2 sets of patrice Dec 2012 #29

I have a three year old preschooler ... (i'm the teacher) bluemarkers Dec 2012 #42

In the 1950's mothers were told Shiraz Dec 2012 #41

exactly liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #73

Actually, nurture-is-everything "Blank-Slate-ism" tends to be a left-wing thing. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #104

Yes, my severe asthma is caused by my "smother mother". Its all psychological doncha know! riderinthestorm Dec 2012 #86

Why is everyone so willing to ignore the role of the parents. AlbertCat Dec 2012 #48

bingo liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #74

I'm sorry, but infants rely on parents for their very survival. Gregorian Dec 2012 #83

These studies you're mentioning, are well after the period of time in which I'm talking about. AlbertCat Dec 2012 #91

Study finds psychopaths have distinct brain structure PADemD Dec 2012 #52

Studies have also shown that early abuse leads to physical changes in the brains structure. Gregorian Dec 2012 #78

The parents aren't responsible for measurable differences in the brain. pnwmom Dec 2012 #66

Abuse in very young children causes physiological changes in the brain. It's a fact. Gregorian Dec 2012 #89

I've read Alice Miller's The Drama of the Gifted Child and I agree she has important things to say. pnwmom Dec 2012 #95

I must strongly disagree. I think "It's the genetics" is more accurate and may help coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #67

This message was self-deleted by its author Warren DeMontague Dec 2012 #75

No, its also the guns. The guns that allow one nut to kill 28 people quickly. Warren DeMontague Dec 2012 #76

You probably think autism is caused by "frigid mothers", too. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #101

It is pretty much decided Springslips Dec 2012 #108

sometimes parents are to blame, and sometimes they aren't KSstellarcat Dec 2012 #6

It's hard to imagine how parents could possibly be to blame Major Nikon Dec 2012 #21

Dubya blew up frogs when he was a kid proud2BlibKansan Dec 2012 #9

Yes, and W's mother was lacking in the trait of empathy as well. I DO believe there can be a vanlassie Dec 2012 #22

How many children have helicopter parents XemaSab Dec 2012 #33

It depends laundry_queen Dec 2012 #39

Your thinking leads to the kind of witch hunts against parents... Odin2005 Dec 2012 #105

Quite a stretch... vanlassie Dec 2012 #110

WTF are you talking about? laundry_queen Dec 2012 #117

Responsive care meets a child's individual developmental needs. It has nothing to do with vanlassie Dec 2012 #54

I DO believe there can be a genetic component AlbertCat Dec 2012 #49

Exactly. The parents control the environment, to a great degree. It's their responsibility. vanlassie Dec 2012 #55

The parents control the environment AlbertCat Dec 2012 #62

I agree 100%. You can lock up all the knives (read "firearms"). But then the child may simply coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #68

Parents control the baby's environment. The first three years vanlassie Dec 2012 #92

KICK: A very worthy read! Thanks for posting! nt patrice Dec 2012 #11

Thanks, this is a valuable addition to the conversation. KittyWampus Dec 2012 #13

What level of empathy is considered normal and appropriate? undeterred Dec 2012 #14

+1. when you think about it, any society which condemns a large proportion of its citizens to HiPointDem Dec 2012 #26

agreed. nt laundry_queen Dec 2012 #40

I'd say it stops well short of torturing animals, or drowning people out of "scientific" curiosity. whathehell Dec 2012 #56

K&R Solly Mack Dec 2012 #15

Clockwerk Orange? progressoid Dec 2012 #16

I'm worried the worst is yet to come... ileus Dec 2012 #23

Is there a correlation between difficult times in a society, say like GreenPartyVoter Dec 2012 #80

i have a big problem with this kind of thing. i think the evidence is weak and cherry-picked and HiPointDem Dec 2012 #24

Excellent and thought provoking article. s-cubed Dec 2012 #25

as a mother of a bi polar son , this article is so important proud patriot Dec 2012 #27

There is NO MONEY for mental health.. no money for any bed in any hospital... lib2DaBone Dec 2012 #34

I am so sorry you're child has bi polar disorder liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #35

You have my complete sympathies (step-parent of bi-polar daughter). People coalition_unwilling Dec 2012 #70

Fascinating, but scarey article. HooptieWagon Dec 2012 #31

Reminds me of the plot of "The Bad Seed". no_hypocrisy Dec 2012 #36

Or "The Good Son" Fantastic Anarchist Dec 2012 #69

East of Eden. Cathy mainstreetonce Dec 2012 #43

This is a scary story. bluestate10 Dec 2012 #45

We are reaping what we have sown by doping up 5 year old's with Ritalin, Adderal etc etc ... Myrina Dec 2012 #51

You make it sound like we are dumping meds into kids for no reason and GreenPartyVoter Dec 2012 #79

I understand that but Myrina Dec 2012 #84

Our situation isn't about taking the edge off, it's about realigning GreenPartyVoter Dec 2012 #88

Supposedly there's a genetic component, too Nevernose Dec 2012 #57

This message was self-deleted by its author 1monster Dec 2012 #64

Fascinating reading. We know so damned little about the psychological processes of children. 1monster Dec 2012 #65

I found out recently that a young cousin of mine who I last saw when he was 18 is apparently kestrel91316 Dec 2012 #77

Thanks for the OP and other reading suggestions in the thread. JohnnyLib2 Dec 2012 #82

Post removed Post removed Dec 2012 #85

Jesus. That is a scary read. renie408 Dec 2012 #87

Really interesting article. I have run across people all my life TwilightGardener Dec 2012 #96

Reminds me of a short story I read in school many years ago Shrek Dec 2012 #100

A story from a ritzy private school in DC... Sparkly Dec 2012 #106

I think a bit too self-serving... frostfern Dec 2012 #111

Autism and Asperger's disorder are diagnoses "slapped on" to kids who are withdrawn or who have Michigan Alum Dec 2012 #113

The proper term for this disorder is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) (per the DSM-IV TR) Michigan Alum Dec 2012 #112