I promise this will be my
last post about VSS & DP/DR if at all possible. <modsnip>
TLDR--
VSS didn't make BK kill people. The associated
depersonalization/derealization that came from the VSS and happened during his formative early teen socialization years
was likely a major factor in shaping him into the person he became. And the person he became is accused of murdering 4 people.
I'm not interested in it as a mitigating factor or anything to do with sentencing. However, their mitigating specialist may bring the VSS+DP/DR up, and I felt it was important to provide people accurate information about this rare disorder.
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My interest in BK and the seeming diagnosis of VSS plus DP/DR has nothing to do with the mitigation phase for sentencing. I am interested in it because I'm interested in who this person is and what are some of the factors that shaped him. We all come to true crime for different reasons--interest in the legal processes, interest in criminal psych, interest in amplifying victims' names, crime prevention, etc. I want to be very very clear on this--visual snow syndrome in and of itself
did not make BK or anyone commit murder.
It is a syndrome that is hard to diagnose and treat because many of its causes are unknown--migraines can do it, medications can cause it, inflammation of the blood vessels in the eyes can cause it, some people who take hallucinogenic drugs can develop a version of it(HPPD). But those aforementioned "known" causes can only be identified in a small percentage of sufferers. Which is why finding a treatment to help it so hard and often not successful.
Depersonalization/derealization is something that many people with VSS end up experiencing. It can be anywhere from mild to severe. It tends to be present more often and more severe in individuals who have existing mental health disorders like OCD or anxiety/depression or a genetic disposition to those disorders. And I suspect that we are going to find out a lot about BK's mental health history.
Important points:
1) VSS affects people differently--some VSS folk have BETTER vision at night because they are dealing with less glare from lights and the static becomes harder to see when there is less light contrast. Some VSS people are better in the day but still need darkening glasses/lenses to help deal with the glare. IT VARIES, and some doctors think the day/night vision depends on what caused the VSS in that person.
2) People who have depersonalization/derealization, even very severe cases, are usually EXCELLENT at masking in public situations. And the longer a person has DP/DR, the better they get at masking. I think this quote sums it up very well: "...people with DPD often do not appear at all unwell or different to even their closest acquaintances; despite experiencing a total lack of empathy, friends and family do not notice any marked change. The person with DPD is often able to sleepwalk through daily life, and even to maintain close relationships, but is robbed of the emotional peaks and troughs of normal human existence. It only enhances sensations of detachment."
Depersonalisation disorder: the condition you’ve never heard of that affects millions
Yes, he got his associates degree and then his bachelor's and master's at a not very big university. Part of that time was during lockdown so his classes were virtual. His glowing review was from a professor (Dr. Ramsland) that he had for an online class and didn't interact with face to face. Heck, that criminal survey people saw online was for his thesis...which he wasn't going to be able to finish because he didn't start doing the survey early enough/get enough results, so his professor/advisor had to help him change the thesis enough to be able to finish it another way. Yes, he had a job for a few years--as a school security guard in the district where his parents worked (not sure if at the same school as where his mom worked). A job where he was put in a tiny position of power, a job without lots of responsibilities/deadlines, a job that didn't require him to be a people pleaser to get by. A job where minor infractions might be overlooked because his parents worked there and people liked them. A person being able to function is not the best barometer of what is going on inside.
I feel like I'm in the movie Clue and need to shout "VSS was just a red herring!" It's not the VSS itself you need to look at--it's what comes along with VSS and how a person's mental health reacts to it that is important in this scenario. And in many cases, and as self described by BK (we believe), that is depersonalization/derealization.
No, I'm not a medical professional. But my son lives with this, so I've talked to numerous medical professionals that he has seen at some very well known teaching hospitals, and he's been through the whole gamut of testing. And no, my son's experience with VSS+DP/DR (and OCD) isn't universal. However, for going on 6 years now I have read and participated in message boards about VSS and DP/DR and seen the spectrum of what those with it experience and express in their own words. And from reading their posts about their lives, I have to say that the Tapatalk posts that are said to be BK's ring of truth.
As to how VSS+DP/DR can lead to violence...I've seen it up close and personal in much much smaller ways in my own house. (EDITED to delete personal story)
en.wikipedia.org
