Casey & Family Psychological Profile #10

[PaulaF513]

I've stayed away from the psych threads...so...maybe well trodden ground...

I'm currently reading a book on Narcissim - one in my life & I'm looking for coping strategies - and finding striking similarities w/ the behaviors attributed to narcissim when compared to those demonstrated by both Cindy & Casey.

Just FWIW. I never realized how well-defined this behavior is...'till now. It is definitely a learning experience.

IMO, Casey is a malignant narcissist

 

[Harmony 2]

These are two very interesting articles about psychopathy:
http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm

Destined as a psychopath? Experts seek clues
Researchers hope to identify at-risk kids and modify antisocial behavior
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30267075//

 

[Mamabear1963]

If there were a vote I would vote for Narcissism for the entire family...Today show appearances and all....


:truce:

 

[OneLostGrl]

This is not really accurate. Sociopaths may, in fact, be able to identify what others are feeling quite competently. In fact, they may quite relish the emotional responses of others. They don't care, and don't empathize, but they do, in fact, have an idea what others feel. They themselves experience emotion (if not remorse and empathy) and therefore can identify it in others.

Manipulating others' emotions for sport is one of my sociopath father's favorite activities.

Amen!

 

[OneLostGrl]

IMO, Casey is a malignant narcissist

She has some of that in her, no doubt about that!

 

[justthinkin]

This is not really accurate. Sociopaths may, in fact, be able to identify what others are feeling quite competently. In fact, they may quite relish the emotional responses of others. They don't care, and don't empathize, but they do, in fact, have an idea what others feel. They themselves experience emotion (if not remorse and empathy) and therefore can identify it in others.

Manipulating others' emotions for sport is one of my sociopath father's favorite activities.

BetsyB, I'm going to have to disagree with your explanation as well.
Sociopaths are keen observers of other people. They can see when something they say or do causes distress in another person. They can't relate to the distress though. They can observe the physical expressions in other people of happiness, sadness, love, but the meaning behind those expressions escapes them. They do not understand the emotion behind the physical display. They see they are different from the majority, and they learn that these facial, body expressions are important to others in some way, so they learn to mimic them. Still, it's just another means of manipulation for them.

They may be able to experience anger, but do they understand anger in others? No, again, they can't relate to any emotion outside themselves--lack of empathy. Now, I want to make it clear, I'm speaking of someone with full blown psychopathy, not someone who exhibits some of the traits. The further away we get from psychopathy the greater the emotional content of the person until we arrive at the range of what constitutes normal emotional experience in human beings.

Just the opinions of a self directed student of psychology.

 

[Just Jayla]

CA must have to have affirmation with GA on a near daily basis-Whenever he is upset, or whenever he is slipping into his old doubts, she must comfort him by telling him to trust his instincts, to think of the sweet little girl he rasied...to ask himself if that sweet baby could hurt a fly...She lets him know that she will allow him to live in this imaginary world of self doubt, and that they are insulated.
It's like CA hooked him on her drug, and he was already weak to it. He will never have to rehab, because she enables him to block his old feelings. I don't have a lot of hope for him reverting to his initial ways, he is so entrenched now, and he can just as easily live like a zombie than feel the actual pain that would come from being intellectually honest with himself.

 

[chckmate22]

I couldn't help but post this after reading this quote in a book

"Although it is the mother who contributes mostly in producing the conditions which we are going to describe, we usually find in the history of schizophrenics that both parents have failed the child, often for different reasons. Frequently the combination is as follows: A domineering, nagging, and hostile mother, who gives the child no chance to assert him/her self, is married to a dependent, weak man, too weak to help the child. A father who dares not to protect the child...because he is not able to oppose her (mother) personality is just as crippling to the child as the mother is"

Written by Silvano Arietti - Interpretations of Schizophrenia--

Although I dont believe she is a schizo it shows how much damage BOTH PARENTS DO!!!!

 

[sharpar]

Poor KC yep she is run of the mill narcissistic not the more intriguing psychopath - even in crazy she doesnt hit the top tier.
What all these cluster B's want is you to believe the fiction they are selling and they know they have you when they achieve your rescue, fear or sympathy.
If Andera does bond with psychopaths then I say she has serious Family of Origin issues.
Brilliance is not going to convince 12 people that anything KC has done is acceptable
normal or appropriate .

 

[21merc7]

Poor KC yep she is run of the mill narcissistic not the more intriguing psychopath - even in crazy she doesnt hit the top tier.
What all these cluster B's want is you to believe the fiction they are selling and they know they have you when they achieve your rescue, fear or sympathy.
If Andera does bond with psychopaths then I say she has serious Family of Origin issues.
Brilliance is not going to convince 12 people that anything KC has done is acceptable
normal or appropriate .

Thanks so much, I completely agree. Just a boring narcissistic spoiled brat. 12 people will know she is cares for herself, that is it, nothing interesting here, just killed her child. Plain and simple. (We all have family issues, but that does not make a psychopath.)

 

[JBean]

bumpity bump

 

[Reagan]

This is not really accurate. Sociopaths may, in fact, be able to identify what others are feeling quite competently. In fact, they may quite relish the emotional responses of others. They don't care, and don't empathize, but they do, in fact, have an idea what others feel. They themselves experience emotion (if not remorse and empathy) and therefore can identify it in others.

Manipulating others' emotions for sport is one of my sociopath father's favorite activities.

I agree with you... and I know I bring up this constantly, but only because it's a perfect example of KC and CA's dysfunction towards one another.

The jailhouse visit where CA puts on a rather poor performance... she's okay until she see's KC in the distance, then she immediately begins to break down, hoping KC will feel sorry for her and give her more info about Caylee. KC sees this and grins, and asks GA "Why is she crying already?". Then when CA gets on the phone, KC says in a very upbeat manner, "Hi mom!".

She knows her mom is hurting (though I think CA is acting more than anything at that moment to get something out of KC) and KC gets off on it.

I think she knows others emotions, but just doesn't care. Otherwise, how would she be able to mimic (albeit very poorly) emotions? Does that make sense?

 

[elementary]

BetsyB, I'm going to have to disagree with your explanation as well.
Sociopaths are keen observers of other people. They can see when something they say or do causes distress in another person. They can't relate to the distress though. They can observe the physical expressions in other people of happiness, sadness, love, but the meaning behind those expressions escapes them. They do not understand the emotion behind the physical display. They see they are different from the majority, and they learn that these facial, body expressions are important to others in some way, so they learn to mimic them. Still, it's just another means of manipulation for them.

They may be able to experience anger, but do they understand anger in others? No, again, they can't relate to any emotion outside themselves--lack of empathy. Now, I want to make it clear, I'm speaking of someone with full blown psychopathy, not someone who exhibits some of the traits. The further away we get from psychopathy the greater the emotional content of the person until we arrive at the range of what constitutes normal emotional experience in human beings.

Just the opinions of a self directed student of psychology.

I agree. Human emotion to psychopaths is a bunch of emoticons.

 

[doogiesgirl]

You know, I've been thinking about this. Do we really know she had no prenatal care? All we know is that CA denied knowing she was pregnant to her coworkers and her brother. But she had sonograms up on the wall in Caylee's room (put there after she was gone, imo). Those are usually taken before the 7th month. Perhaps CA did know and took her to the doc earlier on but decided to act like the emperor had clothes on afterward and treat people like they were imagining things.

This is what I find so strange....in GA's state depo he says that he learned KC was prego in April/May 05. So why lie to RIck at his wedding in June? I just don't get it. It was obvious to everyone, and GA says he already know by the time they went to Rick's wedding, so why the ignorant act? I am just LOST on GA/CA's motives(I mean it's not like she is just a few months pregnant and hasn't decided if she is going to abort or something---it's out there already--literally--staring everyone in the face!). This is one of the many factors that tells me growing up in that house was COO COO!!! moo

 

[sleutherontheside]

This is what I find so strange....in GA's state depo he says that he learned KC was prego in April/May 05. So why lie to RIck at his wedding in June? I just don't get it. It was obvious to everyone, and GA says he already know by the time they went to Rick's wedding, so why the ignorant act? I am just LOST on GA/CA's motives(I mean it's not like she is just a few months pregnant and hasn't decided if she is going to abort or something---it's out there already--literally--staring everyone in the face!). This is one of the many factors that tells me growing up in that house was COO COO!!! moo

Given the impression that Cindy wants to appear as "happy and trouble free" they probably didn't want to be the topic of discussion where judgement and gossip would occur. I also wonder if it is possible, that at that time KC was still holding firm in her desire to give Caylee up. If they never admitted she was pregnant, then the family wouldn't judge CA for allowing their grandchild to be given away. KWIM?

 

[txsvicki]

Once again, I believe everyone is wrong about Cindy who has a longterm marriage, worked for years, made a very nice home, and managed to care for her family and parents. I believe her problems are a result of years of being manipulated, stolen from, verbally abused, lied to, lied about, and having everything blamed on her. George has more symptoms of some narcissism such as manipulating, secretive, explosive, blaming others (especially Cindy), avoiding, suicide threats, illegal credit card (according to the grandma), easily influenced, boastful, and seeming to make things all about him. Even so, I think Casey was lucky to have a decent dad who probably didn't abuse her, who stayed with the family, and helped with her child. Nothing they did could have made Casey kill her toddler and treat anyone and everyone as if they were nothing.

 

[sleutherontheside]

Once again, I believe everyone is wrong about Cindy who has a longterm marriage, worked for years, made a very nice home, and managed to care for her family and parents. I believe her problems are a result of years of being manipulated, stolen from, verbally abused, lied to, lied about, and having everything blamed on her. George has more symptoms of some narcissism such as manipulating, secretive, explosive, blaming others (especially Cindy), avoiding, suicide threats, illegal credit card (according to the grandma), easily influenced, boastful, and seeming to make things all about him. Even so, I think Casey was lucky to have a decent dad who probably didn't abuse her, who stayed with the family, and helped with her child. Nothing they did could have made Casey kill her toddler and treat anyone and everyone as if they were nothing.

You know txsvicki.....I have never been a hardcore CA opponent. Early on, I chose to stop posting, or contribute to posting, anything ugly about the parents. We only know what we have read, and that can not be considered FACT. CA has carried that family for years.....we CAN prove that. CA has experienced her share of heartache and disappointment in her marriage and family relationships. My opinion is not that CA is to blame. She can't be held accountable for anothers actions. BUT, I believe that her relationship with KC and the obvious deep issues between them do factor into KC's mindset. We were not in that house. We don't know the whole story. BUT, in the absence of first hand experience, we can see the tension between them, the anger, the dichotomy between what has been said in LE and media interviews, and what has been reported by 3rd parties. KC is a big girl and she is responsible for her actions, but a life of dysfunctional family relationships can skew your own judgement. I said early on, if the A family would just STOP talking, they would be more worthy of our sympathy and understanding.

 

[21merc7]

. Nothing they did could have made Casey kill her toddler and treat anyone and everyone as if they were nothing.

Respectfully snipped:

You said it more clearly and concisely than I could. Every child is different, yes family stuff comes into play, but I get no reason to see murder from what this family did. They are your average American family. I was trying to over state with examples, but you got right to the point. Thank you.

 

[JBean]

I wonder if KC were found to be guilty and additionally diagnosed as a sociopath, psychopath or other psychological disorder that may cause her to display similar behavior in the future, would that be used as an aggravating factor in favor of the death penalty?
As opposed to any kind of mental disorder being used as a mitigating factor, would it be used for just the opposite?

 

[LambChop]

When you think about it if she is found guilty of killing her daughter and her actions after the fact, no remorse, out on the town, sleeping in the bf day after daughter last seen, pretty much having the time of her life (in her own words) what would stop her from doing it again? I think we all know the answer. Nothing.