Backwoods
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- Aug 18, 2006
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Thank-you Megsy.
I am quite aware of the fact that there is a difference in brain structures and have previously posted a link to an article regarding this. What I am seeking is evidence or studies showing that a combination of omega 3 and behavioral techniques are not efficacious as criminologist Nathalie Fontaine of Indiana University says that they are.
Aviatrix stated in a prior post "You can add vitamins and behavior techniques until the cows come home. If this area of the brain is underdeveloped genetically you are not going to eliminate sociopaths with vitamins and behavior techniques. They belong in jail and sterilized so that they do not replicate."
I am seeking clarification if she has something to back this up or if this is her opinion.
I can't address the specific area in which you want clarification, but I'm interested in hearing any answers you do get.
And some of your posts in this area (which I enjoy seeing, BTW) make me think of things that get on my mind whenever the topic/s of psychopathy/sociopathy/antisocial personality disorder come/s up on WS.
I think that, all of that, is still such a new and very large frontier ... the forever-after hard-science complete answers I think many want to believe are there for the finding and quoting ... are not,yet, IMO.
Sociopaths and psychopaths --two different things? Depends. Pick your expert and get your definitions. Then stick around for five years and check back, and see if they've changed. And it makes no sense to me that, in defining either, there should be an assumption that all psychopaths/sociopaths are the same. I think it very likely there is a spectrum. If it's all about (in a nutshell) not developing beyond the reptilian brain, some must develop further than others.
Causation? Golly. I don't think we will solve that one for a while. Multi-faceted, I certainly believe. All the related "sciences" may help ... and likely the input from all is needed.
Not treatable? Who knows... maybe it is but we just don't know how yet. (Akin to your question.)
To an extent, some of the "treatable" mental disorders have been demystified in public awareness and there is a little more understanding of them and (maybe) more real compassion for those who live their lives with those conditions.
So, for a lot of people, the personality disorder labels, IMO, have become the place to shove all the frightening things people are capable of, a place to shove all "evil", a catch-all label that means one is not "required" to have any compassion for those people.
When you really think about it, though -- if it IS all about neurology and being born with a brain that cannot develop empathy, love, etc., -- that seems like a pretty bum deal. From what I've read, psychopaths (etc.) often realize at an early age that they are "lacking" and can be disturbed by that, but unable to "fix" it.
I share your hope that, one day, such conditions can be detected and ameliorated by some type of treatment.