Mitigating Factor:Could Casey Have Post-Partum Psychosis?

[pcap]

1 word. Well, 2.

ABSOLUTELY NOT.

 

[gitana1]

These people seem normal on the surface
it isnt until you spend alot of time with them over an extended
period of time that things start to not add up ....... its little things
which alone dont mean alot - but eventually its 5 of them then
10- then 25 then hundreds . The pattern of lying manlipulation
and complete lack of a moral compass becomes apparent---

See, this is what my point is. It seems to me that the people who HAVE had the opportunity to sepnd a lot of time arounf Casey for an extende period of time, did not see anything worng with her, but her more recent friends, saw tons of weird things. That's what confuses me. And, I have a lot of experience with BPD and other personality disorders, both in my professional and personal life. I have seen their extensive family histories and psych reports detaling their childhoods,etc. It usually shows from the time they are young, at least by adolesence. So, I'm just trying to figure it out here.

 

[curiositycat]

I would love to know the answer to one question. Was Casey on anti-depressants such as Prozac, Cymbalta, ect. I have been doing research on SSRI (Seratoin uptakers) for four years. You would be surprised how many of the women who have killed their children were on these anti-depressants. They aren't safe for some people. The drug companies know this but to this day have done little to take them off the market, even though they have data to indicate that they may cause women to become violent.

 

[YellowDog]

I believe Casey suffers from what a lot of people who hang in the "nest" too long have..........SELF-CENTEREDNESS.

 

[sharpar]

See, this is what my point is. It seems to me that the people who HAVE had the opportunity to sepnd a lot of time arounf Casey for an extende period of time, did not see anything worng with her, but her more recent friends, saw tons of weird things. That's what confuses me. And, I have a lot of experience with BPD and other personality disorders, both in my professional and personal life. I have seen their extensive family histories and psych reports detaling their childhoods,etc. It usually shows from the time they are young, at least by adolesence. So, I'm just trying to figure it out here.

The responsibility of having that child could have easily pushed her to
where it was harder to conceal her pathology and the not normal more
noticeable even by casual acquaintances . In narcissists its called narcissitic injury . It takes
a traumatic life event to cause the mask of sanity to fall away

My sibling was posing well - then the death of our father and
it could no longer hide the disorder . We spent more time
together and it became very apparent it was many fries short
of a happy meal.

 

[ChrisAnn007]

Listen guys with all due respect here's my educated opinion/experience concerning PPD/PPP.

First off don't even give this girl an excuse there is no way any VALID medical professional would even suggest PPD/PPP...this would never stand up in court!

I have given birth to 2 daughters w/in 2 years (their b-days are 9/12 /06 & 9/19/07). Since the birth of my second daughter things are sometimes difficult emotionally and mentally. My dr. and common sense tells me...it's just hard having 2 young children a year apart. There is no medically diagnosable issue there.

BTW my dr. made it very clear that 6 months -1 year after birth was way too long to even consider a PPD/PPP diagnosis...we may consider other things but not that....just my opinion backed by personal experience

 

[ChrisAnn007]

I would love to know the answer to one question. Was Casey on anti-depressants such as Prozac, Cymbalta, ect. I have been doing research on SSRI (Seratoin uptakers) for four years. You would be surprised how many of the women who have killed their children were on these anti-depressants. They aren't safe for some people. The drug companies know this but to this day have done little to take them off the market, even though they have data to indicate that they may cause women to become violent.

yes...the drug companies know that most of their drugs are unsafe, they are "legal" drug dealers but so far there has been no evidence or mention about any such drugs...if so Casey would have had to take these drugs while she was in jail as you can not just get on and off them and if she had been taking prescription drugs in jail I'm sure some source would have bled this to the public by now

 

[curiositycat]

yes...the drug companies know that most of their drugs are unsafe, they are "legal" drug dealers but so far there has been no evidence or mention about any such drugs...if so Casey would have had to take these drugs while she was in jail as you can not just get on and off them and if she had been taking prescription drugs in jail I'm sure some source would have bled this to the public by now

I am not sure about that. My experience has been that drug testing is only for illegal drugs and class 3 drugs such as xanax, valium, oxycodone. I don't think they can talk about things such as anti-depressants if the pt. is taking them as prescribed by a doctor. That might violate HIPPA laws. I could be wrong though.

 

[OneLostGrl]

Yes, but there is a ton of info from people who actually have thoughts of harming their children in the midst of this disorder and not just one thought but repeated, pervasive, obsessive thoughts that they need to get rid of the child. And, many women, from what I have read, with this disroder, have harmed their children. Yes, three years seems a long time, but, if it was not treated at all, and got worse, maybe it could persist or turn into something more permanent. Once a person is psychotic, without treatment, I think it is hard to recover. Still not saying it is a defense though! Just trying to explain the difference in people' perceptions of her.

This woman is not "depressed" and I see nothing psychotic about her! Have you ever seen a psychotic person?!

sorry but I am one of those people and I walked away EACH and EVERY time! I called my mother, my husband my sister, I put my son in his crib so I knew he was safe and I walked out onto the deck until I could calm down.

The condition does worsen, but so does the person. I stopped bathing, sleeping, I began cutting myself, wanting to kill myself for wanting to harm by precious child, hearing voices, I became unable to drive, to think.. to dress myself... everything! I caused liver damage and put myself in a coma from suicide attempts, I have scars all over my body from cutting and burning myself. I have been committed to locked psych wards, and I have placed myself in pysch wards because I knew it's where I needed to be.

and still I have never even struck my child!

 

[OneLostGrl]

Listen, I'm sorry, ya'll but this is a touchy subject for me!

 

[ChrisAnn007]

I am not sure about that. My experience has been that drug testing is only for illegal drugs and class 3 drugs such as xanax, valium, oxycodone. I don't think they can talk about things such as anti-depressants if the pt. is taking them as prescribed by a doctor. That might violate HIPPA laws. I could be wrong though.

yes. we are in the med industry it WOULD violate HIPPA, but it's just my opinion if Casey was being treated for depression, or any medical/mental condition it would have been uncovered by now, ecspecially by the dilligent people on this site. This family wanted to hide there issues, not air their dirty laundry. IMO, Cindy Anthony being a medical professional would have provided this excuse to explain her daughters actions or lack of to the public in the beginning, at the very least she would have mentioned it to one of the "friends" who gave interviews to LE

 

[OneLostGrl]

I had PPD with psychosis. I did have thoughts and fears that I would harm my child, but I didn't want to, so i decided to kill myself instead. I didn't want to hurt my child, but I felt I was posessed by something, and the only way to save my daughter was to kill myself...had the plan and was leaving the house to do it. But I was so out of it it was completely obvious to my ex-husband what I was up to. I wasn't making any sense.

I already had a therapist, and my ex-husband, while not a great husband, was a good friend. I got help...great psychiatrist. Later, I was diagnosed with bipolar. Also found out my mom had severe PPD. It is hands down the WORST, most painful thing I have ever been through. I lost my confidence in myself for years...how could I have lost myself so badly? Incomprehensible to me...and terribly frightening. It was a huge reason for my decision to not try for more children.

I was lucky...people wanted to help me. I'm not so sure the Anthony's were all that helpful to Casey. I think they would have just told her to suck it up...no time for moping, you're a mom now, take responsibility...and on and on. The worst thing that happened to CAylee, other than her probable murder, was not being put up for adoption like Casey wanted.

All that said...after reading how Casey had a huge history of lying her butt off, and manipulating and weaving tales, I don't buy PPP. Andrea Yates heard the cartoons telling her the kids were posessed by satan. I heard voices telling me I had murdered my child. I don't think Casey had anything like that.

I just think she's evil...jmo.

:hug: I know of what you speak.

I agree. If she killed her child she is simply evil.

 

[ChrisAnn007]

Remember the story from the childhood friend in the beginning of the case?
This was the first and only insight we had about Casey Anthony's personality.

The childhood friend recalled this...Casey was walking her dog which pooed on the neighbors lawn. The neighbor called Casey out and asked her to clean up after her dog. Casey proceeded to swear that it was not her dog and her dog did not poo on the lawn, yet she was holding the dog on the leash.

 

[OneLostGrl]

yes...the drug companies know that most of their drugs are unsafe, they are "legal" drug dealers but so far there has been no evidence or mention about any such drugs...if so Casey would have had to take these drugs while she was in jail as you can not just get on and off them and if she had been taking prescription drugs in jail I'm sure some source would have bled this to the public by now

Sadly, we are not always given our meds when we are jailed. I know, I know it's the law and all that but the "paper work" takes a long time and by the time a shrink comes and sees us the mds are out of the system and it's like starting the meds all over again.

 

[ChrisAnn007]

Sadly, we are not always given our meds when we are jailed. I know, I know it's the law and all that but the "paper work" takes a long time and by the time a shrink comes and sees us the mds are out of the system and it's like starting the meds all over again.

No doubt...but this does not work to the jails advantage...all these women running around not properly medicated...I'm not being funny, I'm being serious

 

[ChrisAnn007]

Bottom line is I don't believe Casey was being medically treated for any type of mental condition

 

[maconrich]

Remember the story from the childhood friend in the beginning of the case?
This was the first and only insight we had about Casey Anthony's personality.

The childhood friend recalled this...Casey was walking her dog which pooed on the neighbors lawn. The neighbor called Casey out and asked her to clean up after her dog. Casey proceeded to swear that it was not her dog and her dog did not poo on the lawn, yet she was holding the dog on the leash.

Yep. And IMO if this is put out there by her defense it's a slam to the thousands of women who really do suffer from this!! For her it doesn't fly -- not three years down the road; not after she may well have killed her child; and not after her very public displays at at Fusian and with her friends that indicated she didn't have a freaking care in the world.

 

[cjm11]

I agree that PPD probably occurred. Mental illness is not like having a heart condition. You can look at test results, actually see it on cardiac caths, etc. You simply cannot look at a brain and say yes there is mental illness or no there is not mental illness. Mental illness stigma has come along way, but there are still SO MANY people that refuse to acknowledge it.

Every person reacts to mental illness differently. While there are certain traits for each diagnosis, many times symptoms overlap each other.

Since so many women are being brave and telling their own experiences, I will tell mine. I suffered terribly with PPD, to the point of being advised not to have any more children after my first. I could maintain around people who were close to me, but not living in my house with me. I put my husband through HE-LL. I self-medicated with alcohol and pot (which are depressants and makes the illness worse). I had suicidal thoughts, and I even thought I needed to kill my child with myself so she didn't have to suffer the same pain I felt. I know it probably doesn't make sense to most of you, but unless you are in the throes of mental illness, not much does.

It is also proven that PPD can aggravate or bring out a hidden mental illness that was already there. It did in my case. So while PPD may not be present anymore, a person can still suffer mental illness long after the birth of a child.

Do you think Cindy really wanted to face the fact that her daughter might have a mental illness? Yes, she is in the medical field and this may have further given her reason to deny an illness rather than try to help Casey.

What gets me is everyone has come to the conclusion that Casey is definitely mentally ill, but in the same breath are ready to condemn her to death because she wasn't treated and acted out in the throes of her illness.

I also agree that even though she maybe mentally ill, it does not give her a free pass to not have to answer for her crimes. In otherwords, I don't feel she is insane and knew what she was doing. But can't we see she had an illness, one that cannot be seen on an x-ray and was not treated? I believe a person has to have some type of mental illness to be able to kill another person, but they also need to suffer the consequences.

To me this is a double edged sword. She is mentally ill and she was not helped by the medical profession for whatever reason. And because of that she deserves some form of compassion. On the other hand, yes she has commited crimes and deserves to be punished.

Just as with all the other posts here, it is my opinion and I do not expect you to accept. Just understand, people are allowed to have a different opinion than another and neither is wrong.

 

[wallflower67]

BTW my dr. made it very clear that 6 months -1 year after birth was way too long to even consider a PPD/PPP diagnosis...we may consider other things but not that....just my opinion backed by personal experience

My dr told me the same. my ppd/ppp started three days after my daughter was born. by day 5, i was truly in hell. It took a good six months to a year before i felt like myself again. I wasn't psychotic or even depressed after about 4 to 5 months...just not trusting that it wouldn't come back.

On the subject of SSRIs...they work very well for some people. Very well. If there is an underlying bipolar diagnoses, for example, they can bring out mania. The SSRI I was on saved my sanity..but it did throw me into a hypomanic state...not being able to sleep. Nothing unsafe, and much better than PPP!

 

[Stoelly]

Listen guys with all due respect here's my educated opinion/experience concerning PPD/PPP.

First off don't even give this girl an excuse there is no way any VALID medical professional would even suggest PPD/PPP...this would never stand up in court!

I have given birth to 2 daughters w/in 2 years (their b-days are 9/12 /06 & 9/19/07). Since the birth of my second daughter things are sometimes difficult emotionally and mentally. My dr. and common sense tells me...it's just hard having 2 young children a year apart. There is no medically diagnosable issue there.

BTW my dr. made it very clear that 6 months -1 year after birth was way too long to even consider a PPD/PPP diagnosis...we may consider other things but not that....just my opinion backed by personal experience

With all due respect - you are just a single statistical case and unless you are a psychiatrist with a medical degree in your case alone means nothing in the grand scheme of things. I have a friend whose wife did go off the deep end more and more after each one of her children was born - 3 total. She IS pdp! Just saying . . .