Retrial for Sentencing of Jodi Arias #4

[ElleElle]

Yes. All of them have been brave and brilliant.

On the other hand, we have ALV, Samuels, Gus etc. for Arias. What a team. :facepalm: I know the Defense loves talking about all the threats that the witnesses have been dealing with but the only real threat in this case came from an Arias supporter. He was charged for making threats against Nancy Grace and JVM.

And I am firmly convinced that Arias will murder again (Juan and Deanna being on top of the list) if she's let out.

Mimi would be high up on that list too, IMO.

 

[ElleElle]

Vampire Bobby lives on in as an extra in movies etc . Google his name and Jodi's and you can see some photo's of them together with big smiles, look above Bobby's right shoulder there on the table are three lines of coke.

This is why I've wondered how Jodi could go those many roadtrip hours. Me thinks stimulants may be involved here.

 

[ElleElle]

So, what about the killer and her borderline personality disorder? Originally, borderline was so called because it was a disturbance bordering on psychosis. Right on the edge. B.P.D.s form immediate attachments. They idealize the other person and their feeling is intense. The connection becomes stormy if Borderline perceives a slight or a separation occurs or a conflict arises. Emotions shift to intense anger & dislike.

We can see this in the killer's relationship to Nurmi, where she fought hard to keep him, he was "the only one" who could prepare her case & represent her. By contrast, look at them now. B.P.D.s view the world in extremes: all good or all bad. We've seen her relate to her family members in these same modes. Of course, it was conspicuous in her treatment of Travis Alexander.

Borderlines are prone to unstable moods that last for hours, as well as episodes of impulsive aggression. Their actions are unpredictable. There is distortion in their sense of self, evident in Arias, who is a narcissist. Their goals change, as was apparent when she was following The Law of Attraction and The Secret. Values undergo change and she professed such reformation owing to her Mormon studies & baptism.

Cognition, i.e., perception, reasoning & intuition are all gnarled & deformed due to her perspective on the world. In jail, she is being given drugs for this and to stabilize her moods. I would have included the explanation of her disordered personality in the post on psychological mitigation but I was running long as it was. Also, I realize Sleuths bring their own opinions on Borderlines to the topic.

Great analysis Tuba. Do you know what are good mood stabilizers for BPD?

 

[Cherry]

​sorry, but in ten to fifteen I want her terrified, strapped dwn to her gurney, and ready to die for her crime. She's only so lucky it will b humane, as it is for all dogs.

 

[TartLemon]

I watched the portion of her interview in Yreka right after the arrest when she was asking to see the crime scene photos. It was CREEPY. She was visibly disappointed when Flores refused.

 

[geevee]

David Lohr is on the case in Phoenix. He has been tweeting since he got there.

Thanks Elle, I went to his twitter to save it for retrial and saw this tweet:


David Lohr @David_Lohr · 6h 6 hours ago

Jane Velez Mitchell Show Canceled - TVNewser http://fb.me/6Ld7V4wLG

https://twitter.com/David_Lohr

---

That's a surprise.

ETA: Geez, I see it's been posted on the Sidebar for hours, sorry for the rerun. Still surprised they'd can her right before the retrial, guess there won't be any repeats of her running down jurors.

 

[ILikeToBendPages]

This is why I've wondered how Jodi could go those many roadtrip hours. Me thinks stimulants may be involved here.

Perhaps the stop over with Matt Macartney was to get some pick me up stronger than a strawberry frappuccino. There is a mystery about him and that trip.

 

[TartLemon]

When I turn on JVM or NG for giggles and grins, it's always running through my mind Let's see what they're lying about now

 

[bsk]

They could get rid of Nancy Grace too as far as I'm concerned. Her show is unwatchable even when you agree with her. At least JVM lets her guests talk.

 

[Tuba]

ElleElle, I believe I remember Arias is being given lithium. Since she suffers from insomnia, that's probably the best of the mood stabilizers for her. All of the common stabilizers have rather serious side effects. Dr. DeMarte diagnosed her with borderline personality disorder. I think that disorder is responsible for the behaviors we see in her & have seen over the years. I never said it was responsible for her killing Travis.

Below is the description from NIH the US National Library of Medicine

 

[Tuba]

This description is from the NIH, their US National Library of Medicine

 

[RickshawFan]

ElleElle, I believe I remember Arias is being given lithium. Since she suffers from insomnia, that's probably the best of the mood stabilizers for her. All of the common stabilizers have rather serious side effects.

JA would be likely to have a very obvious tremor in her hands (and elsewhere) if she were on lithium. I have never noticed it. When she held up her hand with the goofy finger while on the stand, it would have been jerking, but she seems to be in good control. When she picked up a glass for water, she would have sloshed water around. When she worked with the stabby pencils, she would have had a hard time keeping the pencil where she needed it. Lithium tremor is not subtle.

 

[Tuba]

Lithium may not be among the medications she is being given then. Dr. Richard Samuels is not held in high favor here but he testified that the jail psychiatrist is prescribing a range of drugs for her, including a tranquilizer, anti-depressants, something to relieve PTSD. He testified that her medical records reflect this and that Arias told him this, as well. As I said above, all of the common stabilizers for BPD have serious side effects.

 

[ceecee30]

Lithium may not be among the medications she is being given then. Dr. Richard Samuels is not held in high favor here but he testified that the jail psychiatrist is prescribing a range of drugs for her, including a tranquilizer, anti-depressants, something to relieve PTSD. He testified that her medical records reflect this and that Arias told him this, as well. As I said above, all of the common stabilizers for BPD have serious side effects.

Respectfully I disagree, I am a functional BPD and my medication DOES NOT have any worse side effect than an over the counter anti histamine...

It is the best pill I have been on and all others I've been on have had serious side affects, it is probably very different in Australia medication wise but lithium is rarely used as a BPD medication, in saying that it was the first medication I was given (as I've worked my BPD butt off to get stable) and I NEVER had the lithium shakes, it did however cause me to have blackouts where I was awake but not consciously present, one time I blacked out in the car driving my kids, i immediately stopped using lithium.

I'm not excusing arias for her actions, but if you look into BPD and abandonment issues it can make us BPD's do crazy thing, there's a comment unthread about her driving long distances and that she may of used stimulants, however many of our medications for BPD affect sleep, your generally trialled at the start of diagnosis on anti psychotics and sedatives..

BPD is an extremely horrible disease, one that is still very misunderstood on how to treat effectively and usually the BPD sufferer is also in denial, we deny everything in life so well, because sometimes it's better to have a nice story to share amongst the friends that are strong enough to stand by us rather than to tell the truth on how awful your life had truly been..

 

[Tuba]

ceecee30, would you be willing to share the name of the pill that has helped you, without bad side effects? BTW, as far as we know, Arias was not taking medication until she was prescribed several in jail. Did you find you had prolonged periods of wakefulness before you were treated?

 

[ceecee30]

ceecee30, would you be willing to share the name of the pill that has helped you, without bad side effects? BTW, as far as we know, Arias was not taking medication until she was prescribed several in jail. Did you find you had prolonged periods of wakefulness before you were treated?

I am currently treated via Valdoxan, it's not a commonly used medication for people with BPD as it hasn't been trialed for BPD, it has been used for people with Bipolar previously.

It's an older style medication (and VERY expensive!! About 90 per month) however it has regulated me like no other pill could.

Before Valdoxan, I would generally go to bed around 2/3am I had ALOT of trouble sleeping and the problem for me was I couldn't shut down my head, or dull the noise which then keeps you awake.. I would lay there dwelling on the events of the day, and if there was something bugging me then I had to fix it then and there without much more thought than that..

If Arias is truly a BPD I could see the senseless murder of TA falling under one of those moments, something about the relationship (because in her BPD thoughts she would have been trying to keep him from abandoning her) could have triggered her and hence Travis ended up slain at her hands, the best way I can explain that is that (for me) after years of emotional abuse and not being loved by the people that are meant to (my parents) i overcompensated in all other relationships, I'm extremely jealous and the normal fighting a couple does I just don't comprehend, if my partner and I fight, for me the abandonment used to be too much and I would lash out..

BPD is a tricky one, as you usually have another issue as well like OCD, major depressive disorder etc. dr Marsha Linehan (forefounder of BPD treatments, and a BPD also) likens BPD to the emotional equivalent of 3rd degree burns, and any slight variation to our emotions can feel like our skin is being ripped off..

I truly hope that arias is given the sentence she deserves for her actions and that regardless of those actions she still receives mental health help..

 

[ElleElle]

JA would be likely to have a very obvious tremor in her hands (and elsewhere) if she were on lithium. I have never noticed it. When she held up her hand with the goofy finger while on the stand, it would have been jerking, but she seems to be in good control. When she picked up a glass for water, she would have sloshed water around. When she worked with the stabby pencils, she would have had a hard time keeping the pencil where she needed it. Lithium tremor is not subtle.

Speaking for myself, I take Lithium and I don't have hand tremors. TMI. The key Lithium is dosage monitoring.

 

[ElleElle]

ceecee30, would you be willing to share the name of the pill that has helped you, without bad side effects? BTW, as far as we know, Arias was not taking medication until she was prescribed several in jail. Did you find you had prolonged periods of wakefulness before you were treated?

From my perspective, I can be wired easily until 2am and then got bored and did impulsive things. Not good.

 

[ceecee30]

From my perspective, I can be wired easily until 2am and then got bored and did impulsive things. Not good.

I think the key to good mental health treatment is having an excellent Dr & Mental health team..

Having the above they "generally" give you ways to abate impulsive actions when bored...

I am far from recovered, however impressively I have managed to successfully complete DBT (dialectical behavioural therapy) and stay medicated (medication compliance is also important to successful treatment) therefore I have moved from a non functioning BPD to a functional one, meaning I can function in a work environment and in society with limited outbursts...

As I always tell myself, everyday is a new day and I can AND WiLL beat this...

In a really strange way the one thing I am most grateful for in life (apart from my human babies) is my BPD, I am a firm believer that life throws us curveballs to show us how strong we are inside...

 

[Tuba]

Tomorrow, the defense will argue its motion to dismiss the death penalty. One of the allegations in this motion is that the State has withheld emails written by Travis to Arias (& others). These emails could be the discredited communications revealing pedophilia, although the defense & Arias have their own means of obtaining them. The reference would be to withholding them from judge and jury. The State is also accused of refusing to turn over a hard drive and for tardiness in disclosing witnesses. My curiosity is focused on the emails.