Casey's "Emotional Breakdown" per the docs

[Woe.be.gone]

Just caught up - sorry if OT - let's ask ourselves why would Annie distance herself from KC to LE?

My thoughts ...... Drug use can mimic ill mental health. Drug use is often favored by people suffering from mental health disorders. If you abuse beyond alcohol, you have to have a source.


Also, and I'm dead serious, can anyone profile a "normal" person? I've often wondered about this. How should I feel the majority of the time if normal?

 

[kashell]

Originally Posted by OneLostGrl
Annie kinda concerns me. Why did she go over Casey's (sleeping over and everything) when she was out on bail? Kinda strange if ya ask me.

Maybe it seems strange, but I know that when times are tough, for me, I do tend to reach out to my old friends. Friends that "knew you when". If Annie was a big part of Casey's (and Caylee's life) back when Caylee was a baby, when times were good, then I could see Casey wanting to have a connection with someone who remembered her as a good and loving mom. And I could see Annie wanting to know what Casey was like now, try to imagine how the person she knew could have done something so unthinkable. Or maybe she wanted desperately to be reassured that it all was a big mistake.

All the new friends were woven into her lies. They knew she hadn't mentioned Caylee was missing. Amy knew that their plans to move into the Anthony house were bogus. Those were the people Casey couldn't face because they'd call her on her lies. Annie was removed by a year. She was probably the only one Casey could handle seeing.

 

[Manny]

Warning...... Long, Rambling Post Ahead !

I didn't read but the OP and a couple posts after because I don't want the other responses to influence my already confused widdow brain.

Long ago, in a land far, far away (on another chat), maybe back in Sept. or first part of Oct. I stated there are many many people who 'knew' at a young age they were 'different' (me being just one of many). Many I now know of personally through support groups.
These people 'knew' they were 'different' as young as 5, 6 years of age.
One thing we all had in common....there was one huge event or a series of events (birth, death, tragic, terrifying or crisis) in our lives that brought on even more 'odd' behavior than we had known previously.
It was as if the crisis brought out even more of the bad side of us....almost as if the crisis or tragic event was a trigger.

In that other chat room, without stating my own experiences, I stated that I felt Casey knew long ago she was 'different'. Long, long before she was pregnant with Caylee.

When you have a whole family and close friends who refuse to accept personality disorders or mental illness issues, you tend to sweep it under the rug right along side of them.
Can't ask questions or get opinions....who would you ask?
It's not talked about....because your surrounding family members have the 'shameful' attitude.

IMHO I think Casey 'knew' she was different long ago....long before Caylee was conceived, long before Casey didn't graduate with her class. Maybe her little outbursts, her whining about 'losing it', her mentioning needing to be committed (and we don't know how many other types of 'tantrums' she threw at her family over the years), were her attempts at throwing out there what she knew was not 'normal', and wanting to see the reactions of others.

Would they take her seriously? Would they chuckle and roll their eyes and think she was pulling their leg?

What I'm saying is ...... What if years ago Casey begin 'testing the waters' as far as getting reactions from people about her having a possible mental/personality disorder and depending on the responses, she chose to pursue it or go back to sweeping it under the rug.

Needless to say, when I brought this up in the other chat room, I was laughed at, ridiculed and told I better read up on the case as I didn't know what I was talking about. *Please, if you are going to do that here....please do it behind my back. *
Unfortunately, I did know what I was talking about.

I just can't get it out of my head that Casey knew she was different but because of the dynamics in that household, her extended family or even her close friends, she was left with the feeling that it's something she shouldn't be bringing up, shouldn't even question....just live with it.

As you get older, with nobody to tell, nobody to help, everyone feeling it's 'shameful' to have mental illness "Not in OUR Family!", you learn to adapt. You learn how to function as the world expects you to.
But there's that proverbial straw, and the camel's back and whether you are in your early 20's or 45 years of age, sweeping it under the rug becomes more and more difficult and it's almost impossible to 'fit in' or keep hidden the quirks, the strange behavior, the little 'not quite normal' actions and reactions to what should be normal everyday life.

Other than glowing accounts from her own Mom and Dad, we don't know what Casey was like growing up.
We have no idea at what age Casey's actions started to seem peculiar to others.


In no way am I saying Casey is not at fault or that she needs a good lawyer to mount a fantabulous sanity defense.
But if we are going to look at the actions of a young woman who killed her child, I hope we can study the 'How did we get to this point' so that maybe, hopefully, someone else who's out there reading about this sad case would be able to recognize the red flags in their own family and not have to suffer the same fate.
*dons stone-deflecting suit*

I believe you are right. I have felt all along that Casey had serious mental problems. Her mother went to a therapist. Probably complained bitterly about Casey's behavior, however she did not bring Casey to the therapist. How nice that she could complain and be told to "kick her daughter out" as a solution.
I don't believe any therapist ( that had a degree and a license to practice ) would just make a call like that.
I was glad to hear a psychologist on one of the shows that shared my belief. When people say things like they want to go to an institution.. somebody better listen. The least they could do is make sure that person gets a chance to talk to a qualified therapist.

 

[diz39]

What you say here does happen. It is factual, you are correct! Untreated PPD/PPP is dangerous but it is also obvious. More than 2 people would have seen it and she wouldn't have had to TELL them in order for them to know. Mental illness is a progressive disease, psychosis cannot be hidden, I assure you!

I am asking you this because I really don't know, and you have so much insight on mental illness. Suppose she did have PPD. Does PPD always deteriorate further?

 

[nancy botwin]

I believe you are right. I have felt all along that Casey had serious mental problems. Her mother went to a therapist. Probably complained bitterly about Casey's behavior, however she did not bring Casey to the therapist. How nice that she could complain and be told to "kick her daughter out" as a solution.
I don't believe any therapist ( that had a degree and a license to practice ) would just make a call like that.
I was glad to hear a psychologist on one of the shows that shared my belief. When people say things like they want to go to an institution.. somebody better listen. The least they could do is make sure that person gets a chance to talk to a qualified therapist.

From what we know, I don't think the alleged advice Cindy's therapist gave was necessarily bad advice, or advice a therapist wouldn't provide.

It's healthy to establish boundaries and a firm bottom line-- it's a behavioral intervention. Casey was a liar, she stole from her grandparents, she didn't assume the responsibilities of motherhood, she created constant conflict and was a financial and emotional drain. It was in Caylee's best interest to establish healthy limits and boundaries and to STOP enabling Casey's parasitic lifestyle. Casey was allowed to live as a perpetual child and it was time for her to grow up.

The tragedy is that this behavioral intervention didn't happen earlier.

 

[eddeva]

That is puzzling me too. Who initiated this 'grand reunion' and why? How does an estranged friend suddenly become a 'bestest' sleepover buddy again? :waitasec:

sorry this isn't a better expanation devon, but maybe she was the only friend casey had left by then.

 

[minazoe]

No insanity defense. I want proof a miscarriage ever happened. I don't beleive she is sick from depression or any mental disease. She uses words like this to seek attention and measure people's reactions. Later, she can use certain behaviours and types of stories to elicit sympathy . Emotional blackmail is an escape hatch.

no, no...there is no mentally diseased Casey who was hallucinating and paranoid.

she's pissed she got caught, she's never gonna crack, she's plotting the next spin.

 

[PaulaF513]

Warning...... Long, Rambling Post Ahead !

I didn't read but the OP and a couple posts after because I don't want the other responses to influence my already confused widdow brain.

Long ago, in a land far, far away (on another chat), maybe back in Sept. or first part of Oct. I stated there are many many people who 'knew' at a young age they were 'different' (me being just one of many). Many I now know of personally through support groups.
These people 'knew' they were 'different' as young as 5, 6 years of age.
One thing we all had in common....there was one huge event or a series of events (birth, death, tragic, terrifying or crisis) in our lives that brought on even more 'odd' behavior than we had known previously.
It was as if the crisis brought out even more of the bad side of us....almost as if the crisis or tragic event was a trigger.

In that other chat room, without stating my own experiences, I stated that I felt Casey knew long ago she was 'different'. Long, long before she was pregnant with Caylee.

When you have a whole family and close friends who refuse to accept personality disorders or mental illness issues, you tend to sweep it under the rug right along side of them.
Can't ask questions or get opinions....who would you ask?
It's not talked about....because your surrounding family members have the 'shameful' attitude.

IMHO I think Casey 'knew' she was different long ago....long before Caylee was conceived, long before Casey didn't graduate with her class. Maybe her little outbursts, her whining about 'losing it', her mentioning needing to be committed (and we don't know how many other types of 'tantrums' she threw at her family over the years), were her attempts at throwing out there what she knew was not 'normal', and wanting to see the reactions of others.

Would they take her seriously? Would they chuckle and roll their eyes and think she was pulling their leg?

What I'm saying is ...... What if years ago Casey begin 'testing the waters' as far as getting reactions from people about her having a possible mental/personality disorder and depending on the responses, she chose to pursue it or go back to sweeping it under the rug.

Needless to say, when I brought this up in the other chat room, I was laughed at, ridiculed and told I better read up on the case as I didn't know what I was talking about. *Please, if you are going to do that here....please do it behind my back. *
Unfortunately, I did know what I was talking about.

I just can't get it out of my head that Casey knew she was different but because of the dynamics in that household, her extended family or even her close friends, she was left with the feeling that it's something she shouldn't be bringing up, shouldn't even question....just live with it.

As you get older, with nobody to tell, nobody to help, everyone feeling it's 'shameful' to have mental illness "Not in OUR Family!", you learn to adapt. You learn how to function as the world expects you to.
But there's that proverbial straw, and the camel's back and whether you are in your early 20's or 45 years of age, sweeping it under the rug becomes more and more difficult and it's almost impossible to 'fit in' or keep hidden the quirks, the strange behavior, the little 'not quite normal' actions and reactions to what should be normal everyday life.

Other than glowing accounts from her own Mom and Dad, we don't know what Casey was like growing up.
We have no idea at what age Casey's actions started to seem peculiar to others.


In no way am I saying Casey is not at fault or that she needs a good lawyer to mount a fantabulous sanity defense.
But if we are going to look at the actions of a young woman who killed her child, I hope we can study the 'How did we get to this point' so that maybe, hopefully, someone else who's out there reading about this sad case would be able to recognize the red flags in their own family and not have to suffer the same fate.
*dons stone-deflecting suit*

Amity
That's an incredibly thought provoking post. I for one do believe that Casey had "issues" for some time. God knows how long she has been telling lies and fantasizing stories. MAybe that started as a defense mechanism or to simply placate her parents. Evidently her friends all caught on to her deceitfulness and probably abandoned her at different times. That could have exacerbated her feelings of being "different", as you so aptly put it.

Mental illness and personality disorders are not easily recognizable to the average person. Indeed, they are not easily diagnosed by professionals until considerable time is spent with the patient. Families do not want to admit that their child has something wrong with her. They fear having a stigma attached to the child and to them. They feel guilt perhaps for being the cause or for not preventing it. Also, it easier to dismiss things by telling yourself that it's a phase that all kids go through.

Often, it's a tragedy or drug use or criminal activity that brings things to the surface. Fortunately for most, the tragedy doesn't involve the death of a child.

In no way am I offering an excuse for Casey having intentionally killed her daughter, if that is what happened. I am saying though, that there had to be some sign of her troubled mind. Therein lies the real pity...that noone saw how deeply damaged was Casey's psyche. How it happened is anybody's guess and it's too late now to really matter.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

From what we know, I don't think the alleged advice Cindy's therapist gave was necessarily bad advice, or advice a therapist wouldn't provide.

It's healthy to establish boundaries and a firm bottom line-- it's a behavioral intervention. Casey was a liar, she stole from her grandparents, she didn't assume the responsibilities of motherhood, she created constant conflict and was a financial and emotional drain. It was in Caylee's best interest to establish healthy limits and boundaries and to STOP enabling Casey's parasitic lifestyle. Casey was allowed to live as a perpetual child and it was time for her to grow up.

The tragedy is that this behavioral intervention didn't happen earlier.

The only thing is there was no plan. So it was unrealistic advice. How do you kick your kid and grandkid out when there is no job, etc. Too bad there hadn't been closer attention paid to the no job thing, handing out money constantly once done with school, etc. They say people will take what you let them.

Another one I like I heard from Oprah, "When people show you who they are, believe them."

 

[TxMother67]

Warning...... Long, Rambling Post Ahead !

I didn't read but the OP and a couple posts after because I don't want the other responses to influence my already confused widdow brain.

Long ago, in a land far, far away (on another chat), maybe back in Sept. or first part of Oct. I stated there are many many people who 'knew' at a young age they were 'different' (me being just one of many). Many I now know of personally through support groups.
These people 'knew' they were 'different' as young as 5, 6 years of age.
One thing we all had in common....there was one huge event or a series of events (birth, death, tragic, terrifying or crisis) in our lives that brought on even more 'odd' behavior than we had known previously.
It was as if the crisis brought out even more of the bad side of us....almost as if the crisis or tragic event was a trigger.

In that other chat room, without stating my own experiences, I stated that I felt Casey knew long ago she was 'different'. Long, long before she was pregnant with Caylee.

When you have a whole family and close friends who refuse to accept personality disorders or mental illness issues, you tend to sweep it under the rug right along side of them.
Can't ask questions or get opinions....who would you ask?
It's not talked about....because your surrounding family members have the 'shameful' attitude.

IMHO I think Casey 'knew' she was different long ago....long before Caylee was conceived, long before Casey didn't graduate with her class. Maybe her little outbursts, her whining about 'losing it', her mentioning needing to be committed (and we don't know how many other types of 'tantrums' she threw at her family over the years), were her attempts at throwing out there what she knew was not 'normal', and wanting to see the reactions of others.

Would they take her seriously? Would they chuckle and roll their eyes and think she was pulling their leg?

What I'm saying is ...... What if years ago Casey begin 'testing the waters' as far as getting reactions from people about her having a possible mental/personality disorder and depending on the responses, she chose to pursue it or go back to sweeping it under the rug.

Needless to say, when I brought this up in the other chat room, I was laughed at, ridiculed and told I better read up on the case as I didn't know what I was talking about. *Please, if you are going to do that here....please do it behind my back. *
Unfortunately, I did know what I was talking about.

I just can't get it out of my head that Casey knew she was different but because of the dynamics in that household, her extended family or even her close friends, she was left with the feeling that it's something she shouldn't be bringing up, shouldn't even question....just live with it.

As you get older, with nobody to tell, nobody to help, everyone feeling it's 'shameful' to have mental illness "Not in OUR Family!", you learn to adapt. You learn how to function as the world expects you to.
But there's that proverbial straw, and the camel's back and whether you are in your early 20's or 45 years of age, sweeping it under the rug becomes more and more difficult and it's almost impossible to 'fit in' or keep hidden the quirks, the strange behavior, the little 'not quite normal' actions and reactions to what should be normal everyday life.

Other than glowing accounts from her own Mom and Dad, we don't know what Casey was like growing up.
We have no idea at what age Casey's actions started to seem peculiar to others.


In no way am I saying Casey is not at fault or that she needs a good lawyer to mount a fantabulous sanity defense.
But if we are going to look at the actions of a young woman who killed her child, I hope we can study the 'How did we get to this point' so that maybe, hopefully, someone else who's out there reading about this sad case would be able to recognize the red flags in their own family and not have to suffer the same fate.
*dons stone-deflecting suit*

:hug:

 

[Disguiseduser0308]

But don't some people who are depressed manifest it in a manic-type behavior? It's like they're always on the go (texting, partying), so they can escape their thoughts or mood or whatever.

Don't get me wrong; I don't want her to get off- I just can't believe she's going with the Nanny defense!

I haven't met anyone who had manic episodes that wasn't bi-polar. I was only speaking from the PPP/PPD standpoint. I was in a support group for PPD for a very long time upon release and that one thing that resonated through the group was just how much you couldn't do everyday things in life without it being a struggle. It was more debilitating than anything I had ever encountered. And unless these other mothers were not being truthful it was the same for them as well. Forget going out and partying, we just wanted to be able to cook dinner without needing to hibernate for three days straight.

I totally understand what you're saying though. I just doubt Casey suffered from PPD. If she was, knowing history (Andrea Yates), it would have been in the defenses best interest to have brought this up immediately. I'm thinking they couldn't though because there was no history of Dr's appointments, hospitalizations, or medications in relation.

The one thing that I've noticed with mother's with PPD who hurt their children: they know it's wrong and forever feel guilty about it. Casey hasn't even admitted to anything as of yet. Not common of a PPD suffering Mom.

 

[Disguiseduser0308]

In no way am I saying Casey is not at fault or that she needs a good lawyer to mount a fantabulous sanity defense.
But if we are going to look at the actions of a young woman who killed her child, I hope we can study the 'How did we get to this point' so that maybe, hopefully, someone else who's out there reading about this sad case would be able to recognize the red flags in their own family and not have to suffer the same fate.
*dons stone-deflecting suit*

Standing ovation for that last paragraph. We need to learn the how and why so this tragedy can be prevented in the future. Unless and until we hear of a psychiatric evaluation of KC, ideas on her possible mental ailments will continue to run abound. We may not all agree what she is suffering from but we all seem to agree it's something.

 

[OneLostGrl]

Just caught up - sorry if OT - let's ask ourselves why would Annie distance herself from KC to LE?

My thoughts ...... Drug use can mimic ill mental health. Drug use is often favored by people suffering from mental health disorders. If you abuse beyond alcohol, you have to have a source.


Also, and I'm dead serious, can anyone profile a "normal" person? I've often wondered about this. How should I feel the majority of the time if normal?

I'm sorry, I just do not think Casey was abusing Annie's Xanax.

 

[OneLostGrl]

I am asking you this because I really don't know, and you have so much insight on mental illness. Suppose she did have PPD. Does PPD always deteriorate further?

Ya know, honestly, I don't think even a Dr could answer that question. Everyone is different but there are some basic "guide-lines" - Always? probably not.. most of the time? yes.

 

[OneLostGrl]

I haven't met anyone who had manic episodes that wasn't bi-polar. I was only speaking from the PPP/PPD standpoint. I was in a support group for PPD for a very long time upon release and that one thing that resonated through the group was just how much you couldn't do everyday things in life without it being a struggle. It was more debilitating than anything I had ever encountered. And unless these other mothers were not being truthful it was the same for them as well. Forget going out and partying, we just wanted to be able to cook dinner without needing to hibernate for three days straight.

I totally understand what you're saying though. I just doubt Casey suffered from PPD. If she was, knowing history (Andrea Yates), it would have been in the defenses best interest to have brought this up immediately. I'm thinking they couldn't though because there was no history of Dr's appointments, hospitalizations, or medications in relation.

The one thing that I've noticed with mother's with PPD who hurt their children: they know it's wrong and forever feel guilty about it. Casey hasn't even admitted to anything as of yet. Not common of a PPD suffering Mom.

Standing ovation for that last paragraph. We need to learn the how and why so this tragedy can be prevented in the future. Unless and until we hear of a psychiatric evaluation of KC, ideas on her possible mental ailments will continue to run abound. We may not all agree what she is suffering from but we all seem to agree it's something.

Excellent posts!! I agree 100%. Mental illness (including personality disorders) is society's problem, this isn't going away!!

 

[diz39]

Warning...... Long, Rambling Post Ahead !

I didn't read but the OP and a couple posts after because I don't want the other responses to influence my already confused widdow brain.

Long ago, in a land far, far away (on another chat), maybe back in Sept. or first part of Oct. I stated there are many many people who 'knew' at a young age they were 'different' (me being just one of many). Many I now know of personally through support groups.
These people 'knew' they were 'different' as young as 5, 6 years of age.
One thing we all had in common....there was one huge event or a series of events (birth, death, tragic, terrifying or crisis) in our lives that brought on even more 'odd' behavior than we had known previously.
It was as if the crisis brought out even more of the bad side of us....almost as if the crisis or tragic event was a trigger.

In that other chat room, without stating my own experiences, I stated that I felt Casey knew long ago she was 'different'. Long, long before she was pregnant with Caylee.

When you have a whole family and close friends who refuse to accept personality disorders or mental illness issues, you tend to sweep it under the rug right along side of them.
Can't ask questions or get opinions....who would you ask?
It's not talked about....because your surrounding family members have the 'shameful' attitude.

IMHO I think Casey 'knew' she was different long ago....long before Caylee was conceived, long before Casey didn't graduate with her class. Maybe her little outbursts, her whining about 'losing it', her mentioning needing to be committed (and we don't know how many other types of 'tantrums' she threw at her family over the years), were her attempts at throwing out there what she knew was not 'normal', and wanting to see the reactions of others.

Would they take her seriously? Would they chuckle and roll their eyes and think she was pulling their leg?

What I'm saying is ...... What if years ago Casey begin 'testing the waters' as far as getting reactions from people about her having a possible mental/personality disorder and depending on the responses, she chose to pursue it or go back to sweeping it under the rug.

Needless to say, when I brought this up in the other chat room, I was laughed at, ridiculed and told I better read up on the case as I didn't know what I was talking about. *Please, if you are going to do that here....please do it behind my back. *
Unfortunately, I did know what I was talking about.

I just can't get it out of my head that Casey knew she was different but because of the dynamics in that household, her extended family or even her close friends, she was left with the feeling that it's something she shouldn't be bringing up, shouldn't even question....just live with it.

As you get older, with nobody to tell, nobody to help, everyone feeling it's 'shameful' to have mental illness "Not in OUR Family!", you learn to adapt. You learn how to function as the world expects you to.
But there's that proverbial straw, and the camel's back and whether you are in your early 20's or 45 years of age, sweeping it under the rug becomes more and more difficult and it's almost impossible to 'fit in' or keep hidden the quirks, the strange behavior, the little 'not quite normal' actions and reactions to what should be normal everyday life.

Other than glowing accounts from her own Mom and Dad, we don't know what Casey was like growing up.
We have no idea at what age Casey's actions started to seem peculiar to others.


In no way am I saying Casey is not at fault or that she needs a good lawyer to mount a fantabulous sanity defense.
But if we are going to look at the actions of a young woman who killed her child, I hope we can study the 'How did we get to this point' so that maybe, hopefully, someone else who's out there reading about this sad case would be able to recognize the red flags in their own family and not have to suffer the same fate.
*dons stone-deflecting suit*

Wow. Incredible post. No stones coming from me. Your last statement says it all. Thank you.

 

[wallflower67]

I don't know how you could have a miscarriage without medical attention afterwards. Wouldn't there be a medical record from the D&C?

I didn't have a D&C, and most women we see in the ER are early enough along that they don't need one either. I didn't even find out I had been pg until I saw my OB later that week! So I had a MC and THEN found out I'd been pg. I went to the ER because my period was so heavy it was insane. I hadn't missed my period by too much, and iddn't think I was PG at the time.

 

[Dev]

Apologies if this has already been mentioned (haven't read the entire thread), but I think there was something in one of those emails between Casey's grandma and the grandma's friend. I remember something the friend wrote about (paraphrasing here) there is some condition that runs in George's family and Casey has it too. That might be some reference to one of them acting like they're bipolar... or something like that?
George never killed anyone and IMO he is blameless in this whole thing, but clearly both George and Cindy had their own problems. But they were functioning, well, more or less. Of course everyone has problems; the difference is, this family's are out there for all to see.

I am completely ready to believe that Casey took drugs at some time, but I just don't think she actually had any particular drug habit. One thing that led me to believe she was not into drugs was the fact that somewhere here people were discussing Cindy's meds, and it was mentioned that Cindy had a bottle of painkillers (narcotics) that she'd gotten from a dentist, and the bottle had been around in the medicine cabinet for a while. Well, that's not unusual, because I've had a family member come back after dental work having filled a prescription for Lortab and then only had to take one out of the whole prescription. So the rest of the pills were just left to sit around, till I trashed them. There are some people who, if there were any unused Lortabs in any medicine cabinet in the house, they'd be on them like white on rice. So it seems to me if Casey'd been in the habit of taking anything like that, she'd have long ago stolen that bottle.

When both Annie and Michelle said Casey wanted to have herself put in a mental ward, I could see where that should be taken seriously... BUT in fact Annie did call her later to check on her, and whaddya know, Casey said that everything was "fine" after she talked to her mother. Sound to me like she was overdramatizing. Her mother had probably given her some sort of ultimatum about something and the "breakdown" was gonna be Casey's countermove to the ultimatum, and then the ultimatum went away, so the "breakdown" went away, too.
It's almost like Casey's moods were controlled by her mother... without either her, or her mother, wanting it that way. Just another way in which this college-age woman seems to have had the emotional level of a small child or infant.

 

[blossomfish]

When I read that KC wanted to have herself committed, my initial reaction was a little shocked/sad and I thought that she was worse off mentally then I originally thought. I know people that have said "I'm going crazy" or "I'm losing it" but not "I want to have myself committed." I think our society continues to have a stigma against mental illness, I think it's something that we really don't totally understand so we either want to ignore it/cover it up/are afraid of it. George mentioned at some point about there being a history of mental illness (his sister?) in his family. I wish KC could have gotten some help earlier. I wonder if she really talked to Cindy about it and what they discussed.

I think KC lives in a world that is a figment of her imagination in a lot of ways: event planner, community college student, nanny (per her resume), etc. I also thought it was very strange when she said something like "We're really the same little person" when speaking about Caylee in one of the jailhouse videos (August) when Cindy and George were talking to her about menus KC was making. I think KC has blurred lines of identity and reality. Our society does make large demands on mothers - must have great job, look fabulous, be a perfect mom, etc. KC didn't have it together before she had Caylee. She did have help/support but I think there was a price to be paid (she was criticized and Cindy apparently blurred the lines of who was really Mom to Caylee). I think KC was like a volcano that just burst - the pressure of having Caylee was too much for her, but I do think she had issues before this as well. If only they could have been identified earlier. I wonder if we will ever see the results of her psych exams taken in jail. I also wonder if she would be able to "fake" those tests, what they tested for, and how accurate they would be.
(MOO)

 

[Dev]

I don't think Cindy would recognize much to be honest.. she's sicker than her daughter, IMO. (I'm not lynch mobbing her, I'm giving my honest opinion on the womans mental health- just for the record)

I think so, too. And I resisted that for so long. I though Cindy was just a rather neurotic, anxious person who suddenly felt backed to the wall by the furor and was just trying to keep things together and do the right thing. Well, she may be, but I have to reluctantly conclude that she is "sick" in some way, too.

One thing I do know is that when we see someone who is extremely controlling, that person is a very scared, anxious person who, in spite of looking like a very formidable person, is actually very afraid and actually feels weak and helpless.