Schizophrenia: The Dopamine Hypothesis

Dopamine, a major excitatory neurotransmitter, may play a key role in schizophrenia. According to the dopamine hypothesis, the symptoms of schizophrenia - particularly positive symptoms (e.g. delusions and hallucinations), are produced by over-activity of the dopamine in areas of the brain that regulate emotional expression, motivated behaviour and cognitive functioning.

 

Having "too much" of this neurotransmitter is probably too simplistic; the better term is a functional excess (Lieberman, 1990). This may be caused by a failure of any of the many processes involved in breaking down and re-creating the neurotransmitter, or disruption to the receptor system (such as the receptor functioning "too well"), or there may be problems with re-uptake into the presynaptic membrane.

 

Dopamine Pathways

People diagnosed with schizophrenia have more dopamine receptors on neuron membranes than do non-schizophrenics, and these receptors seem to be over-active to dopamine stimulation (Wong, 1986). Additional support comes from the finding that the effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia is positively related to their ability to reduce dopamine-produced synaptic activity (Green, 1997).

 

The hypothesis that dopamine and dopaminergic mechanisms are central to schizophrenia has been one of the most enduring ideas about the illness. It was not until the 1970's, however, that the dopamine hypothesis was finally crystallized with the finding that the clinical effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs was directly related to their affinity for dopamine receptors. To date, their have been more than 6800 articles on the topic of dopamine and schizophrenia since 1991.

 

In summary, molecular imaging studies show that presynaptic striatal dopaminergic function is elevated in patients with schizophrenia; however blockade of this heightened transmission, either by decreasing dopamine levels or blocking dopamine transmission, leads to a resolution of symptoms for most patients (Howes, 2009).  

Psychology and Film: A short list of some recommended depictions.

"You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies - all of life's riddles are answered in the movies" (Steve Martin)

Shame - Sex Addiction; Michael Fassbender style.

The Basketball Diaries - Heroin Addiction. A young Di Caprio is more interested in skin popping than shooting hoops. 

 

Awakenings- Catatonia. Based on real events, a tragic and heartfelt story with Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. From Oliver Sachs' book of the same name.

 

Lars and the Real Girl - Loneliness, Shyness, and Social Ineptitude. When you think it's time enough for the family to meet your sex doll. She's a great listener!

 

Owning Mahowny - Gambling Addiction. The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman as a Canadian Banker with all the cash he needs. Based on a real-life incident: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce clerk Brian Molony, who embezzled over $10 million from his employers in just 18 months to support his gambling habit.

 

The Butterfly Effect - The Butterfly Effect! The idea, used in chaos theory, whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere, e.g., a butterfly flapping its wings in Rio de Janeiro might change the weather in Chicago.

Memento - Short-Term Memory Loss. Guy Pearce has anterograde amnesia and is unable to store recent memories.

 

Melancholia - Melancholia! Lars Von Trier's take on the mental downfall of one woman (with the end of the world not helping).
 

Project Nim- A great look at the intelligence of our closest animal relative. The chimp also knew one term: 'Ooohh Ooo, Ah Ah', meaning; 'this bath's too hot.' 

Take Shelter - Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) starts to believe that he is in the early stages of developing paranoid schizophrenia. His mother was diagnosed with the illness at a similar age and he is fearful of suffering the same fate. The plot explores the boundaries between delusions and reality.

 

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold - Product Placement and Advertising in TV and films;  directed by Morgan Spurlock, the guy who brought you 'Super Size Me'.
 

The Bridge - Suicide. A tragic look at how the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has become an infamous place to take one's life.

 

Girl, Interrupted - Mental Institutions. Based on the true story of Susanna Kaysen in the 1960s.

 

The Machinist - An Insomniac doubting his own sanity. The producers of the film claim that Christian Bale dropped from about 173 pounds in weight down to about 110 pounds to make the film. His 63-pound weight loss is said to be a record for any actor for a movie role. He regained the weight in time for his role in Batman Begins (2005). A must see.

 

American Beauty - A film about suffocating conformity to social roles, and how people sometimes need to break free of them.
 

Castaway - Survival, Loneliness, Social Isolation; and a ball more loyal than most friends. WILSON!!!!

Helen - Major Depressive Disorder. A powerful depiction of woman going through the throes of Clinical Depression.

Monster- Psychopathy. Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos. It earned Charlize Theron an Academy Award for best Actress; it could have got one for the similarity alone (right). 

 

Changeling - Capgras Syndrome: A disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor.

 

Catfish - The internet and online personas. Great documentary style film showing just how false the online world can be. It can also shed light on the often predatory world of online behaviour.

 

Hotel Rwanda - Prejudice and discrimination. The film is also relevant to the discussion of pro-social and altruistic behaviours. It was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the 77th Academy Awards, with Don Cheadle also being nominated for Best Actor.

 

Crash - An incredibly powerful and sophisticated 2004 Paul Haggis film about cultural diversity.

 

Devil's Advocate - Persuasion and attitude change. ''Vanity, definitely my favourite sin.''

 

The Savages - Dementia and family conflict amongst others. Starring Laura Linney and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

 

< Me, Myself & Irene - Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID); previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder.

or Fight Club (right) if you fancy less laughs.

Boyhood - Growing up and the elusive experience of youth. Amazingly it was shot just over 39 days spanning 12 years.

 

12 Angry Men - An incredibly powerful portrayal of social influence and decision-making processes within a jury. It's in black and white, but things aren't as black and white as they may seem. Puns...

Fatal Attraction - Erotomania. The top grossing movie of 1987. Nominated for several Academy Awards; the movie was the cause of much discussion around the topic of marital infidelity.

Bully - Bullying. A 2011 documentary; the film follows the lives of five students in U.S. schools who face bullying on a daily basis.

127 Hours - Resilience. Produced by Danny Boyle; a true story based on mountain climber Aron Ralston.

Racism and Prejudice; the list here is endless, but notable mentions go to American History X, A Time to Kill , Gran Torino , and This is England.

 

Antichrist - Delusions, Sadomasochism, Depression, Femininity and the rest. To be honest, this one is completely out there; make of it what you will. Directed by Lars von Trier, some have dubbed it a grotesque masterpiece. I thought it was top class; even though I didn't get my head around it.

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"It's funny how the colours of the real world only seem really real when you watch them on a screen."
                                                                                                                                   ~ Anthony Burgess

Game of Thrones

All men must die ... be unethically labelled.

The Hound

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - an anxiety disorder associated with serious traumatic events and recurrent thoughts and images. PTSD develops after a terrifying ordeal that involved physical harm or the threat of physical harm. The person who develops PTSD may have been the one who was harmed, the harm may have happened to a loved one, or the person may have witnessed a harmful event that happened to loved ones or strangers.

John Snow

Martyr Complex - in psychology, a person who has a martyr complex, sometimes associated with the term victim complex, desires the feeling of being a martyr for his/her own sake, seeking out suffering or persecution because it feeds a psychological need. In some cases, this results from the belief that the martyr has been singled out for persecution because of exceptional ability or integrity. Other martyr complexes involve wilful suffering in the name of love or duty.
 

Tyrion Lannister

''I'm not a fighter, I'm a bleeder''

Small Man Syndrome - a popular term for the inferiority complex that short men in society are commonly assumed to possess, which causes them, at least per theory, to overcompensate by trying harder than men of average height in life’s activities.

Nothing some lemon cake won't sort out.

Sansa Stark
The Masochist - a person who obtains a primary or secondary gain from tolerating mental abuse from those in his or her circle of contact. The word  masochistic  is now commonly used to describe personality traits in an emotional, rather than sexual sense. 

Mag Mar Tun Doh Weg (Giant)
Marfan Syndrome - a genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissue. People with Marfan tend to be unusually tall, with long limbs and long, thin fingers. In most cases, Marfan syndrome is passed down through families (inherited). However, up to 30% of patients have no family history, which is called "sporadic." In sporadic cases, the syndrome is believed to be caused by a new gene change.

''Couldn't give a monkeys mate''

Joffrey Baratheon
Anti Social Personality Disorder - a type of chronic mental condition in which a person's ways of thinking, perceiving situations and relating to others are dysfunctional - and destructive. People with antisocial personality disorder typically have no regard for right and wrong and often disregard the rights, wishes and feelings of others. Those with antisocial personality disorder tend to antagonize, manipulate or treat others either harshly or with callous indifference. They may often violate the law, landing in frequent trouble, yet they show no guilt or remorse.

Reek
The Cataleptic - a body's persistence in unusual postures, with waxy rigidity of the limbs, mutism, and complete inactivity, regardless of outside stimuli.

He's available for children's parties too.

Ser Gregor Clegane
The Sadist - someone who enjoys inflicting pain on others; a sadist is all about hurting others, usually to get off sexually. However, this word is about more than sex. Anyone who is mean and enjoys it, like a bully, could be considered a sadist. The word sadistic is now commonly used to describe personality traits in an emotional, rather than sexual sense. Oh Mountain, you're going to be so annoyed when we explain all these jokes later.





 

Samwell Tarley
The Obese - excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have a negative effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems. I've seen less bloated men dredged out of rivers. Forget about White Walkers and sealing the tunnel, it's time to plug up Tarley's top-hole.

''Wat ye fookin say about me curls Snow?''

Ser Alliser Thorne

The Narcissist - an inflated sense of their own importance and a deep need for admiration. Those with narcissistic personality disorder believe that they're superior to others and have little regard for other people's feelings. But behind this mask of ultra-confidence lies a fragile self-esteem, vulnerable to the slightest criticism.


 

''Not to be technical brother, but according to Pycell's
chemistry - alcohol is a solution''

 

 

Cersei Lannister
Alcoholism - a chronic disorder marked by excessive and usually compulsive drinking of alcohol leading to psychological and physical dependence or addiction. Forget about the simple Lannister cousin and his beetle smashing, it's the grape apocalypse that's more concerning. I think it's time to put the plug in the jug.

 

 

Anyone for bitty?

Robin Arryn
Oedipus Complex - a child's positive libidinal feelings toward the parent of the opposite sex and hostile or jealous feelings toward the parent of the same sex that develop usually between the ages of three and six and that may be a source of adult personality disorder when unresolved - used especially of the male child.


 

 

 

''Twerkin' ye say?''

 

Grand Maester Pycelle
The Malingerer - fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of mental or physical disorders for a variety of "secondary gain" motives, especially in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc.

 

 

She seems vexed...and yet she looked
so relaxed in the bath this morning?

 

 

Jorah Mormont
Obsessive love - a hypothetical state in which one person feels an overwhelming obsessive desire to possess another person toward whom they feel a strong attraction, with an inability to accept failure or rejection.

 

Always. Always. Wear a helmet.

Oberyn Martell
The Sex Addict - ''Make sure you f**ked your fill before that day.''

The gene pool could do with a little chlorine

Lysa Arryn

Delusional Jealousy - a person with this delusion falsely believes that a spouse or lover is having an affair, with no proof to back up their claim. Othello Syndrome is a type of delusional jealousy, marked by suspecting a faithful partner of infidelity, with accompanying jealousy, attempts at monitoring and control, and sometimes violence. The problem is named for Shakespeare’s Othello, who murdered his beautiful wife Desdemona because he believed her unfaithful.



 

Hodor's date night was heating up.

Bran Stark
The Psychotic -  an abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality".

Tywin Lannister
The Megalomaniac - ruthless, ambitious, amoral and the lust or craving for power. An arrow hurts just the same whether it's on the Iron Throne or the porcelain throne.

Drogon
The Pyromaniac - a mania for fire setting.










Podrick Payne
Casanova - What happened in that room?

Walder Frey
The Wedding Crasher
Back stabber
Bastard
[insert your own]

''It's sweaty balls up in here...''

Varys
Castration Complex - I suppose?

The armour discretely covered
her 'Who's the man' tattoo

Brienne of Tarth
Masculinity Complex - looks as though she could punch a train unconscious. Enough said.







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''Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.''
                                         ~ George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones    

Schizophrenia

Unlike the disruptions of mental tranquillity that disturb everyone from time to time, schizophrenic episodes represent a severe departure from normal mental functioning. The disorder has a distinctly biological character, suggesting that its fierce psychotic episodes reflect physiological alterations in normal brain function.

Schizophrenia is the diagnostic term for a family of severe mental disorders that involve psychotic features - a loss of contact with reality - and a widespread deterioration of the level of mental functioning affecting multiple psychological processes (Kandel, 1991). The disorder always involves delusions, hallucinations, or characteristic disturbances in the form of thought. By definition, schizophrenic disorders are relatively long lasting: brief, isolated psychotic episodes are not classified as schizophrenic. Schizophrenia, strictly defined, has an incidence of approximately 1 in 200. Rates of schizophrenia are generally similar from country to country - about 1 percent of the population. There are variations - but the variance is difficult to track due to differing measuring standards in many countries, etc. It is equally common in men and women.

Delusions are a major abnormality in the content of thought. Schizophrenic delusions - false beliefs about external reality - are often persecutory, as in the belief that a television newscaster is making fun of the viewing individual. Other typical delusions are more bizarre: The individual may believe that his or her thoughts are being broadcast so that everyone nearby can hear them, or that other people are inserting thoughts and their behaviour is controlled by others, perhaps by radio waves. Such delusional beliefs represent a marked failure in assessing reality.

Characteristic abnormalities in the form of thought also frequently occur. Most common is a loosening of associations , in which ideas shift from one topic to another in an apparently unrelated manner. When this is severe, speech becomes incoherent.

Hallucinations - perception without external stimulation of the sensory systems - are also characteristic of schizophrenia. Most hallucinations are auditory, involving voices that may make insulting statements or provide a continuing critical commentary on the individual's behaviour. Tactile and somatic hallucinations, such as the perception of snakes crawling inside the abdomen, also occur. However, visual hallucinations are less common.

The emotions of the schizophrenic patient are usually flattened or inappropriate. ''Flattened'' means a loss of emotional intensity: the patient speaks in a monotone, the face is expressionless, and the patient reports that normal feelings are no longer experienced. At other times, emotion may be present but is inappropriate to the circumstance.

The combination of symptoms leads to a gross distortion of the person's interactions with the real world. There is a deterioration in functioning, resulting in part from a preoccupation with internal thoughts and fantasies. In many cases, the acute active phase of florid schizophrenic symptoms persists for a prolonged period. It may be followed by a relative remission of symptoms, but a complete return to normal function is extremely unusual. In fact, such a recovery calls into question the original diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Despite the bizarre and florid nature of the schizophrenic symptoms, there is still considerable controversy as to the nature of the disorder. Many investigators believe that schizophrenia is not a single disease but forms a group of related psychotic disorders.

In schizophrenia, there seems to be an inheritable predisposition or susceptibility to the disorder. In the general population, the risk of schizophrenia is less than 1 percent. However, this risk is much greater for relatives of schizophrenics. The parents of a schizophrenic child have about a 5 percent risk of schizophrenia, the siblings of a schizophrenic have about a 10 percent risk, and the children of a schizophrenic parent have about a 14 percent chance of developing the disorder. If both parents are schizophrenic, the child has a risk factor of about 50 percent.

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''If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.''
                                                                                                         ~ Thomas Szasz

Christmas Carol Favourites - The Therapist and his Client

Schizophrenia ~ Do You Hear What I Hear?

Depressed ~ Driving Off A Cliff For Christmas...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ~ Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer...

Compulsive Gambler ~ Run Rudolph Run!!!

Passive Aggressive ~ All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names...

Agoraphobia ~ Hiding Behind The Christmas Tree, At The Christmas Party Hop...

Multiple Personality Disorder ~ We Three Queens Disoriented Are...

Alcoholic ~ All I Want For Christmas Is........To Get Sh*t-Faced!

Dementia ~ I Think I'll Be Home For Christmas...

Pyromaniac ~ Later on...we'll conspire...as we dream by the fire...

Tourette's ~ Jingle F**K! Jingle B****CKS!

Morbidly Obese ~ It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...Diabetes !

Narcissistic ~ Hark The Herald Angels Sing About Me...

Body Dysmorphic ~ All I Want for Christmas.......is 6% Body-Fat And A Nose Job

Paranoid ~ Santa Claus Is Coming To.....Get Me !

Hypochondriac ~ He's making a complaint, He's checking it twice, He's not very happy with his doctor's advice...

Erotomania ~ The Twelve Dicks of Christmas...

Sadistic ~ Jingle Bells, Baseball Bats With Holes, The Safety Word is Sleigh...

Masochistic ~ Rudolph the Red-Arsed Reindeer...

Antisocial Personality Disorder ~ Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, the very next day you called me a scumbag, a maggot...

Social Phobia ~ Here Comes Santa Claus...Hide!

Borderline Personality Disorder ~ Thoughts Of Roasting On An Open Fire...

Personality Disorder ~ You Better Watch Out, I'm Gonna Cry, I'm Gonna Pout, Maybe I'll Tell You Why...

Insomniac ~ I'm.....Dreaming About....Sh*t All...

Manic ~ Deck The Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Offices....

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ~ Jingle Bells One, Jingle Bells Two, Jingle Bells Three, Jingle Bells Four, Jingle Bells Five, Jingle Bells Six, Jingle Bells Eight...Sh*t!...Jingle Bells One...

ADHD ~ He's Making A List, And Checking It Twice, Gonna Find Out...Do I Want Chicken Curry And Rice?

Exhibitionist ~ All I Want For Christmas...Is A Full Frontal !
 

 

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 ''The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live''                                                                                                                ~ George Carlin

The Dark Side

Does Darth Vader meet the diagnostic criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder? The following passage is taken from the BPS Research Digest (2010).

 

In a brazen act of arm-chair diagnosis, Eric Bui and colleagues at Toulouse University Hospital in France have written a short academic article arguing that the Star Wars character Darth Vader probably meets the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD). The authors point to Anakin Skywalker's (as he was originally known) life history, including fatherly absence, early maternal separation and infantile illusions of omnipotence. They go on to claim that Skywalker meets six of the formal nine DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual) criteria for BPD:

'He presented impulsivity and difficulty controlling his anger and alternated between idealisation and devaluation (of his Jedi mentors). Permanently afraid of losing his wife, he made frantic efforts to avoid her abandonment and went as far as betraying his former Jedi companions. He also experienced two dissociative episodes secondary to stressful events. One occurred after his mother's death, when he exterminated a whole tribe of Tuskan people, while the other one took place just after he turned to the dark side. He slaughtered all the Jedi younglings before voicing paranoid thoughts concerning his former mentor and his wife. Finally, the films depicted his quest to find himself, and his uncertainties about who he was. Turning to the dark side and changing his name could be interpreted as a sign of identity disturbance.'

Does this matter? Bui and his colleagues argue that Skywalker's condition could help explain the appeal of the Star Wars films to teenagers - an age group they say presents 'more frequent BPD traits than adults'. They also suggest that promoting recognition that such a famous fictional character meets the criteria for a BPD diagnosis could help combat the stigma associated with mental illness. 'Finally,' they write, 'as [the Star Wars films are] part of most students' cultural background, this case study could prove useful in teaching the criteria of BPD to medical students and residents.'
Bui and colleagues first made these claims at a psychiatric conference in 2007.

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Bui, E., Rodgers, R., Chabrol, H., Birmes, P., & Schmitt, L. (2010). Is Anakin Skywalker suffering from borderline personality disorder? Psychiatry Research DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2009.03.031

Delusions and other Irrational Beliefs

The Working Dead

Cotard delusion (or Walking Corpse Syndrome):

A false belief that one does not exist or has died. Patients often believe that they turned into the walking dead. A relatively rare condition that was first described by Dr. Jules Cotard in 1882. Cases have been reported in patients with mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and medical conditions.

''O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;
It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.''  

Delusional jealousy (or Morbid jealousy):

 

A person with this delusion falsely believes that a spouse or lover is having an affair, with no proof to back up their claim. Morbid jealousy is a favourite topic among novelists and dramatists. ''Othello'' being a classic example.

Delusion of guilt or sin (or delusion of self-accusation):
This is an ungrounded feeling of remorse or guilt of delusional intensity.



Somatic delusion:

Heisenberg had bigger problems than Hank

A delusion whose content pertains to bodily functioning, bodily sensations, or physical appearance. Usually the false belief is that the body is somehow diseased, abnormal, or changed. A specific example of this is Delusions of Parasitosis: a delusion in which one feels infested with insects, bacteria, mites, spiders, lice, fleas, worms, or other organisms. Affected individuals may also report being repeatedly bitten.

Grandiose religious delusion:
The belief that the affected person is a god, or chosen to act as a god. A prominent topic in Freud's Schreber case study.



Capgras delusion (or Capgras syndrome):

''TOASTY!!''

 

A disorder in which a person holds a delusion that a friend, spouse, parent, or other close family member has been replaced by an identical-looking impostor. It has been described in psychiatric and neurological diseases. The onset of Capgras syndrome occurs at a significantly younger age and can be associated with psychiatric disease, cerebrovascular events, and illicit drug use (Josephs, 2007). See the film Changeling (2008) Well worth a watch!

Delusion of mind being read: The false belief that other people can know one's thoughts.





Delusions of persecution:

A delusion (common in paranoia) that others are out to get you and frustrate and embarrass you or inflict suffering on you; a complicated conspiracy is frequently imagined. Delusions of persecution are also common in schizophrenics, especially those suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.

Delusion of reference: The person falsely believes that insignificant remarks, events, or objects in one's environment have personal meaning or significance. Some schizophrenics may believe that current events are happening "for" them or because of something they did. Others may believe that the things strangers or celebrities do or say are meant as a message especially for them

Delusions of grandeur or megalomania:

Delusions of inflated worth, power, knowledge, identity. You may think you are a rock star, an actor or having a special relationship with a deity or famous person.  some schizophrenics may believe they are influential people from the past, such as Jesus Christ .

Any minute now...

Delusion of Reprieve:

Defined in psychology as a victim's false sense of hope in believing they will be pardoned in the last hour rather than meet their fatal end. It was poignantly discussed by Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, in his inspiring book 'Man's Search for Meaning' (1946). 

Delusion of control: This is a false belief that another person, group of people, or external force controls one's general thoughts, feelings, impulses, or behaviour.

Erotomania

 

Famously described in Ian McEwan's novel Enduring Love, it is a delusion in which someone falsely believes another person is in love with them. The target may often be a celebrity or another high-status person, but people with Erotomania may also develop fixations on random strangers and acquaintances.  Erotomania has also been termed de Clerambault’s syndrome, after the French psychiatrist who identified the behaviour. A minority of people may attempt to injure or kill people who they perceive as standing in the way of their relationship with the object of their affection this has been sensationalized in films such as Fatal Attraction.



Reduplicative paramnesia (RP)



Reduplicative paramnesia is the delusional belief that a place or location has been duplicated, existing in two or more places simultaneously, or that it has been 'relocated' to another site. RP is thought to result from an organic rather than psychiatric cause.

It is one of the delusional misidentification syndromes and, although rare, is most commonly associated with acquired brain injury, particularly simultaneous damage to the right cerebral hemisphere and to both frontal lobes.

 

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''We live and we die and anything else is just a delusion'' ~ Chuck Palahniuk, Choke

Hunting the successful psychopath

Put aside the dramatic Hollywood portrayals. Suited, married, high achieving, some of them walk among us. No, not vampires or super-heroes but 'successful psychopaths'. Like their criminally violent cousins - the standard psychopaths - these people are ruthless, callous, fearless and arrogant. But thanks to their superior self-control and conscientiousness, rather than landing in prison, they end up as company chief executives, university chancellors and Queen's Council barristers. Well, that's the idea anyway. But it's an idea that's proven difficult for psychologists to investigate. After all, if you advertise for volunteers for a study of successful people who are psychopathic, you're not likely to get many responses.

Stephanie Mullins-Sweatt and her collaborators tried a different tack. They surveyed hundreds of members of the American Psychological Association's Division 41 (psychology and law), criminal attorneys and professors of clinical psychology about whether they'd ever known personally an individual who was successful in their endeavours and who also matched Hare's definition of a psychopath (see below): 'social predators who charm, manipulate and ruthlessly plow their way through life ... completely lacking in conscience and feeling for others, they selfishly take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without the slightest sense of guilt or regret.'

Of the 118 APA members, 31 attorneys and 58 psychology professors who replied, 81, 25 and 41, respectively, said they'd previously known a successful psycho. The examples given were predominantly male and included current or former students, colleagues, clients, and friends (sample descriptions here). The survey respondents were asked to rate the personality of the successful psychopath they'd known and to complete a psychopathy measure of that person. These ratings were then compared with the typical profile for a standard (unsuccessful) psychopath.

The key difference between successful and standard psychopaths seemed to be in conscientiousness. Providing some rare, concrete support for the 'successful psychopath' concept, the individuals described by the survey respondents were the same as prototypical psychopaths in all regards except they lacked the irresponsibility, impulsivity and negligence and instead scored highly on competence, order, achievement striving and self-discipline.

'The current study used informant descriptions to provide information about successful psychopaths,' the researchers concluded. 'Such persons have been described in papers and texts on psychopathy but only anecdotally. This was the first study to conduct a systematic, quantitative analysis of such persons.'

 

Mullins-Sweatt, S., Glover, N., Derefinko, K., Miller, J., & Widiger, T. (2010). The search for the successful psychopath. Journal of Research in Personality, 44 (4), 554-558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2010.05.010

 

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Robert Hare's Checklist (1991)

1. GLIB and SUPERFICIAL CHARM -- the tendency to be smooth, engaging, charming, slick, and verbally facile. Psychopathic charm is not in the least shy, self-conscious, or afraid to say anything. A psychopath never gets tongue-tied. They have freed themselves from the social conventions about taking turns in talking, for example. >

 

2. GRANDIOSE SELF-WORTH -- a grossly inflated view of one's abilities and self-worth, self-assured, opinionated, cocky, a braggart. Psychopaths are arrogant people who believe they are superior human beings.

 

3. NEED FOR STIMULATION or PRONENESS TO BOREDOM -- an excessive need for novel, thrilling, and exciting stimulation; taking chances and doing things that are risky. Psychopaths often have a low self-discipline in carrying tasks through to completion because they get bored easily. They fail to work at the same job for any length of time, for example, or to finish tasks that they consider dull or routine. 

 

4. PATHOLOGICAL LYING -- can be moderate or high; in moderate form, they will be shrewd, crafty, cunning, sly, and clever; in extreme form, they will be deceptive, deceitful, underhanded, unscrupulous, manipulative, and dishonest.

 

5. CONNING AND MANIPULATIVENESS- the use of deceit and deception to cheat, con, or defraud others for personal gain; distinguished from Item #4 in the degree to which exploitation and callous ruthlessness is present, as reflected in a lack of concern for the feelings and suffering of one's victims.

 

6. LACK OF REMORSE OR GUILT -- a lack of feelings or concern for the losses, pain, and suffering of victims; a tendency to be unconcerned, dispassionate, cold hearted, and unempathic. This item is usually demonstrated by a disdain for one's victims.

 

7. SHALLOW AFFECT -- emotional poverty or a limited range or depth of feelings; interpersonal coldness in spite of signs of open gregariousness. 

 

8. CALLOUSNESS and LACK OF EMPATHY -- a lack of feelings toward people in general; cold, contemptuous, inconsiderate, and tactless.

 

9. PARASITIC LIFESTYLE -- an intentional, manipulative, selfish, and exploitative financial dependence on others as reflected in a lack of motivation, low self-discipline, and inability to begin or complete responsibilities.

 

It was a quiet day for his inbox

10. POOR BEHAVIORAL CONTROLS -- expressions of irritability, annoyance, impatience, threats, aggression, and verbal abuse; inadequate control of anger and temper; acting hastily.

 

11. PROMISCUOUS SEXUAL BEHAVIOR -- a variety of brief, superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners; the maintenance of several relationships at the same time; a history of attempts to sexually coerce others into sexual activity or taking great pride at discussing sexual exploits or conquests.

 

12. EARLY BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS -- a variety of behaviours prior to age 13, including lying, theft, cheating, vandalism, bullying, sexual activity, fire-setting, glue-sniffing, alcohol use, and running away from home.

 

13. LACK OF REALISTIC, LONG-TERM GOALS -- an inability or persistent failure to develop and execute long-term plans and goals; a nomadic existence, aimless, lacking direction in life.

 

14. IMPULSIVITY -- the occurrence of behaviours that are unpremeditated and lack reflection or planning; inability to resist temptation, frustrations, and urges; a lack of deliberation without considering the consequences; foolhardy, rash, unpredictable, erratic, and reckless.

 

15. IRRESPONSIBILITY -- repeated failure to fulfil or honour obligations and commitments; such as not paying bills, defaulting on loans, performing sloppy work, being absent or late to work, failing to honour contractual agreements.

 

16. FAILURE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR OWN ACTIONS -- a failure to accept responsibility for one's actions reflected in low conscientiousness, an absence of dutifulness, antagonistic manipulation, denial of responsibility, and an effort to manipulate others through this denial.

 

17. MANY SHORT-TERM MARITAL RELATIONSHIPS -- a lack of commitment to a long-term relationship reflected in inconsistent, undependable, and unreliable commitments in life, including marital.

 

18. JUVENILE DELINQUENCY -- behaviour problems between the ages of 13-18; mostly behaviours that are crimes or clearly involve aspects of antagonism, exploitation, aggression, manipulation, or a callous, ruthless tough-mindedness.

 

19. REVOCATION OF CONDITION RELEASE -- a revocation of probation or other conditional release due to technical violations, such as carelessness, low deliberation, or failing to appear.

 

20. CRIMINAL VERSATILITY -- a diversity of types of criminal offenses, regardless if the person has been arrested or convicted for them; taking great pride at getting away with crimes.   

 

Hare, R. D. (1991). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems.     

  

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Less scientific and just for the craic of it, I hasten to add: read the following question, come up with an answer and then scroll down to the bottom for the result. This is not a trick question, it is as it reads.

 

A woman, while at the funeral of her own mother, met a man who she did not know. She thought he was 'amazing.' She believed him to be her dream partner so much, that she fell in love with him right there, but never asked for his number and could not find him. A few days later she killed her sister.

Question: What was her motive for killing her sister?

 

Give it some thought before you look.

See answer below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 













Answer: She was hoping the guy would appear at the funeral again.

This is often claimed to be a test by a famous American Psychologist to see if one has the same mentality as a killer, however I have never found any citation or reference to its source. Anyhow, if you answered this correctly - you have the mentality of a psychopath....a person with an antisocial personality disorder, manifested in aggressive, perverted, criminal, or amoral behaviour without empathy or remorse.  If you couldn't answer the question correctly, then good for you pal.

Also if interested, check out Psychologist Kevin Dutton presenting the classic psychological test known as "the trolley problem" with a variation. View Clip

 

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''Psychopaths...people who know the differences between right and wrong, but don't give a shit...''
                                                                                                                                                ~ Elmore Leonard