FYI: Dr. Michael Welner, a professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, wrote an interesting commentary in the Eagle about what BTK might have been like had he not gone to church. Welner also is working to standardize the legal definition of "evil," and wants Eagle readers to help by completing a survey, if you’re interested.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
7 Comments
Phillip, History shows that mental illness was more than just a bit frightening to most people, and all sorts of opinions, including those of religion were readily being bandied about. Finally Dr.Sigmund Freud wrote some 34 volumes analyzing how the human mind actually worked. He divided the mind’s thinking process into four general parts and two categories of illness.
1. The ID… The reservoir of instinctual energy.
2. The Libido…The sexual urge.
3. The Ego…The reasoning process.
4. The Super Ego…The conscience.
Category 1. Neurosis.
Category 2. Psychosis.
Analysis of mental illness is still an art, rather than a scientific investigation, which still leads to a gaggle of opinions. The BTK killer obviously has either a malfunctioning super-ego, or, for whatever the reason, it is powerless to help the mind conform to reasonable behavior. He seems to be a classic Psychopath, and might prove to be an enlightening study.Evil is a religious term and does not serve any useful purpose when analyzing mental illness. It might serve as interesting speculation, or perhaps even as a prelude to a book deal.
Ed, BTK would be considered a sociopath, in the same catagory (cluster B)as antisocial personality disorder. The difference between the two is that someone with an antisocial personality acts out on impulse, whereas someone who is a sociopath carefully plans and then carries out their criminal behavior. It is my understanding that premeditation is the big difference between the two. If you want to learn more about the differnet types of mental illness, the DSM 4 is a great resource.
Or you might look at our current Vice-President – who talked George into sending our troops after oil for Halliburton instead of going after the terrorists. Now that’s one EVIL son of a gun.
True!! Another example of a sociopath. There is a saying in psychiatry “Half of the antisocials are in prison, the other half are holding political office”.
Damoon, After Dr. Sigmund Freud did all the hard work, psychologists from all over started jumping on the bandwagon with: “Well, I say this or that.” Even the dictionary refers you back from sociopath or anti-social behavior to psychopath. Look it up. Better yet read Interruption of Dreams, which Freud considered his best work. Dr. Jung even jumped-ship.Freud wrote Jung 160 letters asking him to not offer a new base-line for Psychiatry, and simple extend the Oedipus Complex. His last line was: “The rest is silence.” {last line from Hamlet} Best, Ed
I think psychiatry has come a long way since Freud first laid the groundwork. We now know that genetic predisposition, chemical imbalances, and other factors play a big role in the incidence of mental illness.The big change in treatment for mental disorders came with the research and development of medications, (except for personality disorders, like Dennis Rader’s) which have been a godsend for those who suffer with it. Far be it from me to ever discount the work of Freud, but there has been many others who have contributed significatly to the study of behavioral health. Maslow, Erikson, Kubler-Ross, just to name a few.
Damoon, Of course you’re correct in what you’ve said, and I hope I didn’t imply otherwise. Best, Ed