War, war, war!
That's been on the news for sometime, hasn't it? Today, the world is appalled by the actions of a terrorist organization known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). This eXtremist group have made themselves known by their violent tactics, torture, seXual violence, slavery etc etc etc. They were so violent that Al Qaeda rejected them completely (Define Irony). What's interesting about IS is that they're active on social media. No really, they actually recruit through social media via advertising and a spoonful of bullshit propaganda. IS, unlike other terrorist groups, is made up of A LOT of 'Westerners'. In fact, it is estimated around one in four IS militants have a Western passport. That caught my interest because I wanted to write about what would cause
a British or American Muslim to leave his/her family and fight and kill for such a violent ideology a long way from their birth home.
Shall we begin?
To start with, what is ISIS? I already mentioned what ISIS stands for. But what really is ISIS? To a lot of people, every terrorist group is the same - using eXtreme measures to achieve their goals which is usually political or religious in nature. However, no two terrorist groups are the same. One group's terrorist is another man's hero. The Lebanese Militia known as Hezballa are considered terrorists outside Lebanon (And in Lebanon by certain sects). But if you want to compare, Hezballa has been protecting Lebanon and fighting off members of Al-Nusra and ISIS in Syria protecting the Lebanese people and providing major back up to the Lebanese Army at the Arsal border.
ISIS started with the United States (Go figure) training militant rebels and arming them in order to take down Bashar l Assad. The plan backfired when those militants went AWOL and declared a Caliphate under Abu Bakr l Baghdadi. Since then, they have committed atrocities I won't even bother mentioning here. I've kept up with multiple British citizens who have left Great Britain in order to go and fight ISIS.
The Theories
The Need to Belong
A 2006 survey and interview with British Muslims (cited by Andrew Silke 2008)
uncovered an important finding - people who felt their primary identity
was Muslim, rather than British, held more sympathetic views towards
the concept of jihad and martyrdom. Indeed, according to Randy Borum (2014) writing in Behavioural Sciences and the Law, a
key psychological vulnerability of those drawn to eXtremism is their
need to feel they belong. "In radical movements and eXtremist groups,
many prospective terrorists find not only a sense of meaning but also a sense of belonging, connectedness and affiliation."
When I got to England, I noticed that many of the Muslims there are more 'religious' in a sense. I see many of them growing beards and dressing up in their Islamic robes. There's nothing wrong in that, of course but I was curious. Why was I curious? Because I've been to Sunni Islamic areas of both Lebanon, UAE and Syria and seeing such a thing is quite rare. In fact, we only see such people who take a strong conservative stance. So why do they identify themselves as Muslims and not British? It's simple - the need to belong. We consciously (And unconsciously) identify with people who are the same as us. It's in man's nature because the ego is always finding ways to defend itself. Besides identifying with a religious sect, people identify with a number of things. The Chelsea football fans stick together, the Goths stick together, the Blacks stick together, the Latinos with their language stick together, etc Music, sports, ideologies, etc. I could go on for hours but you get the point. What makes the UK better than the US is the fact it is eXecuted properly. The U.S almost promotes racism. A lot of Brits may argue against me but I can personally tell you as someone who has been all over, Britain is better off than most. Going back to British Muslims who identify as Muslims and not British. There's a number of reasons. I personally believe the Diaspora Effect. A lot of Muslims, say with a Pakistan origins, have strong desires to 'go back home'. Many left Pakistan in order to have a better life. Some succeeded, some didn't. The parents may talk to their kids about their memories which, for the most part, is during their time in Pakistan. This projection promotes the need to identify with their culture such as food, music, language, belief etc.
Who becomes an eXtremist?
In the UK, contrary to popular belief, many of those who left to join ISIS came from Middle Class and High Class families. They were also well educated. Most of them were in their late teens and early twenties. I could go all Psychoanalytical and tell you this is the stage where people hit an 'Identity Crisis' which is why our school or early college days were days we regret the most. We look back at those pictures and see what 'scene' we were part of. We just needed to identify or we thought we identified with this group (Some people are still fiXated at this stage). It's basically the stage where we eXperiment. You know, clubbing every night, doing drugs, adrenaline fueled speeding, etc. It's the same with the common Western Jihadist, just how you could be peer pressured to try drugs, you could be peer pressured to become a terrorist. I'll talk about this momentarily but let me tackle the question in your head saying I'm wasting my time writing this because these people are mentally ill.
Are They Psychologically Ill?
Contrary to popular belief, a study by Borum (2014) showed that "eXtremists" are not psychologically abnormal. Like I said, many of these Brits and other Europeans come from well educated families. However, I have to disagree slightly. The line between normal and abnormal is way too thin, at least in my books. An eXtremist doesn't have to be abnormal to the point labelled psychotic but that doesn't mean he/she isn't neurotic. Just like how a teenager with their identity crisis can't fit in or can't find the light in the world for a number of reasons, so does the eXtremist. Some of them might pull out of this stage and some might fiXate which is why most Personality Disorders aren't diagnosed before the age of 18.
The Risky Shift
Social Psychology has a theory known as the Risky Shift (Or group polarlisation). You'd be surprised to know (Or not) that many people are introduced to radical theories by a close knit of friends. Remember when I mentioned peer pressure up there? It's basically the same thing. Even the slightest belief of radicalism can be lit up when the entire group opens up. In fact, people who are most vulnerable are the ones who have nothing to lose or simply the ones who have lost everything (Both different and alike in numerous ways) which is why they compensate by numbing the pain through certain 'destructive' behaviors like drug use. That doesn't mean everyone who has tried drugs is compensating for something, please try and understand the psychological profile I'm detailing here. Anyways, back to our eXtremist group meeting, the phenomenon known as Risky Shift occurs - it is best defined as the tendency for groups to arrive at more eXtreme positions than any individual would have come up on his own. When the ego is in danger, seeking meaning, desperate, etc, it would project its own shadow into the world. When in a group, a collective shadow has been created which is just a bag of everyone's different (Or not so different) nightmares all bottled up. In History, the Nazi regime is a good eXample. In Literature, the Lord of the Flies comes to mind when those innocent marooned children became Satan's spawns and committed atrocious acts. It's the same with eXtremists, why stop at one eXtreme point? I would personally put Risky Shift as the Fuel for eXtreminism.
Marginalisation and Perceived Injustice
Many would-be violent extremists bear grievances, sometimes a
sense of humiliation (either personally or on behalf of their in-group)
and a desire for revenge. At the same time, they feel that their needs
and interests are not recognised by mainstream authorities. It's notable
that in the UK and other Western countries, the Muslim population are
massively under-represented in national parliaments. A 2009 paper "Patterns
of Thinking in Militant EXtremism" analysed the mindset of many
eXtremist groups around the world (based on internet and printed
material), including the IRA and the Muslim Brotherhood, and two key
beliefs were the illegitimacy of the established authorities and that
change can only be achieved through eXtreme and unconventional means.That sounds rather unfair but this is the part where any minority group that feels it has been under-represented will start to show muscle. We've seen Sunni sects riot in England with their radical beliefs. When I asked one of the protestors why doesn't he go to a country where Sharia law is implemented, he took offense - then it all made sense. Amazing what anger reveals about a person's psychological mind-frame. When he thought he could show muscle, I told him it's unfair how Sunni minority groups want to implement Sharia law in liberal countries but in countries where Sharia law is the main law, any other minority group would be wiped out -- through radical means.
Dehumanisation of Enemies
As I mentioned, the ego will always protect itself and go on with society's perceived standards. What makes eXtremists dangerous is the fact that they have completely dehumanised their enemies. We all saw how Jihadi John decapitated that poor reporter's head as if he was having a stroll at Hyde Park. If you're not with me, you're against me. Interesting trivia is that this doesn't only apply to eXtremists. Brain response shows we dehumanise people we can't associate with such as street beggars and drugs addicts. Unconsciously, we may not be aware of the words we use such as, 'Pff animals, they should all be killed'. We've dehumanised our enemies but they've also done the same to us.
EXistential Influences
For many people, eXtremist religious movements offer eXistential
comfort. EXtremists and many so-called fundamentalists in all
religions, use one of the most basic and often most destructive forms of
defense," writes Gibbs (2005) "they
repress the anXiety of nonbeing, splitting the self and filling the
void with self-protective belief systems and structures ..." Also
relevant here is "Terror Management Theory"
- this states that we respond to reminders of our mortality by
entrenching our beliefs and deepening our cultural allegiances. A 2006 study
found that Muslim Iranian students reminded of their own mortality
subsequently eXpressed more support for their peers who believed in the
legitimacy of suicide attacks against the US. So going back to the point where all humans try and find meaning to their lives, they find comfort in something that fulfills them - usually religion or any ideology they can identify with. Freud talked about the Ego and Death Instinct so that's a good read elucidating this matter in more psychoanalytical detail. The quest for personal significance constitutes a major motivational
force that may push individuals toward violent eXtremism," write Arie W.
Kruglanski et al in a 2014 paper.
Silke (2008) similarly points out that in many communities, "joining a
terrorist group increases the standing of a teenager or youth
considerably." It's also important to recognise the lure of danger and
eXcitement, especially to young disenfranchised men. Silke quotes
a former IRA member reminiscing about his time as a terrorist: "I lived
each day in a heightened state of alertness. Everything I did, however
trivial, could seem meaningful."
Violent Scriptures
Every religion has a passage that comes off as violent, which is part of human nature. It was hypothesized that such scriptures promote violent behavior and aggression. Luckily, a 2007 study by Bushman put this to test and results showed that students eXposed to violent scriptures did eXhibit more aggression, especially if they were religious believers. It's similar with theories of how growing up to violent video games and movies could cause one to develop violent traits we see in Conduct Disorder and eventually Anti-Social Personality Disorder. However, religion is more internalised, and scriptures that portray violence have a stronger effect than video games.
In conclusion, I've done my best to list some of the theories that eXplain what goes through the mind of a terrorist. As always, I'll be happy to receive your private questions.
Stay safe, stay smart.
Sunday 9 November 2014
Thursday 22 May 2014
The Devil Gene: Part II 'Sociopathy'
"I'm not a Psychopath, I'm a High Functioning Sociopath! Do you research." - Sherlock Holmes
The debate has been going on forever and countless psychologists and psychiatrists still haven't reached a verdict whether there is a difference between Sociopathy and Psychopathy or if they are the same thing after all. If you've read the first chapter of this series, you are already acquainted with my position to where I stand on this topic.
Recall that Anti-Social Personality Disorder (And tendencies) make up a small amount of our society (Prevalence 2 to 5%)
So, what's a Sociopath? Most of what you'd read when you google Sociopath would be 'Psychopath (Or Sociopath) is so - so - so. However, with the meticulous research on the topic, new results are showing a difference in how we label such personalities. The main differences are due to neurological deficits but I'll eXplain as much as I can - the personality differences.
Remember when I mentioned there are different types of Anti Social Traits? The Narcissistic Type, The Malicious Type, etc. Each time is eXtremely important to understanding a sociopath which I'll come to in a minute. Also, my personal opinion (It wouldn't be a blog if it wasn't personal opinion) is that IQ (E-IQ, IQ, etc) play a big role in personality formation. Like I mentioned previously, if two men - one of them a shop lifter and the other one a corporate manager are both diagnosed ASPDs, why is there a difference? It all falls down to Intelligence. The shop lifter is most likely to be ASPD of the Malicious type using violence to get what he/she wants whereas the corporate manager could be charming and manipulative, using these tactics to climb the ladder.
So now you make ask, a psychopath can also have those traits. Very true. So what differentiates them?
Consciousness.
A Sociopath, like it or not, does possess a form of empathy. No matter how small, empathy is empathy. The area of the brain which is the major control center for emotions, especially fear - happens to be the Amygdala. Numerous studies have shown that abnormalities in the amygdala lead patients to lose all forms of fear. They also happened to be less empathetic. In fact, they weren't able to comprehend fear even when presented with a snake face to face. They could understand different pictures of people's emotions but not fear. Not to get into so much detail but it is imperative I eXplain these brain functions.
As you know or may not know, no single part of the brain is responsible for one activity. Surely some areas of the brain do the majority of the work but the brain works as a unified system. The Prefrontal CorteX located in the frontal lobe is what gives us humans the ability to plan, solve and eXecute primary functions. The amygdala works in pair with this area of the brain. Messages are both received and relayed to one another. For eXample, if you're scared of a lion, you perceive this lion through the use of your occipital lobe which sends neural messages to your amygdala and prefrontal corteX basically telling you that is a threat and the fight or flight system will be activated through the use of neurotransmitters. So, people who have a 'shrunken' or 'abnormal' amygdala may perceive it differently. Now not everyone is afraid of lions, crocodiles, snakes etc. That is true considering some tribes in Africa would Crocodiles as 'Food' while a Teenage girl from California would see Crocodiles as hell. Does that mean tribesmen in Africa all have abnormal amgydalas? Certainly NOT. It all falls into conditioning since we're all taught to fear this and avoid that when growing up. There are some evolutionary factors that were stuck with us and passed down as fear elements. Sour foods taste nasty because poisons in the wild tended to have a 'sour' like taste so we naturally despise them. That's your brain looking out for you. Nice one, brain. Anyways, not to digress, a sociopath's brain works similar to ours. However, with a slight few differences. Since they have a shrunken amgydala, they perceive and make choices differently than the relative population.
Here's a question:
You're an observer on the hill top and a train is racing down the tracks and if left alone, would kill a group of people, say five people but you have the choice of pulling a switch that would alter the train's direction and kill one person instead. What would you do here?
Here's another one with an added cherry on top:
Same scenario with a train speeding down the tracks en route to kill five people (Christ, what kind of train is this?) but instead of a switch, there's an obese man standing above the train tracks. If you push this innocent bystander, his weight will somehow miraculously stop the train en route to kill these five people.This one happens to be more complicated because you are actually using your physical body to push this person to his death.
As I've given this eXample before, my answer in class raised concerns. Yes, I am indeed a terrible person.
So a non fictional character of a sociopath? Can you name any? If you're thinking on the lines of Jack the Ripper or Ted Bundy or any other serial killer - I'd disagree. I'm not saying a sociopath wouldn't commit murder; anyone is capable of committing murder. Threaten to kill a baby and the mother would put a bullet through your head if you give her a gun. She'd put more than one bullet if I had to bet on it. Remember the Milgram eXperiment? If not, research it.
"Madness, you see, is like gravity - all you need is a little push" - The Joker 'The Dark Knight'
My favorite non fictional characters of Sociopaths would be Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia. If you have read Machiavelli's 'The Prince'; he's basically labelling the ideal sociopath.
Fictional characters? Hannibal Lecter is a Psychopath while Will Graham is a Sociopath.
More fictional characters? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. If I had to do a case study on Sherly, it would be imperative to mention his high intellect. That doesn't mean average intelligence can't 'deduce' things but Sherlock has higher cognitive functions (memory, attention, etc) indicating higher intelligence since they're both positively correlated. The fact he labelled himself 'High Functioning Sociopath' isn't found in any Psychological literature but it does make sense to an eXtent. That is to say, Sherlock is conscious of his nature. Though he stops bad guys and such, he doesn't do it because he's Jesus Christ; he does it to fuel his ego, to be right, to know and leave no stone unturned. Yet Sherlock does have one friend - Dr. Watson.
As for Dr. Watson, recall in my last blog I did mention that Doctors have similar neurological make up to 'psychopaths' because they're able to disect and cut through you like nothing - only difference is that the action is sublimated. Remember Dr. Watson was suffering from somatoform disorders after returning from skirmish but soon regained his 'health' upon meeting Sherlock because Watson enjoys the thrill and danger - a common trait for sociopaths and psychopaths. They love the rush. Psychopaths love it too - that's why they tend to taunt police officers after every crime.
Statistics show that 1 in 20 people happen to be 'Sociopaths' which means that anyone could, if pushed, go over the edge. Remember, there's absolutely nothing wrong with sociopaths, for what they are biologically, it all falls down to the environment determining who they are.
There you have it, a brief piece on Sociopathic Literature. My apologies for not posting any brain images - I wanted this piece to be purely literature since there are no key researches as of yet. Maybe in future, I'll conduct an eXperiment (Hopefully). As for Psychopathy, I'll be writing in great detail followed with pictures of brain scans and case studies of serial killers. The topic on Psychopaths would make the Anti-Social Personality Disorder and Sociopathy topics easier to comprehend because, as mentioned above, it may be difficult to comprehend at first. Please take note that even psychologists have a hard time differentiating the differences.
[If you have any questions, private message me on Facebook 'Joey 'Kaiser' Elie Dib' or email me at Kaiserr06@gmail.com]
The debate has been going on forever and countless psychologists and psychiatrists still haven't reached a verdict whether there is a difference between Sociopathy and Psychopathy or if they are the same thing after all. If you've read the first chapter of this series, you are already acquainted with my position to where I stand on this topic.
Recall that Anti-Social Personality Disorder (And tendencies) make up a small amount of our society (Prevalence 2 to 5%)
So, what's a Sociopath? Most of what you'd read when you google Sociopath would be 'Psychopath (Or Sociopath) is so - so - so. However, with the meticulous research on the topic, new results are showing a difference in how we label such personalities. The main differences are due to neurological deficits but I'll eXplain as much as I can - the personality differences.
Remember when I mentioned there are different types of Anti Social Traits? The Narcissistic Type, The Malicious Type, etc. Each time is eXtremely important to understanding a sociopath which I'll come to in a minute. Also, my personal opinion (It wouldn't be a blog if it wasn't personal opinion) is that IQ (E-IQ, IQ, etc) play a big role in personality formation. Like I mentioned previously, if two men - one of them a shop lifter and the other one a corporate manager are both diagnosed ASPDs, why is there a difference? It all falls down to Intelligence. The shop lifter is most likely to be ASPD of the Malicious type using violence to get what he/she wants whereas the corporate manager could be charming and manipulative, using these tactics to climb the ladder.
So now you make ask, a psychopath can also have those traits. Very true. So what differentiates them?
Consciousness.
A Sociopath, like it or not, does possess a form of empathy. No matter how small, empathy is empathy. The area of the brain which is the major control center for emotions, especially fear - happens to be the Amygdala. Numerous studies have shown that abnormalities in the amygdala lead patients to lose all forms of fear. They also happened to be less empathetic. In fact, they weren't able to comprehend fear even when presented with a snake face to face. They could understand different pictures of people's emotions but not fear. Not to get into so much detail but it is imperative I eXplain these brain functions.
As you know or may not know, no single part of the brain is responsible for one activity. Surely some areas of the brain do the majority of the work but the brain works as a unified system. The Prefrontal CorteX located in the frontal lobe is what gives us humans the ability to plan, solve and eXecute primary functions. The amygdala works in pair with this area of the brain. Messages are both received and relayed to one another. For eXample, if you're scared of a lion, you perceive this lion through the use of your occipital lobe which sends neural messages to your amygdala and prefrontal corteX basically telling you that is a threat and the fight or flight system will be activated through the use of neurotransmitters. So, people who have a 'shrunken' or 'abnormal' amygdala may perceive it differently. Now not everyone is afraid of lions, crocodiles, snakes etc. That is true considering some tribes in Africa would Crocodiles as 'Food' while a Teenage girl from California would see Crocodiles as hell. Does that mean tribesmen in Africa all have abnormal amgydalas? Certainly NOT. It all falls into conditioning since we're all taught to fear this and avoid that when growing up. There are some evolutionary factors that were stuck with us and passed down as fear elements. Sour foods taste nasty because poisons in the wild tended to have a 'sour' like taste so we naturally despise them. That's your brain looking out for you. Nice one, brain. Anyways, not to digress, a sociopath's brain works similar to ours. However, with a slight few differences. Since they have a shrunken amgydala, they perceive and make choices differently than the relative population.
Here's a question:
You're an observer on the hill top and a train is racing down the tracks and if left alone, would kill a group of people, say five people but you have the choice of pulling a switch that would alter the train's direction and kill one person instead. What would you do here?
Here's another one with an added cherry on top:
Same scenario with a train speeding down the tracks en route to kill five people (Christ, what kind of train is this?) but instead of a switch, there's an obese man standing above the train tracks. If you push this innocent bystander, his weight will somehow miraculously stop the train en route to kill these five people.This one happens to be more complicated because you are actually using your physical body to push this person to his death.
As I've given this eXample before, my answer in class raised concerns. Yes, I am indeed a terrible person.
So a non fictional character of a sociopath? Can you name any? If you're thinking on the lines of Jack the Ripper or Ted Bundy or any other serial killer - I'd disagree. I'm not saying a sociopath wouldn't commit murder; anyone is capable of committing murder. Threaten to kill a baby and the mother would put a bullet through your head if you give her a gun. She'd put more than one bullet if I had to bet on it. Remember the Milgram eXperiment? If not, research it.
"Madness, you see, is like gravity - all you need is a little push" - The Joker 'The Dark Knight'
My favorite non fictional characters of Sociopaths would be Niccolo Machiavelli and Cesare Borgia. If you have read Machiavelli's 'The Prince'; he's basically labelling the ideal sociopath.
Fictional characters? Hannibal Lecter is a Psychopath while Will Graham is a Sociopath.
More fictional characters? Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. If I had to do a case study on Sherly, it would be imperative to mention his high intellect. That doesn't mean average intelligence can't 'deduce' things but Sherlock has higher cognitive functions (memory, attention, etc) indicating higher intelligence since they're both positively correlated. The fact he labelled himself 'High Functioning Sociopath' isn't found in any Psychological literature but it does make sense to an eXtent. That is to say, Sherlock is conscious of his nature. Though he stops bad guys and such, he doesn't do it because he's Jesus Christ; he does it to fuel his ego, to be right, to know and leave no stone unturned. Yet Sherlock does have one friend - Dr. Watson.
As for Dr. Watson, recall in my last blog I did mention that Doctors have similar neurological make up to 'psychopaths' because they're able to disect and cut through you like nothing - only difference is that the action is sublimated. Remember Dr. Watson was suffering from somatoform disorders after returning from skirmish but soon regained his 'health' upon meeting Sherlock because Watson enjoys the thrill and danger - a common trait for sociopaths and psychopaths. They love the rush. Psychopaths love it too - that's why they tend to taunt police officers after every crime.
Statistics show that 1 in 20 people happen to be 'Sociopaths' which means that anyone could, if pushed, go over the edge. Remember, there's absolutely nothing wrong with sociopaths, for what they are biologically, it all falls down to the environment determining who they are.
There you have it, a brief piece on Sociopathic Literature. My apologies for not posting any brain images - I wanted this piece to be purely literature since there are no key researches as of yet. Maybe in future, I'll conduct an eXperiment (Hopefully). As for Psychopathy, I'll be writing in great detail followed with pictures of brain scans and case studies of serial killers. The topic on Psychopaths would make the Anti-Social Personality Disorder and Sociopathy topics easier to comprehend because, as mentioned above, it may be difficult to comprehend at first. Please take note that even psychologists have a hard time differentiating the differences.
[If you have any questions, private message me on Facebook 'Joey 'Kaiser' Elie Dib' or email me at Kaiserr06@gmail.com]
Friday 31 January 2014
The Devil Gene: Part I 'Anti-Social Personality Disorder'
Good day everyone,
Welcome to the first chapter of The Devil Gene series. The first chapter is Anti Social Personality Disorder. The second chapter is on Sociopathy. The third chapter will be on Psychopathy. And hopefully, the final chapter will be an integrated collection of all three, elucidating their differences and similarities. I wanted to write a chapter of all three once and for all but the literature is so vast, it's best if I divided each into small sections to make it easier for you (and myself).
Introduction
When someone says, 'He's a Psychopath!' What comes into mind? The normal person would think about serial killers and Batman's Joker. However, this isn't the case, at least not entirely. What about Sociopathy? 'Hold up, wait - I thought they were the same thing?' OR 'Oh yeah I've heard about sociopathy but what's the difference?' Many psychologists argue that Sociopathy and Psychopathy are the same thing but the literature tends to change the terms. At one point, I would have agreed with this but with some new research studies, I'm standing on the side where there's a difference between both and hopefully for my Doctorate thesis, I could thoroughly study it. What about Anti-Social Personality Disorder? What comes to mind?
Anti Social? As in I don't like socializing?
Does this mean I'm an introvert?
Is there such a thing as a personality disorder?
According to the DSM-IV-TR (2000) Anti-Social Personality Disorder is one of the many disorders found in the AXIS II spectrum. In order to understand this spectrum, I have to list the clusters and disorders.
Schizoid - This has nothing to do with Schizophrenia (at least in this blog) - please remember this is a personality disorder NOT a mental or medical disorder. I'm not saying it isn't possible to find someone with Schizophrenia with a Schizoid or Schizotypal personality. It's like cancer - you can be a psychopath or a 'normal' person with a 'normal' personality and you're still at risk in getting cancer. So what about a person with Schizoid personality?
The World Health Organization's ICD-10 lists schizoid personality disorder as Schizoid personality disorder.
2 - Deception - repeated lying - manipulating others for profit.
3- Impulsivity - failure to plan ahead
5- Reckless regard for safety of others and oneself.
When you read those 3 in one person, does a serial killer come to mind? To me, it doesn't. What I see here is a person in a white suit in a high corporation company. Think about it, the kid of some rich millionaire enjoying the party life:
He'd definitely deceive women to get into her pants.
Impulsive behavior - what does he care? He's got everything he needs. No regard or value whatsoever.
Fast driving, substance abuse, all for into part of the entertainment.
Now let me pick 1, 4 and 7.
1 - Rebellious attacks - can't seem to follow the law. Multiple acts that lead to arrest.
4-Irrability and aggressiveness - easily agitated - gets into physical fights
7-Lack of remorse - doesn't care who is hurt in the process.
What springs to mind? I see those thugs on the streets who hold up liquor stores. They just can't seem to function in society, they make up a large number of prison inmates too.
So as you can see, between those two eXamples. They're very similar and very different too. Imagine putting the rich anti social kid in a room with the thug? That's what makes it unique - no two classifications are the same. Now imagine you have someone with 7/7 of those classified attributes. The results depends and I personally believe and I'll be sure to do a study on it in future is that it falls into 'Intelligence'. When you have a high degree of emotional and social intelligence, you tend to 'mask' your emotions better. Take two eXamples again - this time fully classified ASPD.
The first one has low emotional and social ASPD. I would deduce that this person may get away with things because as long as they eXhibit these traits, they'll still be able to retain some of their charm and manipulative techniques but not for long. If you can't hide your emotions, you've shown a breaking point. Therefore someone smarter than you will be able detect the game you're playing. If you 'tick' on every detail with an aggressive answer, you'll wind up in jail hence the large amount of inmates are classified ASPD but come from a background of poor education and supervision. These people are violent and dangerous and they're the type to take a blunt object and attack you with it, as long as it gets the job done.
For the second eXample with ASPD but this time with high emotional and social intelligence, you're not eXactly looking at some super villain although it is possible but I can't discuss this without going into psychopathy and sociopathy so I'll do my best to elucidate what I can. I would personally go with the white suit corporate leaders. With that much intelligence, it's quite simple to deceive others. They tend to go into positions which empowers them. What comes to mind is the main character from American Psycho or the Wolf of Wall Street. Please take note that doesn't mean you won't find them in other areas. You'll find most of them in the workforce that deals with people, even psychologists, teachers, politicians, doctors, lawyers etc Why is it that 4% of the priesthood are involved in crimes? Does that mean all Priests are evil? Absolutely not. They just outsmarted you by joining a 'workforce' whereby nobody would suspect this nice man of God who serves with honest people would ever do such a thing. Does this mean all business corporate leaders are evil? Absolutely not. Please take into account that ASPD is seen in 1-5% in the general population
Theodore Millon has listed subtypes within the disorder. Please take a look.
I once told my professor that the disorders in Cluster B are not as concrete as the others. What I was trying to say is that you can finds bits of each symptom in Cluster B personalities in one another. You'd find borderline, histrionic and narcissistic personality disorder traits in Anti Social (and vice versa)
The graph above works as a more advanced eXample than what I wrote above so I hope you can understand or at least get an idea of what I'm trying to convey. I could briefly describe each one for you but it would be prudent if you use your imagination. I'm sure we all know someone or seen a piece of art and literature that has a character with such traits.
Interestingly enough, ASPD shares multiple comorbid disorders
For now I won't go into the Neurological and Biological aspect of the disorder. I would love to talk about the brain and what neurotransmitters are involved that causes the person to have such a make up but I will leave that for the coming chapters. Please feel free to message me any questions regarding the disorder and take note my neXt blog post would continue with Sociopathy.
Welcome to the first chapter of The Devil Gene series. The first chapter is Anti Social Personality Disorder. The second chapter is on Sociopathy. The third chapter will be on Psychopathy. And hopefully, the final chapter will be an integrated collection of all three, elucidating their differences and similarities. I wanted to write a chapter of all three once and for all but the literature is so vast, it's best if I divided each into small sections to make it easier for you (and myself).
Introduction
When someone says, 'He's a Psychopath!' What comes into mind? The normal person would think about serial killers and Batman's Joker. However, this isn't the case, at least not entirely. What about Sociopathy? 'Hold up, wait - I thought they were the same thing?' OR 'Oh yeah I've heard about sociopathy but what's the difference?' Many psychologists argue that Sociopathy and Psychopathy are the same thing but the literature tends to change the terms. At one point, I would have agreed with this but with some new research studies, I'm standing on the side where there's a difference between both and hopefully for my Doctorate thesis, I could thoroughly study it. What about Anti-Social Personality Disorder? What comes to mind?
Anti Social? As in I don't like socializing?
Does this mean I'm an introvert?
Is there such a thing as a personality disorder?
According to the DSM-IV-TR (2000) Anti-Social Personality Disorder is one of the many disorders found in the AXIS II spectrum. In order to understand this spectrum, I have to list the clusters and disorders.
Cluster A (odd disorders)
- Paranoid personality disorder: characterized by a pattern of irrational suspicion and mistrust of others, interpreting motivations as malevolent
- Schizoid personality disorder: lack of interest and detachment from social relationships, and restricted emotional expression
- Schizotypal personality disorder: a pattern of extreme discomfort interacting socially, distorted cognitions and perceptions
Cluster B (dramatic, emotional or erratic disorders)
- Antisocial personality disorder: a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, lack of empathy
- Borderline personality disorder: pervasive pattern of instability in relationships, self-image, identity, behavior and affects often leading to self-harm and impulsivity
- Histrionic personality disorder: pervasive pattern of attention-seeking behavior and excessive emotions
- Narcissistic personality disorder: a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and a lack of empathy
Cluster C (anxious or fearful disorders)
- Avoidant personality disorder: pervasive feelings of social inhibition and inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation
- Dependent personality disorder: pervasive psychological need to be cared for by other people.
- Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (not the same as obsessive-compulsive disorder): characterized by rigid conformity to rules, perfectionism and control
Schizoid - This has nothing to do with Schizophrenia (at least in this blog) - please remember this is a personality disorder NOT a mental or medical disorder. I'm not saying it isn't possible to find someone with Schizophrenia with a Schizoid or Schizotypal personality. It's like cancer - you can be a psychopath or a 'normal' person with a 'normal' personality and you're still at risk in getting cancer. So what about a person with Schizoid personality?
The World Health Organization's ICD-10 lists schizoid personality disorder as Schizoid personality disorder.
- It is characterized by at least four of the following criteria:
-
- Emotional coldness, detachment or reduced affect.
- Limited capacity to express either positive or negative emotions towards others.
- Consistent preference for solitary activities.
- Very few, if any, close friends or relationships, and a lack of desire for such.
- Indifference to either praise or criticism.
- Little interest in having sexual experiences with another person (taking into account age).
- Taking pleasure in few, if any, activities.
- Indifference to social norms and conventions.
- Preoccupation with fantasy and introspection.
As you can see, it takes 4 or more of these traits to be classified as a Schizoid Personality. Now you may be saying, 'Ouf I know someone like that'. Well, chances are rare. A schizoid is someone like a hermit, living alone in the cold mountains all his life. In the work place, schizoids are usually librarians who sit all day alone in a quiet space. You can have the first four traits listed above 1 to 4 (or 5) and the last 6-9 traits. No matter, you'll be classified as a Schizoid Personality.
If you got that, we can now talk about Anti Social Personality Disorder. As you can see, it's in the Cluster B category with the dramatic, emotional or erratic disorders. I've already briefly spoken about Histrionic Personality Disorder in the past.
They say ASPD makes up 2% generally but I personally believe it's way more than that. At least 5% because it's harder to be detected in people with higher intelligence. I shall write more on this momentarily.
Here are the 'symptoms' according both to the DSM IV and ICD 10 manual for ASPD
The APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV-TR), defines antisocial personality disorder (in Axis II Cluster B):
- A) There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of
the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three
or more of the following::
- failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
- deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
- impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
- irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
- reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
- consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
- lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another;
- B) The individual is at least age 18 years.
- C) There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
- D) The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode.
ICD-10
The WHO's International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, tenth edition (ICD-10), has a diagnosis called dissocial personality disorder- It is characterized by at least 3 of the following:
-
- Callous unconcern for the feelings of others;
- Gross and persistent attitude of irresponsibility and disregard for social norms, rules, and obligations;
- Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships, though having no difficulty in establishing them;
- Very low tolerance to frustration and a low threshold for discharge of aggression, including violence;
- Incapacity to experience guilt or to profit from experience, particularly punishment;
- Marked readiness to blame others or to offer plausible rationalizations for the behavior that has brought the person into conflict with society.
2 - Deception - repeated lying - manipulating others for profit.
3- Impulsivity - failure to plan ahead
5- Reckless regard for safety of others and oneself.
When you read those 3 in one person, does a serial killer come to mind? To me, it doesn't. What I see here is a person in a white suit in a high corporation company. Think about it, the kid of some rich millionaire enjoying the party life:
He'd definitely deceive women to get into her pants.
Impulsive behavior - what does he care? He's got everything he needs. No regard or value whatsoever.
Fast driving, substance abuse, all for into part of the entertainment.
Now let me pick 1, 4 and 7.
1 - Rebellious attacks - can't seem to follow the law. Multiple acts that lead to arrest.
4-Irrability and aggressiveness - easily agitated - gets into physical fights
7-Lack of remorse - doesn't care who is hurt in the process.
What springs to mind? I see those thugs on the streets who hold up liquor stores. They just can't seem to function in society, they make up a large number of prison inmates too.
So as you can see, between those two eXamples. They're very similar and very different too. Imagine putting the rich anti social kid in a room with the thug? That's what makes it unique - no two classifications are the same. Now imagine you have someone with 7/7 of those classified attributes. The results depends and I personally believe and I'll be sure to do a study on it in future is that it falls into 'Intelligence'. When you have a high degree of emotional and social intelligence, you tend to 'mask' your emotions better. Take two eXamples again - this time fully classified ASPD.
The first one has low emotional and social ASPD. I would deduce that this person may get away with things because as long as they eXhibit these traits, they'll still be able to retain some of their charm and manipulative techniques but not for long. If you can't hide your emotions, you've shown a breaking point. Therefore someone smarter than you will be able detect the game you're playing. If you 'tick' on every detail with an aggressive answer, you'll wind up in jail hence the large amount of inmates are classified ASPD but come from a background of poor education and supervision. These people are violent and dangerous and they're the type to take a blunt object and attack you with it, as long as it gets the job done.
For the second eXample with ASPD but this time with high emotional and social intelligence, you're not eXactly looking at some super villain although it is possible but I can't discuss this without going into psychopathy and sociopathy so I'll do my best to elucidate what I can. I would personally go with the white suit corporate leaders. With that much intelligence, it's quite simple to deceive others. They tend to go into positions which empowers them. What comes to mind is the main character from American Psycho or the Wolf of Wall Street. Please take note that doesn't mean you won't find them in other areas. You'll find most of them in the workforce that deals with people, even psychologists, teachers, politicians, doctors, lawyers etc Why is it that 4% of the priesthood are involved in crimes? Does that mean all Priests are evil? Absolutely not. They just outsmarted you by joining a 'workforce' whereby nobody would suspect this nice man of God who serves with honest people would ever do such a thing. Does this mean all business corporate leaders are evil? Absolutely not. Please take into account that ASPD is seen in 1-5% in the general population
Theodore Millon has listed subtypes within the disorder. Please take a look.
I once told my professor that the disorders in Cluster B are not as concrete as the others. What I was trying to say is that you can finds bits of each symptom in Cluster B personalities in one another. You'd find borderline, histrionic and narcissistic personality disorder traits in Anti Social (and vice versa)
The graph above works as a more advanced eXample than what I wrote above so I hope you can understand or at least get an idea of what I'm trying to convey. I could briefly describe each one for you but it would be prudent if you use your imagination. I'm sure we all know someone or seen a piece of art and literature that has a character with such traits.
Interestingly enough, ASPD shares multiple comorbid disorders
Comorbidity
The following conditions commonly coexist with ASPD:- Anxiety disorders
- Depressive disorder
- Impulse control disorders
- Substance-related disorders
- Somatization disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Histrionic personality disorder
- Narcissistic personality disorder
- Sadistic personality disorder
For now I won't go into the Neurological and Biological aspect of the disorder. I would love to talk about the brain and what neurotransmitters are involved that causes the person to have such a make up but I will leave that for the coming chapters. Please feel free to message me any questions regarding the disorder and take note my neXt blog post would continue with Sociopathy.
Thursday 8 November 2012
God & the Brain
How God changes your Brain - A Neurotheological approach written by Dr. Walid Sarkis. Further emphasized by Joseph Kaiser.
Here is one of Michelangelo's master pieces. God reaching towards Adam to give him a soul. But what's unique about this picture? If you've seen the original pic, the cove or shell God is residing in has a remarkable resemblance to the Human brain. Not many people know that Michelangelo as well as other Philosophers, Scientists and Theologists first hypothesized that the entire concept of God is in the human brain. This picture holds many keys and other trivia but I won't progress further for they are irrelevant. The important part is that you understood that the God and the Brain concept isn't something new - it's been around for quite some time.
When the word 'God' comes up, what do we think? What do we feel? Stirs up more emotion? Causes controversy? Causes more love and hatred? Inundates society at every level?
Ways of approaching the concept of God:
1- Theological
2- Evolutionary
3- Psychological
4- Neuroimaging
Can we prove God's eXistence or non eXistence through scientific inquiry? At this point - No. However, Science can tell us how God - as an image - feeling, thought or fact - is interpreted, reacted to and turned into a perception that feels meaningful and real. We can use Science to determine the effect of God on the brain and body.
Perception and Phenomenology:
If a belief in God provides you with a sense of comfort and security, then God will enhance your life.
But if you perceive God as a vindictive deity, such belief can actually damage your brain as you act out in socially destructive ways.
So, where in the Brain do we 'think' and 'feel' God? Books such as 'The God Neuron' and 'Why God won't go away' use state of the art instruments to locate an area in the Brain responsible for this.
Here is your average favorite citizen. Now take a pen and pinpoint or mark the area between 'Your ad here' and 'TV Time' That point area between your Prefrontal CorteX and Temporal lobe is the God part of the brain.
Here is an fMRI scan of the Brain at Baseline.
Here is an fMRI scan of the Brain while a believer is undergoing prayer.
If you notice the bottom left part that is red is the language area of the brain since you're 'talking' even in thought. But what's the interesting part? Look to the top left area of the brain that's glowing red. That's the God part of the brain activated. This area of the brain releases hormones that makes the person feel 'safe, happy and at peace' as well as make the person feel one with the Universe.
For atheists who were asked to pray, this area remained inactive and turned off. However something interesting to add. You can say there are two types of Atheists, which I'd call Complete Atheist and Unsure Atheist. When a complete Atheist is asked to pray, that area is turned off but when an Unsure Atheist prays, that area has a little glow that's activated. Why? Because a sure Atheist doesn't believe in nothing and nothing at all. The Unsure Atheist may believe in, say - The Big Bang. Now the Big Bang isn't God but the fact they believe in it, the brain recognizes it as a compensation for what it's lacking. You can say that the brain normally wants to believe just like how the stomach wants to eat. Surprisingly, many of these 'Atheists' go through Psychological Defense Mechanisms constantly attacking beliefs and religious concepts. Truth is, all of them are having an unconscious war with their brain that makes them react and transfer these actions socially.
How does the 'Brain' 'think' about God?
Involves the Parietal Lobes
Oneness of God
Oneness of all things
Importance of the concept of God as a unifying force
Willfulness and Surrender
Feelings of willfulness and surrender comes from the frontal lobes and from the prefrontal ones.
What happens when we surrender ourselves to God?
What about speaking in tongues?
As you can see, when we surrender ourselves to God during prayer, this phenomenal activity happens. The brain reaches its own state of 'Nirvana' with all areas fully indulged and activated. Call it a Braingasm.
The eXistentional function:
You can say this is a more mature drawing. This girl drew symbols of peace, the sun - the source of life and light on the planet - the gender symbols as unity all revolving in a circle of love in the universe. This girl has a healthier idea than the previous picture.
So other results as a summary of what God looks like?
•Science and religion are not opposed to each other.
Christians should not fear trying to understand how the two compliment each
other”
•Pope Benedict XVI to
the Vatican’s doctrinal department
•Friday 11th of February 2006
Here is one of Michelangelo's master pieces. God reaching towards Adam to give him a soul. But what's unique about this picture? If you've seen the original pic, the cove or shell God is residing in has a remarkable resemblance to the Human brain. Not many people know that Michelangelo as well as other Philosophers, Scientists and Theologists first hypothesized that the entire concept of God is in the human brain. This picture holds many keys and other trivia but I won't progress further for they are irrelevant. The important part is that you understood that the God and the Brain concept isn't something new - it's been around for quite some time.
When the word 'God' comes up, what do we think? What do we feel? Stirs up more emotion? Causes controversy? Causes more love and hatred? Inundates society at every level?
Ways of approaching the concept of God:
1- Theological
2- Evolutionary
3- Psychological
4- Neuroimaging
Can we prove God's eXistence or non eXistence through scientific inquiry? At this point - No. However, Science can tell us how God - as an image - feeling, thought or fact - is interpreted, reacted to and turned into a perception that feels meaningful and real. We can use Science to determine the effect of God on the brain and body.
Perception and Phenomenology:
If a belief in God provides you with a sense of comfort and security, then God will enhance your life.
But if you perceive God as a vindictive deity, such belief can actually damage your brain as you act out in socially destructive ways.
So, where in the Brain do we 'think' and 'feel' God? Books such as 'The God Neuron' and 'Why God won't go away' use state of the art instruments to locate an area in the Brain responsible for this.
Here is your average favorite citizen. Now take a pen and pinpoint or mark the area between 'Your ad here' and 'TV Time' That point area between your Prefrontal CorteX and Temporal lobe is the God part of the brain.
Here is an fMRI scan of the Brain at Baseline.
Here is an fMRI scan of the Brain while a believer is undergoing prayer.
For atheists who were asked to pray, this area remained inactive and turned off. However something interesting to add. You can say there are two types of Atheists, which I'd call Complete Atheist and Unsure Atheist. When a complete Atheist is asked to pray, that area is turned off but when an Unsure Atheist prays, that area has a little glow that's activated. Why? Because a sure Atheist doesn't believe in nothing and nothing at all. The Unsure Atheist may believe in, say - The Big Bang. Now the Big Bang isn't God but the fact they believe in it, the brain recognizes it as a compensation for what it's lacking. You can say that the brain normally wants to believe just like how the stomach wants to eat. Surprisingly, many of these 'Atheists' go through Psychological Defense Mechanisms constantly attacking beliefs and religious concepts. Truth is, all of them are having an unconscious war with their brain that makes them react and transfer these actions socially.
How does the 'Brain' 'think' about God?
Involves the Parietal Lobes
Oneness of God
Oneness of all things
Importance of the concept of God as a unifying force
Willfulness and Surrender
Feelings of willfulness and surrender comes from the frontal lobes and from the prefrontal ones.
What happens when we surrender ourselves to God?
What about speaking in tongues?
As you can see, when we surrender ourselves to God during prayer, this phenomenal activity happens. The brain reaches its own state of 'Nirvana' with all areas fully indulged and activated. Call it a Braingasm.
The eXistentional function:
•The brain believes the things it perceives are real
•We assign reality based upon the degree to which
something seems real
•In conjunction with binary operator, we can establish
eXistence from non-eXistence
•So why do some believe God eXists and others do not?
So as you can see, the Brain is created and programmed to believe in a higher entity. The argument that society created God is completely wrong. Nobody is born an Atheist. The argument that society created religion is true, but not God. When you have a brain that wants to believe in God, it is normal for people to create something called Religion. Just like we have a stomach that's hungry, it's normal for people to create something called kitchen and cooking class. It doesn't need a genius to figure that out.
This picture above is another fMRI scan taken during a meditation practice. As you can see, the brain started to become active and more active. The results were:
Subject had improved in a verbal fluency test
Subject had concentration levels substantially improved
Subject's health, breathing, heart rate etc were also remarkably improved.
So what does God look like?
This was drawn by a boy (age 6) with God as an Old man with a long beard and having a dominating presence and voice. Clearly this boy was lectured by his father or any other male archetype in order to have reached this idea of how God is. So basically, this kid drew a picture of his own father without consciously grasping it.
Here is another picture of a girl, aged 12.
So other results as a summary of what God looks like?
60% drew abstract or nature scenes
•20% drew faces
•15% were blank
–But blank did not
always mean “no answer”
–Of atheists, 50% left
it blank
So what does God feel like?
•Baylor study (2010)
•Four types of God
–Authoritarian
–Critical
–Distant
–Benevolent
•Is there a fifth type?
–Mystical God
The right way to perceive God is Benevolent because you give and receive and sets you in a path of self journey, fulfillment and also helps in achieving the most important thing: Humility.
So what happens when we have a negative view on God?
1 - Negative views on God can be very detrimental.
2-In the individual, it can cause stress, anXiety and depression. Studies have shown that Atheists are in a higher severe chance of developing stress, anXiety and depression for reasons far less than they should.
3-When God is perceived negatively, the scans showed that the brain structures associated with negative emotions are activated to create a stress response.
4- Causes outward destructive behaviors.
In conclusion, to believe in God doesn't mean you lose your independence. You can have a relationship with God without being part of the constitution. If you communicate with God in your way, it is healthier than none at all. God is a personal thing not an entity found in Church. The belief of God helps the mind and body as Science has shown us. In the end, all that can be said:
Have Faith! :)
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Case Study: Miriam KLINK
Hello everyone! First and foremost if you're here because bestiality turns you on then I'm sorry you've come to the wrong place. For those who don't know what bestiality is, well, I'll be happy to ruin your innocent mind. SeXual intercourse between a human being and an animal. In this case, for those who want to see the legendary epic 3antar the Cat dominate Lady Gaga's long lost offspring, stop reading HERE.
Now for the past weeks, besides the music scene officially going to hell in a nicely designed hand basket, the new obsession has been centered around an intriguing figure who goes by the name of Miriam Klink. Being the Psy dude that I am, my friends couldn't stop bothering me to ask what was up with her. I decided to do a bit of research because free time should never be wasted. I hated myself for trying because the horror I dwelt in, I pray the good Lord keeps all of you safe.
Now nobody here needs a degree in Psychology because I'm going to break it down step by step :) Being a foreigner, I couldn't tell if the song was really about her cat or about her vagina but I was too embarrassed to ask. You know me with Arabic - I was bothered people would go, 'Ew you sick bastard it's an innocent cat!!' But then gladly my favorite Lebanese comedian Nemr Abou Nassar cleared it out for me.
Okay so let's look at the symptoms :D
1 - We've got a bimbo that's made a certain plastic surgeon very very rich.
2- Educational level down the drain.
3- Matches traits of Histrionic Personality Disorder/Borderline.
4- Peter Pan Syndrome (Also known as Neverland Syndrome)
5- Possibly Delusional.
So up on front, Miriam or Myriam - whatever - appears to be a dumb air-headed bimbo in her mid 30s that destroyed music along with her accomplice, 3antar. BUT since you're not a psychologist, these symptoms may not be visible. Let's target one by one :)
1- Miriam is concerned with her self image, which is why she has totaled enough plastic surgeries to the point she's walking plastic and she'll melt close to a candle. Whether she is satisfied or not, she has 'severe' insecurity issues. I doubt she is conscious about it though given the fact she's been raised like a farm princess. What you need to know here is behind that pop star face, she might probably be having Body Dimorphic Disorder. Maybe that solves her love for her cat? Picking the cat up, staring into his eyes and asking, '3antar, you find me pretty, don't you?' Can you imagine that happening? Makes sense now, huh?
2 - Miriam seems only to be concerned about the spot light - HPD - but we'll get to that later. What you need to know is that her cognitive processes aren't up to standards which means she'll interpret things differently. If you follow Anis Tabet on twitter and read his BassYaHabla jokes, she fits those perfectly in terms of cognitive processes.
3- Alas! Most people think disorders are only psychotic in nature like Schizophrenia, Delusional etc but you're wrong! Personality Disorders eXist and are very very very common! For Miriam, she matches Histrionic Personality Disorder. The easiest way to define this disorder is the love for attention to the point if she doesn't receive it, she'll start faking fainting spells or talking really loud etc All that goes on up there is how to stay in the spot light. Now take what I just said and amplify it by 15. Surely we all have friends we call Drama Queens. You can notice it in her attitude, her writing, her speech etc However, since HPD is in the Cluster B - she might have tendencies of developing into Borderline Personality. This form of personality is seen in people like Britney Spears, Madonna, Lohan, Hilton etc Yes, it is categorized by people who are very unstable that they just get drunk and have intercourse like there's no tomorrow (And of course other things but we don't need to dwell into that). So definitely she matches both traits of this disorder and she is in need of therapy. You guys shouldn't be surprised - the prevalence is around 8% and Miriam turned out to be the severe case.
4- Now the Peter Pan Syndrome (Also known as Neverland Syndrome). Though this has a funny name, it's pretty serious. This syndrome is given to people who have long passed their teenage years yet refuse to grow up. In some cases, some elderly women wear skirts and start putting ketchup down there believing its the time of the month. At first I thought Miriam was just another Bimbo teenager acting stupid but damn she's way beyond college. Besides her Histrionic tendencies, you can see in her writing she wants to be that princess you see in cartoons - she literally writes Hihihihihihi. She IS NOT kidding around - she believes in heart and soul it is cute and it will give her love and rainbows and innocence and probably a Unicorn to sleep with. Eventually she'll turn to more surgeries but the mirror on the wall will start cracking, eXposing her reality. That will lead her to crack because nobody can fight off Father Time. When I mean crack, I mean severe depression and the nucleus of her borderline traits will fully dominate. Just like Britney or Madonna. I could not find a perfect eXample more than that.
5- Possibly delusional? Possible! I may be going too far with this BUT I'll be honest I'm only assuming out of observation. Miriam posted, 'I would like to thank all the middle eastern countries (SERBIA, United States, Brazil, Australia) etc for their continuous support. Everyone in Lebanon attacked me because of a song! Anyways I'll show them when I become a model at Victoria's secret' It was something like that. Now what's a delusion? An idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted what is generally accepted as reality. This is a symptom of psychosis. Look at Mariam Noor for eXample, she has the belief that aliens are her BFF <3 This is clearly a mystical delusion and if accompanied with hallucinations, develops fully into Schizophrenia. So am I going too far? Well I'm not sure I need more than just observing I think I did pretty okay so far. So what's Miriam's delusion? It doesn't have to be severe as in aliens are her best friends but that doesn't matter because if the delusion is small, it can eventually grow. Miriam may or may not be modeling for victoria's secret she might just believe she is OR she might be lying because she needs attention. If she firmly believes she is yet she isn't then look into that. Maybe her delusion could be the fact that the entire world loves her and worships her and by God that isn't the case. Yet I'm gut sure there might be something bizarre, even so small that has a '?' stamped on it.
To end this, I thank you for reading this far it's always good to learn but I can only hope one thing - if we don't accept something even those who hate us, we should never be quick to judge. I'm not asking that we should all go study psychology to know symptoms and whatever but at least show pity and take into consideration that some people are in need of help. Once again, thanks for reading. If you found this offensive, burn some tires.
- Joey Kaiser.
Now for the past weeks, besides the music scene officially going to hell in a nicely designed hand basket, the new obsession has been centered around an intriguing figure who goes by the name of Miriam Klink. Being the Psy dude that I am, my friends couldn't stop bothering me to ask what was up with her. I decided to do a bit of research because free time should never be wasted. I hated myself for trying because the horror I dwelt in, I pray the good Lord keeps all of you safe.
Now nobody here needs a degree in Psychology because I'm going to break it down step by step :) Being a foreigner, I couldn't tell if the song was really about her cat or about her vagina but I was too embarrassed to ask. You know me with Arabic - I was bothered people would go, 'Ew you sick bastard it's an innocent cat!!' But then gladly my favorite Lebanese comedian Nemr Abou Nassar cleared it out for me.
Okay so let's look at the symptoms :D
1 - We've got a bimbo that's made a certain plastic surgeon very very rich.
2- Educational level down the drain.
3- Matches traits of Histrionic Personality Disorder/Borderline.
4- Peter Pan Syndrome (Also known as Neverland Syndrome)
5- Possibly Delusional.
So up on front, Miriam or Myriam - whatever - appears to be a dumb air-headed bimbo in her mid 30s that destroyed music along with her accomplice, 3antar. BUT since you're not a psychologist, these symptoms may not be visible. Let's target one by one :)
1- Miriam is concerned with her self image, which is why she has totaled enough plastic surgeries to the point she's walking plastic and she'll melt close to a candle. Whether she is satisfied or not, she has 'severe' insecurity issues. I doubt she is conscious about it though given the fact she's been raised like a farm princess. What you need to know here is behind that pop star face, she might probably be having Body Dimorphic Disorder. Maybe that solves her love for her cat? Picking the cat up, staring into his eyes and asking, '3antar, you find me pretty, don't you?' Can you imagine that happening? Makes sense now, huh?
2 - Miriam seems only to be concerned about the spot light - HPD - but we'll get to that later. What you need to know is that her cognitive processes aren't up to standards which means she'll interpret things differently. If you follow Anis Tabet on twitter and read his BassYaHabla jokes, she fits those perfectly in terms of cognitive processes.
3- Alas! Most people think disorders are only psychotic in nature like Schizophrenia, Delusional etc but you're wrong! Personality Disorders eXist and are very very very common! For Miriam, she matches Histrionic Personality Disorder. The easiest way to define this disorder is the love for attention to the point if she doesn't receive it, she'll start faking fainting spells or talking really loud etc All that goes on up there is how to stay in the spot light. Now take what I just said and amplify it by 15. Surely we all have friends we call Drama Queens. You can notice it in her attitude, her writing, her speech etc However, since HPD is in the Cluster B - she might have tendencies of developing into Borderline Personality. This form of personality is seen in people like Britney Spears, Madonna, Lohan, Hilton etc Yes, it is categorized by people who are very unstable that they just get drunk and have intercourse like there's no tomorrow (And of course other things but we don't need to dwell into that). So definitely she matches both traits of this disorder and she is in need of therapy. You guys shouldn't be surprised - the prevalence is around 8% and Miriam turned out to be the severe case.
4- Now the Peter Pan Syndrome (Also known as Neverland Syndrome). Though this has a funny name, it's pretty serious. This syndrome is given to people who have long passed their teenage years yet refuse to grow up. In some cases, some elderly women wear skirts and start putting ketchup down there believing its the time of the month. At first I thought Miriam was just another Bimbo teenager acting stupid but damn she's way beyond college. Besides her Histrionic tendencies, you can see in her writing she wants to be that princess you see in cartoons - she literally writes Hihihihihihi. She IS NOT kidding around - she believes in heart and soul it is cute and it will give her love and rainbows and innocence and probably a Unicorn to sleep with. Eventually she'll turn to more surgeries but the mirror on the wall will start cracking, eXposing her reality. That will lead her to crack because nobody can fight off Father Time. When I mean crack, I mean severe depression and the nucleus of her borderline traits will fully dominate. Just like Britney or Madonna. I could not find a perfect eXample more than that.
5- Possibly delusional? Possible! I may be going too far with this BUT I'll be honest I'm only assuming out of observation. Miriam posted, 'I would like to thank all the middle eastern countries (SERBIA, United States, Brazil, Australia) etc for their continuous support. Everyone in Lebanon attacked me because of a song! Anyways I'll show them when I become a model at Victoria's secret' It was something like that. Now what's a delusion? An idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted what is generally accepted as reality. This is a symptom of psychosis. Look at Mariam Noor for eXample, she has the belief that aliens are her BFF <3 This is clearly a mystical delusion and if accompanied with hallucinations, develops fully into Schizophrenia. So am I going too far? Well I'm not sure I need more than just observing I think I did pretty okay so far. So what's Miriam's delusion? It doesn't have to be severe as in aliens are her best friends but that doesn't matter because if the delusion is small, it can eventually grow. Miriam may or may not be modeling for victoria's secret she might just believe she is OR she might be lying because she needs attention. If she firmly believes she is yet she isn't then look into that. Maybe her delusion could be the fact that the entire world loves her and worships her and by God that isn't the case. Yet I'm gut sure there might be something bizarre, even so small that has a '?' stamped on it.
To end this, I thank you for reading this far it's always good to learn but I can only hope one thing - if we don't accept something even those who hate us, we should never be quick to judge. I'm not asking that we should all go study psychology to know symptoms and whatever but at least show pity and take into consideration that some people are in need of help. Once again, thanks for reading. If you found this offensive, burn some tires.
- Joey Kaiser.
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