Poll for the Armchair Psychologists

[Really?]

We must ask ourselves: why such resentment towards the mother with Arias? Her parents mentioned she always treated her mother the worst.

And did this resentment towards her mother bleed into her resentment and jealousy toward women in general?

Her dad was on dialysis. Many people end up on this after abusing alcohol for years.

Would hate to think the double standard she would have felt if her father was an abusive alcoholic, but the moment she got caught growing a little pot (common in CA), they called the cops on her! Strange to never blame yourselves and only blame the child. Perhaps she had sexual intercourse at an early age or was raped and her parents actually made her feel guilty for it. Seems like the parents are narcissists and can't admit their own wrong. She ran away probably bc they were abusive in their emotional neglect. Who knows.

i heard...ahem....that the father lost the kidney function after a motorcycle accident.

She could have also been a spoiled brat that was coddled and cooed and figured the rest of the world would see her as such.

moo

 

[Jane Jetson]

I voted for multiple personality disorders not listed. I would most likely diagnose Jodi with Cluster B Personality Disorders:

Cluster B personality disorders
These are personality disorders characterized by dramatic, overly emotional thinking or behavior and include:

Antisocial (formerly called sociopathic) personality disorder

Disregard for others
Persistent lying or stealing
Recurring difficulties with the law
Repeatedly violating the rights of others
Aggressive, often violent behavior
Disregard for the safety of self or others

Borderline personality disorder

Impulsive and risky behavior
Volatile relationships
Unstable mood
Suicidal behavior
Fear of being alone

Histrionic personality disorder

Constantly seeking attention
Excessively emotional
Extreme sensitivity to others' approval
Unstable mood
Excessive concern with physical appearance

Narcissistic personality disorder

Believing that you're better than others
Fantasizing about power, success and attractiveness
Exaggerating your achievements or talents
Expecting constant praise and admiration
Failing to recognize other people's emotions and feelings

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/personality-disorders/DS00562/DSECTION=symptoms

After reading your post, I'm adding "histrionic" to my vote! Here's a little more on that diagnosis, from WebMD:

In many cases, people with histrionic personality disorder have good social skills; however, they tend to use these skills to manipulate others so that they can be the center of attention.

A person with this disorder might also:
Be uncomfortable unless he or she is the center of attention
Dress provocatively and/or exhibit inappropriately seductive or flirtatious behavior
Shift emotions rapidly
Act very dramatically, as though performing before an audience, with exaggerated emotions and expressions, yet appears to lack sincerity
Be overly concerned with physical appearance
Constantly seek reassurance or approval
Be gullible and easily influenced by others
Be excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval
Have a low tolerance for frustration and be easily bored by routine, often beginning projects without finishing them or skipping from one event to another
Not think before acting
Make rash decisions
Be self-centered and rarely show concern for others
Have difficulty maintaining relationships, often seeming fake or shallow in their dealings with others
Threaten or attempt suicide to get attention

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/histrionic-personality-disorder

JA to a capital "T"! :moo:

 

[HMSHood]

I am no psychologist. I think Jodi Arias is a Borderline Narcissist and psychopath. She lacks empathy, emotionally volatile, immature, and clingy. She is an extreme narcissist with an overinflated ego in absences of any megalomania. Arias is similar to Casey Anthony, Lori Drew, Diane Downs, and Betty Broderick in terms psychology. I would not be surprised if Arias was abused like they were.

 

[redbud]

I am no psychologist. I think Jodi Arias is a Borderline Narcissist and psychopath. She lacks empathy, emotionally volatile, immature, and clingy. She is an extreme narcissist with an overinflated ego in absences of any megalomania. Arias is similar to Casey Anthony, Lori Drew, Diane Downs, and Betty Broderick in terms psychology. I would not be surprised if Arias was abused like they were.

I don't know about the others but I don't believe Casey Anthony was abused.

 

[Linda7NJ]

i heard...ahem....that the father lost the kidney function after a motorcycle accident.

She could have also been a spoiled brat that was coddled and cooed and figured the rest of the world would see her as such.

moo

Diabetics also suffer kidney issues


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Katie-L]

I voted for no personality disorders - sane.

Of course, it's hard to tell from a trial - everything we see and know is either just what the defense or the prosecution wants us to see and know.

 

[HMSHood]

I don't know about the others but I don't believe Casey Anthony was abused.

I have read that Casey Anthony's boyfriend stated that she was physically abused by father. Of course I do not know if it is true or not. I could imagine she was probably berated and yelled at all the time.

As for Lori Drew, Diane Downs, and Betty Broderick, it is probable they were abused. I can imagine there was a falling out between them and family members, especially with Downs and Broderick. I know Downs made allegations that her father molested her, but later recanted. I have never heard of Broderick being abused. I have read that she had a falling out with her parents after she divorced from her husband, Dan Broderick. I would not be surprised if Downs and Broderick were psychologically abused. As for Drew, I have never heard of her childhood or made any claims of abuse. However, I suspect Drew was abused during her childhood and likely blacked out. As a result, she repressed it as she is secretive. Anthony, Broderick, and Downs are secretive.

Betty Broderick has an angry demeanor and fiery temper as she is known as "Angry Betty". This also applies to Casey Anthony as she gets angry easily. I do not recall seeing any angry demeanor in Diane Downs, but she probably gets angry easily. Lori Drew has an angry demeanor like Broderick, but is more likely to bottle it up over time. However, Drew can show anger at times.

Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community - View Single Post - 'Highly Incriminating' Evidence Could Lead to New Charges

 

[HMSHood]

I believe she has dissociative Identity Disorder, which the first defense Psych alluded to.

I feel she created an alter ego of a blonde sexualized childlike personality. She began to become lost in this alter ego and the lines began to blur between her prime Jodi personality and her created pigtail "blondie" personality. When this confusion of persOnalities happens, it causes the patient to become paranoid and violent. Patient is not aware of the presence of an alter. When patient acts out as one personality, the other personality is typically dormant and unaware of the actions of the other. They are known to have horrible headaches which might explain her debilitating headaches as her personalities are shifting back and forth during trial to try and remtrieve memory of the events. Their alter egos are typically over sexual and steal money and engage in risk taking behavior that their prime ego would find revolting.

These people can still pass as "normal". Roseanne Barr actually has DIssociative ID and has admitted to believing she probably has 22 alter egos brought on largely by when she was a prostitute and developed personas to woo men and seperate her prime identity from the sexual abuse.

Unfortunately, many murderers on trial falsely claim a dissociative identity disorder in order to claim innocence as their prime personality wasn't aware and they were insane. This creates problems for people like Jodi who legitimately do have it and are insane.

Interesting you mention dissociative identity disorder. I remember reading Dr. Keith Ablow's book on Casey Anthony and thinks she has that disorder.

I think Jodi Arias is emotionally immature.

 

[deedee21]

I think she displays more than one but definitely hystrionic should be added to the list.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Interesting you mention dissociative identity disorder. I remember reading Dr. Keith Ablow's book on Casey Anthony and thinks she has that disorder.

I think Jodi Arias is emotionally immature.

I agree but just wanted to mention that (which I boldened) is a common symptom of BPD.

I also believe that JA has a primary dx of BPD with comorbitity of ASPD, NPD, HPD, and they should rule out if she doesn't have Dissociative Disorder ('cause she might have that as well).

Back to PD's .... many PD's overlap, as I'm sure you know......but no legal insanity plea for PD's....only for AXIS I disorders (which Dissociative Disorder is one of but they have not proven that dx in JA's case).

 

[al66pine]

Can some of the MH Professionals help enlighten the rest of us?

Dr JD testified to her Dx of Jodi w. Borderline personality disorder; she went thru the list of 6 symptoms, but said Jodi was not impulsive.

Quite puzzling, as I thought Jodi is/was very impulsive in some of her behaviors:

Job-hopping (Dr JD said Jodi mentioned at least 10 restaurant jobs, plus spa receptionist; child-caregiver (babysitter?); and (third, I’m blanking here). Oh, plus sales rep for PPL, which I don’t think the Dr included. Not sure of the time period addressed, but seems like longest it could have would have been ~10 years (say, Jodi’s dob 1980, start work at age 18, to Travis’ death in 2008 = 10 yrs). That’s less than one year on the job an average, except Ventana Spa was ~3 years(?), even if we factor in overlapping part-time jobs.

There were several/numerous instances of Jodi at work, receiving boyfriend-cheating or similar news, just leaving in the middle of her shift, or not reporting to work, to go confront boyfriend or ‘the other woman.’

Moving from one city to another (sometimes following boyfriends) without a job or housing secured before the fact.

Converting to a totally new religion on a dime. (met Travis Sept 2006, was converted in/by Nov).

Some other things not coming to mind now.

When I heard DrJD say, no, not impulsive, these and other things nagged at me. Maybe they are normal or maybe signs of immaturity, but I understood these actions to be spur of the moment decisions.

Mental health professionals, clue me in - why not impulsive? Or is it a matter of degrees? Or?

Did occur to me, if Dr JD concluded - impulsive, jury might be confused about the terminology and less inclined to find premeditated murder, despite all the evidence of her murder planning, for days, weeks, perhaps longer.
　
Mods- if this should be elsewhere, pls move. Did not know where to post since the ‘Armchair’ thread is gone.

 

[Thinking_Out_Loud]

I am new to posting for this case. If this question shouldn't be here, then please move it.

Has anybody gotten to the bottom of Arias' obvious issues with women? I realize she probably cannot manipulate them like men, but I was thinking there might be more to this. I went back and watched the 48 Hours episode where she talks about the ninja story. When she describes the fake events. She makes it sound like the woman is the real villain in the story. She says that the female intruder wanted to kill her and the male argued. She said that she saw the female with a knife over TA.

I might be reading too much into this, but I was just curious if anyone has found an answer to this from a trained psychologist.

Thanks!!

 

[Carioca]

I voted Narcissistic Personality Disorder based on IMO JA stalked TA. Did some research on stalkers and found the following:

Researchers Unravel The Motives Of Stalkers
Some stalkers have psychiatric illnesses, ranging from depression and schizophrenia to erotomania -- a delusional belief that the person is loved by another -- and most appear to have a personality disorder like extreme narcissism or dependency or an inability to sustain close relationships.

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/25/s...otives-of-stalkers.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

Ironically, am currently reading Tana French's mystery novel "The Likeness." Detectives in book are trying to profile the killer -- victim stabbed only once -- and stalking is being discussed. The book is fiction but sure seemed to fit JA's attack on TA and the overkill:

"Stalkers snap. But they do it a whole lot more thoroughly than this. You'd expect a frenzy of violence: multiple blows, facial disfigurement, serious overkill. Instead, we've got one stab […]

"You're talking about someone obsessed enough to wait years and follow her God knows how far. That level of emotion, when it finally gets an outlet it's not going to vanish just because the target's dead. If anything, the fact that she'd escaped him again would have made him even angrier. I'd expect at least a few more stab wounds, a couple of kicks in the face […]"
Excerpt from "The Likeness" by Tana French 2008 Viking Penguin

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

"Impulsivity" wouldn't be an attribute the State would want because it goes against the State's claim that JA's actions were pre-meditated.

So it would be counterproductive if JA was considered "impulsive".

 

[Teresa]

I am new to posting for this case. If this question shouldn't be here, then please move it.

Has anybody gotten to the bottom of Arias' obvious issues with women? I realize she probably cannot manipulate them like men, but I was thinking there might be more to this. I went back and watched the 48 Hours episode where she talks about the ninja story. When she describes the fake events. She makes it sound like the woman is the real villain in the story. She says that the female intruder wanted to kill her and the male argued. She said that she saw the female with a knife over TA.

I might be reading too much into this, but I was just curious if anyone has found an answer to this from a trained psychologist.

Thanks!!

Hi,

I have an opinion, not an expert or anything. I have a sister-in-law who is a manipulator like Jodie. And yes, it's men for the most part. My opinion here but men seem to believe what they "see". Women in my experience get the feeling she's putting out, see what going on below the surface. Example: Husband heard, "This is my sweet little sister-in-law." What she said, "This is my SWEEEEEEEET LITTTTTLE sister-in-law." Now, I'm guessing woman here know what I'm saying. =-) The little butt wiggle she does at men is paired with a smirk over her shoulder at the women. I've heard from other women nasty stories about her but the men in the relationship think she's okay. But, if their married they do admit to feeling her strange behavior via their spouses. Like I said, men seem to take things more at face value and women see and hear what's really going on. I heard someone on HLN call it the hinky meter the other day. My husband has learned over many years to listen to me when I tell him my hinky meter is going off! =-) Anyhoo, you don't manipulate those who don't trust you. You focus on the folks you can, I've seen it.

Teresa

 

[2Hip2BSquare]

Added my :twocents:
"Sociopath w/Borderline Personality Disorder"
:desert:

Thank you for adds this as it is what I, and many, believe is probably her disorder(s).

 

[2Hip2BSquare]

As I said to a dear friend, I'm so mad that people think Jodi's psychopathy is just a result of borderline PD alone.

Borderline is just a secondary coping mechanism for a deeper psych issue like childhood abuse or a prime Personality disorder. *She is a sociopath who utilized borderline behavior to deal with her manipulative sociopathic nature. *


I think A guest on Dr. Drew described Jodi's Borderline PD perfectly:




Jodi's sense of self or prime identity is like jello. So she has to create a mold to contain her prime fragmented "jello" identity. But if you take that mold she created away, that identity built to cover up her actual fragmented self, we find that those fragments all point toward sociopathic behaviors/thoughts.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

As I said to a dear friend, I'm so mad that people think Jodi's psychopathy is just a result of borderline PD alone.

Borderline is just a secondary coping mechanism for a deeper psych issue like childhood abuse or a prime Personality disorder. *She is a sociopath who utilized borderline behavior to deal with her manipulative sociopathic nature. *


I think A guest on Dr. Drew described Jodi's Borderline PD perfectly:




Jodi's sense of self or prime identity is like jello. So she has to create a mold to contain her prime fragmented "jello" identity. But if you take that mold she created away, that identity built to cover up her actual fragmented self, we find that those fragments all point toward sociopathic behaviors/thoughts.

I totally disagree and wonder if you've found research that support what I've boldened? I have found no empirical evidence (and the DSM does not support what you've written) so is this your personal opinion or is it based on scientific evidence? Just curious........

 

[rollinginit]

I am no mental doctor, so this is just my opinion.

I voted Just one crazy succubus from hell! I think Jodi is just a mash-up of all kinds of crazy. So crazy succubus from hell describes everything she is, IMO.

I'm sure there are plenty of doctors that would love to interview her and her foggy brain. I wonder if she gets the DP, if she will decide to donate her brain to science?

 

[Tiger09]

I don't find Jodi impulsive because her moves that seem impulsive- converting to Mormonism, most of the job changes, and moving to Mesa are actually calculated. It seems impulsive for a sane person to do these things, but she is not the poster girl for sanity (not insulting her, just that anyone who murders someone may not be completely sane). She calculated the conversion and the move to get and keep Travis Alexander at different times in their "relationship". Many of her job changes were calculated purely for romantic control. She didn't want to be alone and needed to find someone new to take care of her- ex; PPL, the Ventana Spa, the camp restaurant where she was with MM. Every move she has made has been some sort of almost chess move to "win" at life the easy way. But there is no easy way. She should have learned that. As far as her story about the "ninjas", I think she projected the female as the more violent one in an Edgar Allen Poe "Tell Tale Heart" kind of way. It was her subconscious's way of telling on herself. Just my opinion.