Mitigating Factor:Could Casey Have Post-Partum Psychosis?

[ChrisAnn007]

No doubt a pregnancy/birth of a child can expedite an already present mental illness or potential for mental issues and it is absolutely sad that instead of trying to help her...it appears her mother not only enabled but also condemned her which only added to her mental issues.

I just feel that someone close to her should have recognized there was a problem. Of course it is natural to say that person should have been her mother A) who knows there child like a mother & b) mom was a health professional. If she truly thought her daughter was a sociopath why didn't she try to help her?

 

[thatswhatshesaid]

I agree that PPD probably occurred. Mental illness is not like having a heart condition. You can look at test results, actually see it on cardiac caths, etc. You simply cannot look at a brain and say yes there is mental illness or no there is not mental illness. Mental illness stigma has come along way, but there are still SO MANY people that refuse to acknowledge it.

Every person reacts to mental illness differently. While there are certain traits for each diagnosis, many times symptoms overlap each other.

Since so many women are being brave and telling their own experiences, I will tell mine. I suffered terribly with PPD, to the point of being advised not to have any more children after my first. I could maintain around people who were close to me, but not living in my house with me. I put my husband through HE-LL. I self-medicated with alcohol and pot (which are depressants and makes the illness worse). I had suicidal thoughts, and I even thought I needed to kill my child with myself so she didn't have to suffer the same pain I felt. I know it probably doesn't make sense to most of you, but unless you are in the throes of mental illness, not much does.

It is also proven that PPD can aggravate or bring out a hidden mental illness that was already there. It did in my case. So while PPD may not be present anymore, a person can still suffer mental illness long after the birth of a child.

Do you think Cindy really wanted to face the fact that her daughter might have a mental illness? Yes, she is in the medical field and this may have further given her reason to deny an illness rather than try to help Casey.

What gets me is everyone has come to the conclusion that Casey is definitely mentally ill, but in the same breath are ready to condemn her to death because she wasn't treated and acted out in the throes of her illness.

I also agree that even though she maybe mentally ill, it does not give her a free pass to not have to answer for her crimes. In otherwords, I don't feel she is insane and knew what she was doing. But can't we see she had an illness, one that cannot be seen on an x-ray and was not treated? I believe a person has to have some type of mental illness to be able to kill another person, but they also need to suffer the consequences.

To me this is a double edged sword. She is mentally ill and she was not helped by the medical profession for whatever reason. And because of that she deserves some form of compassion. On the other hand, yes she has commited crimes and deserves to be punished.

Just as with all the other posts here, it is my opinion and I do not expect you to accept. Just understand, people are allowed to have a different opinion than another and neither is wrong.

:blowkiss: Thank you so much for sharing a personal story like that.

 

[PhoneBoothBandit]

There is no excuse; but if Casey is mentally ill or psychologically unbalanced, it needs to be addressed.

Personally, I don't think she has Post Partum Pyshosis, I do however believe there is something wrong with her, and I question whether she was given a psychological evaluation.

 

[ChrisAnn007]

With all due respect - you are just a single statistical case and unless you are a psychiatrist with a medical degree in your case alone means nothing in the grand scheme of things. I have a friend whose wife did go off the deep end more and more after each one of her children was born - 3 total. She IS pdp! Just saying . . .

Yes, but Casey had 1 child who was 2 1/2 - 3 yrs old....I do not believe there is any case for PPd for her,

I do believe she is JPC, that's southern medical terminology...Just Plain Crazy

 

[Ladytazz]

yes...the drug companies know that most of their drugs are unsafe, they are "legal" drug dealers but so far there has been no evidence or mention about any such drugs...if so Casey would have had to take these drugs while she was in jail as you can not just get on and off them and if she had been taking prescription drugs in jail I'm sure some source would have bled this to the public by now

In the interview with the police they asked her if she was on any medication and she said no.

 

[thatswhatshesaid]

I think untreated PPD that turned into PPP is as valid as any theory, especially if that triggered already underlying, additional mental illness. None of us know what is wrong with her and each person's manifestations of mental illness can be as unique as the individual. One thing I think we all agree on though is that whatever is wrong with her is NO defense for what she did to Caylee!!!

Anyone have Tom Cruise's number? I hear he's an expert on PPD. :bang:

 

[thatswhatshesaid]

Yes, but Casey had 1 child who was 2 1/2 - 3 yrs old....I do not believe there is any case for PPd for her,

I do believe she is JPC, that's southern medical terminology...Just Plain Crazy

OMG, LOL. I might have to steal that southern medical term for myself.

 

[ChrisAnn007]

In the interview with the police they asked her if she was on any medication and she said no.

that's right...because under the conditions even they were trying to make sense of the nonsense...

 

[ChrisAnn007]

I think untreated PPD that turned into PPP is as valid as any theory, especially if that triggered already underlying, additional mental illness. None of us know what is wrong with her and each person's manifestations of mental illness can be as unique as the individual. One thing I think we all agree on though is that whatever is wrong with her is NO defense for what she did to Caylee!!!

Anyone have Tom Cruise's number? I hear he's an expert on PPD. :bang:

Maybe that's why he and Katie haven't popped out a baseball team yet, LOL

On a more serious note, of course, you are right. Symptoms vary, and she may be/probably is mentally ill to some degree

 

[OneLostGrl]

No doubt...but this does not work to the jails advantage...all these women running around not properly medicated...I'm not being funny, I'm being serious

ohh I know, it gets unruley!

 

[OneLostGrl]

Bottom line is I don't believe Casey was being medically treated for any type of mental condition

I agree

 

[cjm11]

:blowkiss: Thank you so much for sharing a personal story like that.

Thank you for your kind words. It's hard to open your soul for people to see.

Even LP said he had never seen another person living in such a parallel life before. I think that shows just how ill she really is. I "hid from myself" and I think that is what Casey is doing right now. The pain of what has happened in her life is so tremendous, she is escaping into her own head. How can a person who craved so much social stimulation sit in a jail cell for 31 days and not retreat into herself.

 

[txsvicki]

Pasley said in the documents that he and Cindy compared notes and stories figuring out that Casey has been a total liar for the past ten years. That would be since age twelve. I believe she may have some underlying mental illness but could mostly just be a sociopath/pyschopath and was made much worse by drinking alcohol and doing some drugs. My opinion that alcohol would be much worse for someone unstable than marijuana. People did say that she got mean when drinking booze.

 

[OneLostGrl]

I agree that PPD probably occurred. Mental illness is not like having a heart condition. You can look at test results, actually see it on cardiac caths, etc. You simply cannot look at a brain and say yes there is mental illness or no there is not mental illness. Mental illness stigma has come along way, but there are still SO MANY people that refuse to acknowledge it.

Every person reacts to mental illness differently. While there are certain traits for each diagnosis, many times symptoms overlap each other.

Since so many women are being brave and telling their own experiences, I will tell mine. I suffered terribly with PPD, to the point of being advised not to have any more children after my first. I could maintain around people who were close to me, but not living in my house with me. I put my husband through HE-LL. I self-medicated with alcohol and pot (which are depressants and makes the illness worse). I had suicidal thoughts, and I even thought I needed to kill my child with myself so she didn't have to suffer the same pain I felt. I know it probably doesn't make sense to most of you, but unless you are in the throes of mental illness, not much does.

It is also proven that PPD can aggravate or bring out a hidden mental illness that was already there. It did in my case. So while PPD may not be present anymore, a person can still suffer mental illness long after the birth of a child.

Do you think Cindy really wanted to face the fact that her daughter might have a mental illness? Yes, she is in the medical field and this may have further given her reason to deny an illness rather than try to help Casey.

What gets me is everyone has come to the conclusion that Casey is definitely mentally ill, but in the same breath are ready to condemn her to death because she wasn't treated and acted out in the throes of her illness.

I also agree that even though she maybe mentally ill, it does not give her a free pass to not have to answer for her crimes. In otherwords, I don't feel she is insane and knew what she was doing. But can't we see she had an illness, one that cannot be seen on an x-ray and was not treated? I believe a person has to have some type of mental illness to be able to kill another person, but they also need to suffer the consequences.

To me this is a double edged sword. She is mentally ill and she was not helped by the medical profession for whatever reason. And because of that she deserves some form of compassion. On the other hand, yes she has commited crimes and deserves to be punished.

Just as with all the other posts here, it is my opinion and I do not expect you to accept. Just understand, people are allowed to have a different opinion than another and neither is wrong.

It is very brave of you to tell your story here, I know it is not easy to admit some some things about oneself.:blowkiss:

I'm glad you are doing better!

 

[OneLostGrl]

Pasley said in the documents that he and Cindy compared notes and stories figuring out that Casey has been a total liar for the past ten years. That would be since age twelve. I believe she may have some underlying mental illness but could mostly just be a sociopath/pyschopath and was made much worse by drinking alcohol and doing some drugs. My opinion that alcohol would be much worse for someone unstable than marijuana. People did say that she got mean when drinking booze.

I think she has a personality disorder as well. I'm not a firm believer in personality disorders being actual mental illnesses.

 

[Leviosa]

I think she has a personality disorder as well. I'm not a firm believer in personality disorders being actual mental illnesses.

Sleuth's gang:

Please! I have found over the years that I tend to agree with Alan Dershowitz, the famed defense attorney who is a professor at Harvard University now. What I mean of course, is that our society is becoming one that is defined by labels.

It is getting quite evident that anything and everything can easily be categorized by one label or another.

I have a really tough time with this notion insofar as it tends to take cupability away from those who are responsible. Mr. Dershowitz was the original person who brought forth the "Abuse Excuse" that far too many hardened criminals were using as defenses and getting away with their crimes, or certainly serving less time.

Anyone who overtly kills another is mentally off; I believe I can face that fact. However, as for me, all the other PPD's or PTSS, or any other label is just an attemp to justify that somehow what this woman has done is 'excusable.'

Lev :bang:

 

[cjm11]

Sleuth's gang:

Please! I have found over the years that I tend to agree with Alan Dershowitz, the famed defense attorney who is a professor at Harvard University now. What I mean of course, is that our society is becoming one that is defined by labels.

It is getting quite evident that anything and everything can easily be categorized by one label or another.

I have a really tough time with this notion insofar as it tends to take cupability away from those who are responsible. Mr. Dershowitz was the original person who brought forth the "Abuse Excuse" that far too many hardened criminals were using as defenses and getting away with their crimes, or certainly serving less time.

Anyone who overtly kills another is mentally off; I believe I can face that fact. However, as for me, all the other PPD's or PTSS, or any other label is just an attemp to justify that somehow what this woman has done is 'excusable.'

Lev :bang:

I don't believe having a mental illness makes what she did excusable. I'm just trying to rationalize why she did what she did. Someone without mental illness could not even fathom doing a crime like this. Maybe that's why it is easier for some to be able to question if a mental illness is even present, while others cannot.

Usually if a person with an illness is going to do harm, they turn it towards themselves. There are, however, instances where they harm others instead. i.e. if I get rid of the what I think is causing my problems, then I will be okay. Certainly things are far from okay, but in the midst of ill thinking, it makes sense to them.

 

[pregodego2]

gitana, me and you think so alike!!
Yesterday I was posting this exactly, Post Partum Pschosis and I was making a few comparisons and when I hit reply,

SERVER BUSY

So I didn't re-post.

The only thing I found that say why it might be, is that PPPschosis usually occurs DURING Post Partum Depression stage. But all I keep seeing is Post Partum Depression USUALLY ends after about a year.

I know not everyone is the same and how they handle stuff so with Caylee being almost 3 I wonder if she could still use this as a defense?? If she did, there isn't much out there saying CAN'T be it.

Let's keep an eye on this, agreed??:deal:

I have had 3 kids, and from the doctors and paperwork sent home I have always been told it could show up anytime in the next 3 years. I tried getting a link to show that, but i can't find one. They do all say 1 year. I still stand by 3 years though, unless something has changed and the studies are now showing it isn't PPD anymore if it's after a year.

I did find some sites said 24 hours to only a few months after delivery...too many inconsistencies!

 

[wallflower67]

IMO. Casey already had a personaliy disorder prior to getting pg. Even if she had PPD.

 

[yosande]

I had PPD with psychosis. I did have thoughts and fears that I would harm my child, but I didn't want to, so i decided to kill myself instead. I didn't want to hurt my child, but I felt I was posessed by something, and the only way to save my daughter was to kill myself...had the plan and was leaving the house to do it. But I was so out of it it was completely obvious to my ex-husband what I was up to. I wasn't making any sense.

I already had a therapist, and my ex-husband, while not a great husband, was a good friend. I got help...great psychiatrist. Later, I was diagnosed with bipolar. Also found out my mom had severe PPD. It is hands down the WORST, most painful thing I have ever been through. I lost my confidence in myself for years...how could I have lost myself so badly? Incomprehensible to me...and terribly frightening. It was a huge reason for my decision to not try for more children.

I was lucky...people wanted to help me. I'm not so sure the Anthony's were all that helpful to Casey. I think they would have just told her to suck it up...no time for moping, you're a mom now, take responsibility...and on and on. The worst thing that happened to CAylee, other than her probable murder, was not being put up for adoption like Casey wanted.

All that said...after reading how Casey had a huge history of lying her butt off, and manipulating and weaving tales, I don't buy PPP. Andrea Yates heard the cartoons telling her the kids were posessed by satan. I heard voices telling me I had murdered my child. I don't think Casey had anything like that.

I just think she's evil...jmo.

I agree, I think she is just evil.

IMHO, if Casey had wanted to put her daughter up for adoption, she would have. Her mom had/has no control when it comes to Casey, and had been like that for quite a long time. Quite the opposite imo. Family member Uncle Rick? said at seven months when confronted, wasn't fearful of getting caught, just said, "You got to have sex to be pregnant." and Cindy being a NURSE, still "believed" her, until in July of 05, she finally said, yeah we got to get you to a Dr. Casey has been controlling her parents and that home for a very long time, even before Caylee came into the home. I think as the neighbor said, "I would have never yelled at my parents like that." The rest of the family cowers to her, imo, because she was/is cold and mean. Even now, she says nothing to anyone, and no one does anything about it. In whose home would that be happening, except one that has suffered from someone like Casey for a very long time, and is conditioned to deal with it in the most protective way. jmo though.