TX - Kelsey Jeter, 12, stabbed to death, Hillsboro, 5 June 2009

[DollyPardonMe]

I think what they were saying about this woman last night was that she was considered to have Borderline Personality Disorder. Though many Docs feel the two disorders are very closely related..I found this describing it better than I could have put it into words:

"Bipolar disorder is essentially a mood fluctuation disorder, characterized most often by depression. Bipolar people can abuse substances, but otherwise they do not typically show the range of different symptoms BPD people manifest.
BPD individuals can be depressed, but BPD is essentially a hyperreactive/impulsiveness disorder with mood features, but also other symptoms affecting thinking and perception, self-concept, relationships, etc.BPD involves instability not only of mood, but of perception of self, perception of others, relationships, behavioral consistency, self-control, etc.
The mood disturbances in Bipolar Disorder typically are along a depression--mania dimension; (mania, hypomania)
with BPD, however, mood disturbances typically involve the dimensions of anger and anxiety.
MostBPD patients do not have mania (sustained hyperactivity and elation), though they can often act impulsively." (Daniel C. Claiborn Atlanta)

I have Bipolar Disorder and can't imagine taking the life of another human being! Not even when I wasn't taking my medication. The best way I can describe Bipolar Disorder for you to understand is the worst case of PMS that you would ever experience. Ups, Downs..Cryings spells..Then youre OK...You go out with your friends..Have a few drinks and youre higher than a kite and never want to stop partying! It's like living on a roller coaster. You know something is terribly wrong. You go days without sleep. You're impulsive. Spend too much money. A bit too promiscuous in your younger days. And then finally you can't take it anymore after 40 years and you start taking medication that makes you feel normal. I get so sad when they start throwing around the "Bipolar" word in all these murders. It's like saying...Oh, she was having a bad day! NO... She was evil..She knew what she was doing. She drove around for hours It was premeditated. She was hurting and wanted to hurt someone else. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck..It's a duck..

 

[Woe.be.gone]

I had to shut off Nancy Grace last night. Could not take it.

How many times can they play the same 911 call over and over again?
It bugs me how repetitive the information becomes - then the next night, and the next - come on, tell us something we don't already know.

My husband can't believe how rude she is to the 'experts'. I defend her (have no idea why) by saying 'but she's nice to the people'. Then she redeems herself at the end of the show by paying tribute to a fallen soldier or a person with a serious illness. Then I'm like 'that's so nice'. I wonder why the panel people want to take that though - she can really give it to 'um.

Maybe she's bipolar (only kidding).

 

[Belinda]

I have to be honest and say that I absolutely cannot stand Nancy Grace. She is a harpy. She is harsh, brash and just plain nasty. I don't like the expressions on her face or the way she speaks to people. I used to watch Court TV when that other woman was on there. I can't remember what her name was. I thought she was great. Nancy is just like nails on a chalk board and she has that perpetually evil look on her face. Rant over.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

I think what they were saying about this woman last night was that she was considered to have Borderline Personality Disorder. Though many Docs feel the two disorders are very closely related..I found this describing it better than I could have put it into words:

"Bipolar disorder is essentially a mood fluctuation disorder, characterized most often by depression. Bipolar people can abuse substances, but otherwise they do not typically show the range of different symptoms BPD people manifest.
BPD individuals can be depressed, but BPD is essentially a hyperreactive/impulsiveness disorder with mood features, but also other symptoms affecting thinking and perception, self-concept, relationships, etc.BPD involves instability not only of mood, but of perception of self, perception of others, relationships, behavioral consistency, self-control, etc.
The mood disturbances in Bipolar Disorder typically are along a depression--mania dimension; (mania, hypomania)
with BPD, however, mood disturbances typically involve the dimensions of anger and anxiety.
MostBPD patients do not have mania (sustained hyperactivity and elation), though they can often act impulsively." (Daniel C. Claiborn Atlanta)

I have Bipolar Disorder and can't imagine taking the life of another human being! Not even when I wasn't taking my medication. The best way I can describe Bipolar Disorder for you to understand is the worst case of PMS that you would ever experience. Ups, Downs..Cryings spells..Then youre OK...You go out with your friends..Have a few drinks and youre higher than a kite and never want to stop partying! It's like living on a roller coaster. You know something is terribly wrong. You go days without sleep. You're impulsive. Spend too much money. A bit too promiscuous in your younger days. And then finally you can't take it anymore after 40 years and you start taking medication that makes you feel normal. I get so sad when they start throwing around the "Bipolar" word in all these murders. It's like saying...Oh, she was having a bad day! NO... She was evil..She knew what she was doing. She drove around for hours It was premeditated. She was hurting and wanted to hurt someone else. If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck..It's a duck..

Thanks DollyPardonMe. That's a good description - the PMS thingy I can (from the past) relate to. I really suffered from that but when I felt 'regular' I was 'normal' (I think). So I can imagine if I intensified those highs and lows - how crazier I'd feel than I even did. But like you said, I mostly directed it inward and just felt crappy - more like sick, like not wanting to cope with anything - not go out and hurt anybody.

I agree, they shouldn't throw these conditions around loosely when talking about killers. They're pscho if you ask me, not mood disordered.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Dr.Fessel started it. :angel: lol :innocent:

 

[sandangel]

I met a woman a few weeks ago that told me she tried to kill her mother a few years ago. She has been diagnozed with bi-polar and depression. She now is on medication for this and is getting along well of whatever her doc has her on.

It is true that bi-polar people have a tendency to medicate themselves with illegal drugs, alcohol. Depending on the severity of their mental illness it can be extremely challenging and stressful to be around a person with bi-polar. However, when the person is taking their meds as ordered, it is possible to not even know they have the mental illness.

 

[sindydee]

Why dont these mums do us all a favour and just end their own life? All these stories seem to follow a similar path with the mum killing the children then half heartedly try and take their own life, but are too selfish to actually go through with it.

Obviously these women are mentally ill, but the thing about all these cases I read is that most of them KNOW what they are doing. This woman took these girls to a house as a "suprise". It was planned and she knew thats what she was going to do. Then they go for the insanity plea. Obviously not in this case, but for heavens sake why was she not given the death penalty.

I dont think the daughter would have needed to testify, it is quite clear from the 911 tape what she did, as she admitted to it.

I just hope that the daughter recovers and manages to lead a somewhat normal life (well the best she can) considering the situation. My thoughts are with her.

 

[shergal]

Yes, they were saying she had Borderline Personality Disorder, not that she was Bipolar.
One thing that worried me about this case, she got just LWOP after brutal murder and attempted murder that she readily admitted to. Makes me worry that Casey might not even get LWOP, much less the DP, altho I sure hope she gets LWOP!

 

[kbl8201]

thanks for depressing me shergal

 

[Velouria]

Yes, they were saying she had Borderline Personality Disorder, not that she was Bipolar.
One thing that worried me about this case, she got just LWOP after brutal murder and attempted murder that she readily admitted to. Makes me worry that Casey might not even get LWOP, much less the DP, altho I sure hope she gets LWOP!

shergal, she avoided the DP ONLY because she accepted a plea deal that would spare her surviving daughter from having to testify. Otherwise, I am 100 percent positive this would currently be enjoying her new digs on Death Row.

Casey has no plea deal on the table and the prosecution clearly has no intention of offering one, ever. I'd say she's looking at LWOP if she's damn lucky. After all, Florida is right up there with Texas when it comes to the death penalty. I'm normally very conflicted about the capital punishment issue, but in the case of these two I can't say I'd lose any sleep.

 

[Truthful Lies]

[[{Snipped by me for length}]

Nancy and her peeps were throwing around the word bi-polar. Please tell me people with bi-polar are not like this woman.
This is simply out of your mind crazy and evil (not like having mood and temperment issues). Terrible!

No, they are not....I think she had said Borderline PD, but I want to answer anyway =D

I really get up in arms when she just throws that specific mental illness around...yes, I'm bipolar (II). But it's really that I hate the stigma for those who can't defend themselves....the people whose families are NOT supportive (and professionals agree, family involvement may be the a huge difference in whether people "make it" through the illness. I know that if it weren't for my family, I wouldn't have. Ignorant people sometimes latch on to using the term bipolar for a broad range of mental illness. Anyway. Off my soapbox now!

Bipolar, in lay thinking, just means your moods cycle to (polar) opposites...Bipolar II's tend to never get full blown mania (and I am finally learning the subtleties in recognizing mania - not in me, but a family member. It doesn't have to be "mania" with flashing lights and whistles. Lots of little things can tip you off to someone in a manic/depressive stage....but anyway. =)

Bipolar itself would never cause something to kill anyone other than themselves. If one were to inflict harm on other's...it would be some underlying, scary thing going on in them. Bipolar's impulsivity during mania could possibly be an "inhibition lowerer", but never the cause.

I have just tons of information on BPD (both I and II)....if you or anyone else would like any, or referrals to forums that really show what it's like to live with BPD (it's very hard to have an illness that alters your thinking....you have to learn to figure out which is the illness and which is "you"...it sucks not to be able to trust your own emotions at times. Then again, I went to a lot of "obedience school" to really learn how to cope with my illness and stop hiding. I was lucky and blessed to be able to go to a facility, take a breather in my life, etc. I realize that's not possible for 95% of the working world with financial obligations, children, etc. Some people who need the most help cannot/will not get it. It is a sad, sad state of affairs.


Anyway. Off my soapbox now!

ETA: I was sitting on my porch listening to roosters in the distance (this city mouse moved to the country!), and I thought about comparing bipolar to maybe someone under the influence of alcohol....in some ways. It just opens the door for your real self to come out...if that makes sense. When I'm (hypo)manic, I donate to charities, can't really sleep, pound away at research on my computer, etc...but nothing that isn't IN my personality. It's all just highlighted like a flashing marquee! It's slightly different, but that's the most common thing I can think of to compare it to.

 

[Searchfortruth]

Father is on Nancy Grace now. He said that his daughter, that survived, is what has kept him going.

 

[Searchfortruth]

Husband said that his wife had planned to kill both daughters and then come after him.