Children and "Psychopathy" | Dr Syl's Psychiatric Analysis
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- Опубликовано: 17 май 2024
- Link to Original Video: • "Psychopathic Child" A...
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Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
01:22 - Discussion around Terminology and Diagnosis
07:11 - Reaction
16:24 - Closing Comments
Apparently, Beth responded well to therapy and is working as a nurse! How great!
Thanks for adding this comment, really good to hear (hello from uk)
Is this a real possibility? I mean, I heard psychopathy doesn't have a cure.
@@marinaboscato4490 It can not be cured. And it has genetic origins. Genes and upbringing contributes to its development. And about trauma: physical trauma was the only form of trauma that was significantly related to psychopathy. Dr. Sly is not a psychiatrist,
Well.... I have seen the show nurses who kill 🙄🙈
That's so great to hear. I was looking for this information like crazy
For those of you on this thread making assumptions about this child and how she is now. Let me clarify as someone who has followed and studied her story for many years...
Beth was adopted as a toddler with her infant brother John by a pastor and his wife in the late 80s. At a very young age Beth begin to act out sexually and with violence towards her parents, her little brother, herself and animals. The parents were terrified and isolated. So little was known back then about what would cause this kind of behavior in such a young child but they did manage to find help. In this documentary (which is shown in this video) Beth was only 6 years old. She was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder. The family learned that as early as infancy Beth had never been able to bond with her sickly birth mother who eventually died and was repeatedly molested by her birth father. This trauma and neglect damaged Beth's ability to bond and trust. She was relying on animal instincts; there was a break in her conscience development. Although her brother John did not fare much better he did not act out as Beth did.
After this interview was filmed, Beth was sent away to a therapeutic foster family where she received intense therapy for her trauma. Within less than a year Beth was a completely different child that did show empathy, loved animals and cried when she spoke of her pain and the pain she had inflicted upon her brother. But her parents did not feel equipped to take her further on her journey. They decided not to take her back. They did keep John.
Beth was adopted by her foster parents. Beth is now grown with a family of her own and travels the world as an award winning pediatric nurse who also speaks and advocates for families who have also adopted children with Reactive Attachment Disorder.
Beth is not evil and is not nor never was a psychopath. She was a broken child who was blessed to get help by many professionals while she was still young.
Thank you 😢
Wow, the outcome of that story is amazing, even better than I thought possible
Cheers for this ❤
I really appreciate your detailed response here. I experienced similar traumas and traumatic responses to Beth and for many years felt suicidally guilty that I'd 'acted out so badly' towards my permanent carers who were the first people to show me unconditional love and safety. I now understand that I was just acting out in a way I'd learned both directly from the adults around me in my younger childhood and also in a way that would (at the time) keep me safe from the same relational patterns with caregivers/loved ones.
I'm 30 now and have a very close relationship with my 'parents' (permenant carers) and although I still struggle from time to time with my mental health and trauma triggers, I lead a mostly functional life where I am able to work, study and maintain healthy relationships with mates etc.
I am glad that the understanding of trauma and especially developmental, relational based trauma is more widespead even if it's become a bit of a 'buzz word' without true substance in some cases.
@@Sangfroid404 I'm so sorry you were in pain. You were a child and you never deserved that. I'm really glad you got help. I'm so sorry you felt guilty. Trust is the scariest thing to come to terms with when you've been traumatized. It's only natural that it feels safer to push away than to let someone hold you tight. You weren't responsible for those natural fears and instincts.
Finding healing and safe carers is a wonderful outcome ❤🩹
I'm also really glad that there is more understanding about trauma development.
God Bless you on your journey and take care 🥰
Beth is a victim of horrible sexual and physical abuse, neglect, all at the hands of her biological parents, she was put into foster care with her baby brother and it wasnt until a few days out of that environment of abuse did these behaviors start. Shes since been in intensive therapy and lives a normal life, as normal as she can. I remember watching this as a child, and feeling so bad for her, because i was never in her situation.
You watched this as a child? It has some really heavy topics in there..especially the sexual abuse and what Beth started doing in public as a result of that. I watched it young, but I was at least in High sSchool and it was tough to watch and hear about. Especially looking at her sweet face and imagining her being like that and what she had to go through.
I’m surprised this didn’t affect you watching it so young. I hope you don’t think I’m trying to be mean! I’m not, it’s just worrisome to think of a child watching such explicit content.
@@HMMC101 i was 11-12 when i first saw the story, it was on HBO, and in the late 80s, 89-90? It was something i had just come across, and the first time i saw a part of the show it was at the end where Beth was living at the group home with the horses, and i wanted to know why, so i looked in the guide and watched it the next time it came on. I was a pretty sheltered child, we werent allowed MTV, Nickelodeon and Saturday morning cartoons were always on the tv, my parents would change the channel if there was a movie on and any sexual preference would come on, like any good parent. Watching the show at that age i didnt understand that a parent could be such a monster to their own child, and the story stuck with me all these years.
@@HMMC101 I also watched it as a child.🙋♀ It's a biographic drama/horror film so I understand why you are worried. I was like 8-9 years old and I was strucked by how Beth's life was. It didn't traumatize me, I was just really gobsmacked. I actually became more traumatized watching some cartoons for kids like the film "All Dogs Go to Heaven" than other films for adults. I still can't watch that one until this day.😂The majority of films weren't even rated back then and it was not much big of a deal for kids to watch those. My parents never even knew I watched it, anyways. One evening my parents needed to go out so I watched it with my older brother that allowed me to watch anything. This film was on TV and there were just 2/3 channels at the time that closed at different hours in the evening so we ended up with like only one working channel at that hour or something. But my parents also allowed me to watch horror movies that today are rated for older. It might be shocking nowadays but it used to be a common thing. I'll tell you something funny: My husband's younger cousin favourite movie as a child was the horror movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space that she always wanted and used to watch with her friends on her birthday parties.🤭Children are tougher than what people think. Of course, I wouldn't allow my child to watch those nowadays. Those were different times for sure, but I certainly never forgot about Beth's case.
@@alva--._..l-._.-l.._.-- Aww haha yours was “All Dogs Go to Heaven” and mine was “The Wizard of Oz”. I’m in my late 20s and still can’t watch that creepy movie!
I understand what you’re saying. I didn’t realize they played it on tv! Maybe they thought kids were in bed asleep. It has some very graphic sexual content that is a lot for young kids to digest (in my opinion). I’m glad it didn’t bother either of you. I guess I worry about kids becoming too desensitized at such a young age and then it shaping them and changing who they become as adults. Not from watching one movie, but hopefully you understand what mean. Nowadays there is all kinds of s#!t on tv, and kinds are exposed to so much more. Not just tv, internet, video games, etc.
It came up for me on RUclips one day and that’s how I found it. I think I said in my previous comment, some parts were hard for me to watch (even in 8th-9th grade. At least it had a great ending and showed people that even in the worse case, you can still change and become a better person. There is hope for anyone!
That’s so good to hear. Kids are not bad just traumatized.
Beth is now doing well and is a nurse. So she wasn’t born a monster. This is a result of being around psychopathic sociopathic adults … not an issue w her
I think it's horrible how people are so eager to call this kid a monster. She's a CHILD. She went to therapy and changed and people still think she is dangerous? People change. You change when you grow up. Are you the same you were as a child???
I was highly neglected and bullied as a child and had some APD traits (not diagnozed because my family did not believe in mental health). There was something wrong with me and I think under the wrong circunstances I could have ended badly. I learned empathy with time. I can't even think about hurting an animal now.
We don't change so much as we learn to keep a lid on what's inside us! Please, know that.
Children (not saying this one) can be psychopaths. It's a brain abnormality. It affects apx 1-2% of the population. If you have a stunted frontal lobe or even perifrontal lobes, heightened MAOA, cerebral cortex... etc, you can be a psychopath. 60+% of killers have just frontal lobe abnormalities, whether from birth defects, issues during birth/pregnancy, childhood or adult damage. Truely psychopathic children can born that way, even in well-nurtured homes. Then after that it's 50/50 whether nature or nuture will prevail. Physical head trauma can also lead to damage to the pre/peri frontal cortex and bring on psychopathy and even neglect if the brain doesn't properly develop. Not saying children shouldn't be given a chance.
@@MeeMenuchoth No, we do change, too. Intensive bottled up stress can cause the frustration that gives a child sadistic urges, but if that child gets help the cause of the urges is gone. /Not a psychologist, just repeating what I've been taught + from my own witnessed and lived experience
@@sugoish9461 Your own witnessed experience would be annecdotal and has no bearing on what I said. Those who don't hear, feel! 🤗
@Carter1G
From American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
( *Violent Behavior in Children and Adolescents* - No. 55; December 2017 ) :
"Factors Which Increase Risk of Violent Behavior
Numerous research studies have concluded that a complex interaction or combination of factors leads to an increased risk of violent behavior in children and adolescents. These factors include:
Previous aggressive or violent behavior
Being the victim of physical abuse and/or sexual abuse
Exposure to violence in the home and/or community
Being the victim of bullying
Genetic (family heredity) factors
Exposure to violence in media (TV, movies, etc.)
Use of drugs and/or alcohol
Presence of firearms in home
Combination of stressful family socioeconomic factors (poverty, severe deprivation, marital breakup, single parenting, unemployment, loss of support from extended family)
Brain damage from head injury"
This above is the thing I've basically been taught, and then seen examples of from classmates who were in abusive situations + I have noticed in myself after getting treated for my CPTSD for a while.
Bethany Thomas apparently has grown up to be happy and she has studied nursing
Person in my close family has narcissistic personality disorder. She’s extremely manipulative, takes advantage of other people, always bullies and dominates others. Feels superior to others and has zero empathy. All her contacts end in conflicts. She had no friends, family is fearing her, her marriage is broken, etc. She is the nurse too. She’s chosen that profession because it’s a way for her to dominate others and abuse them and patients already complain about her behaviour.
Because people people choose certain profession it does not say anything.
If the child was hurt by someone (even if an adult is) and they verbally tell someone to stop, or not to hurt them again and it is ignored, the next "logical" step can be violence, and if the person learns that violence is what keeps the bad actions of others away, i think the child is acting perfectly reasonably. It is even better if people fear you, because now you don't even have to act to make people stay away so that you are safe. Seems like a reasonable although not at all healthy defense mechanism. Because she is a child or simply because the trauma was great enough, everything has now become a threat and must be "dominated" through violence, so they know to fear you too and won't attempt to victimize you. I see no illness just mistreatment. I was also a little saddned to see there was no attempt to engage with the child in any other way, the interviewer seemed to have made their conclusions beforehand and was just trying to confirm them a little too much.
Now i might get into complete over interpretation and end up doing what i accuse the interviewer of, but i found her talking about the baby birds interesting, it would seem obvious to everyone they are defenseless, but she wasn't so willing to say they were, she seems perfectly willing to admit to hurting others with no remorse, so why not the baby birds as well? I think it points to her seeing the entire world as a threat, the peopel she hurts are not innocents. (i simply found it interesting, it could be utter gibberish).
@@dimajo3057 Interesting point about the baby birds. I interpreted it differently. To me it seems like she is somewhat telling the interviewer what he wants to hear. He keeps asking her kind of leading questions that he wants her to say yes to, and then when he asks if baby birds can run away, she doesn't seem sure what to say so she just says yes. (even though they obviously can't). However, she readily agrees when the interviewer asks if she squeezed them.
@@dimajo3057 Depending on her age at the time of killing those birds couldn't it have also just been her not really understanding the consequences of her actions. Like yeah killing the birds fits into the overall pattern of her behaviour but maybe she wasn't intending on killing them at that point. An interesting thing to note though was the foster parents told her the baby birds would be abandoned and die if she touched them... An event she went through herself through losing her mother so young and then her father treating her so poorly she had to be removed. Sometimes little kids are too rough with small fragile things, and sometimes even kids developing normally can end up accidently causing harm.
I agree with you except in that the mistreatment *caused* the illness. Illness isn't a bad word. The majority of mental health issues stem from trauma of some kind.
EXACTLY!! Her emotions were valid.
I’m more so curious about why she feels the need to whisper. Usually kids are very loud even when they are speaking “out of line”.
Hi, Dr. Syl. They have a whole documentary about her. Beth and John is her blood brother. A pastor and his wife adopted them. But little John was kept in the bed so long, that the back of his head was flat and the front was kind of bubbled out. This story used to really bother me and made me emotional. But knowing that it's a story of her success after all that abuse, I smile now. I'm so glad she got help.
She was separated from her brother right? Like taken into another home... Maybe having the brother around was somewhat triggering as a reminder of previous trauma and so that's why she wanted him gone.
I had a child like this. He was adopted at the age of 5. By the age of 8 he was attempting to set fires because he wanted to kill us, abusing pets, attempting to poison pets, abusing the other kids, and had plans/attempts in killing the other children in the home (all unsuccessful, thankfully). He had a variety of diagnosis's. No interventions that we tried worked. Similar lack of affect/empathy/etc. He stated that hurting and thinking about killing others made him happy. He left our home at the age of 8 because of the safety issues. Unfortunately the mental health system is not set up for success - the ER repeatedly refused to admit him to inpatient and told me "we don't think he's capable of being successful in killing anyone yet". He was denied for residential because we hadn't exhausted all outpatient options and he has additional needs that exclude him from residential. Some outpatient options have 6-24 month waitlists. We were unable to get him the help that he needed and needed to consider the safety of the other kids. We turned to DHS as a last resort, and their solution was to remove him from all therapies and contact, make a return home impossible, and put him into new adoptive a home with other kids and guns while lying to the family about his history. I hope he gets the healing he needs. But I doubt it. We have other children in the home who are also adopted but they are not like this. If he doesn't get the help he needs, I think the risk of him developing APD is very high and my fear is that history will repeat itself but this time he will be capable and will have the know-how and the tools. Often parents of kids like this are denied help and blamed by the system.
As kid I did some similar things, although I always considered poisoning a weak move, beneath my standards. Also didn't want to, I had no reason to abuse others until others gave me a reason, and I would gladly do it since imo they deserved it. So there's differences to how I was and the boy you describe. Fortunately for me, my parents couldn't just give me back to a system that abuses children, and stepped up their parenting standards, and even though I have ASPD, I haven't been abusive since I was 17 and no criminal charges since 18, I'm 40 now.
I hope, for your sake, your actions didn't help increase his risk of developing ASPD, because they certainly did not help reduce it. He was being open and honest with you, he could've lied to you... I didn't tell my parents about my dark thoughts, I already knew they would freak out over it since they weren't pleased with my actions. Thinking about ending others is normal to me, but I'm trained to control my impulses... criminal psychologists said I shouldn't be an executioner, but I said that would be therapy for me, I'm perfect for the job. Other 'normal' executioners get depressed and crap, being responsible for taking a life... it would cheer me up. "And another one bites the dust! Next!"
@@lookdawg187 That's great man. Your life could have been soooo much worse. That would have been a waste. And how you said the kid was at least honest was actually kind of surprising, I had not thought of that. Anyway I do want to say that I think this person has done a lot and has tried a lot and she is clearly saying that he is not getting the help he needs which is really sad.
@@Kanggaxx If my life had been worse, I would've caused more suffering. I lack emotions in general, I don't care about my own life, I care about doing what I want and not even death can scare me. If anything, death would be a release from this prison where I have to behave, instead of being free like a wild animal, taking what I want, when I want it.
I don't feel sad for the boy, he doesn't feel sad either probably, I'm simply telling you, love psychos when they are young and you might prevent another Netflix serie.
Humans act like they are not animals, but anyone with a degree in biology knows humans are mammals, the Homo Sapiens belonging to the Great Apes. Do you think other Apes give a crap about hypocritical bullshit like morals? It was once morally accepted to own slaves, something that is beneath me, yet I'm the horrible person because I think it's okay to treat humans like what they are, animals. Other animals don't have slaves, so basically animals have a better history in regard to morality. We call ourselves civilized but we do things worse than the barbaric animals.
@@lookdawg187I disagree with every comparison to animals.
Not just to say something like this, but also when it comes to things like "dogs are better than people because of this and that".
They don't think. If we think we are worse or better it's just because we think, because we have standards, we have a moral. And that's the difference between us and them.
They can't be better than us because you need to rationalize life before that conclusion and they are not capable of that.
We are definitely not like them and any comparison is impossible.
It’s horrifying. You want to help but need to protect yourself and others
I don't know if it's because I also suffered abuse as a child but i didn't feel anything like you described watching her. I just saw a little girl who needed help and was trying her best to explain past the shame/guilt/caution she was navigating. It's actually really healing for me to see her being helped and hear she's doing better.
She's a little champion, I remembered watching Child of Rage years ago and being so happy and sad that treatment existed for her. Happy, because everyone deserves appropriate assistance out of trauma and sad because it's c;ear she only recieved that help because of the extent of her symptoms ie how they affected everyone BUT her. If she had been able to mask her trauma better, she probably would never have recieved the intervention she deserved. Like most of us.
No idea where you see guilt, there is none. No fault if hers, but there is none
My son was diagnosed with ODD and ADHD from a very young age. He is 18 now and is a diagnosed narcissist. Very hard to live with and now that he no longer lives with me I can still love him and not be so hurt when he doesn't show me love back. It's sad but I will always love him but have told him it is up to him to reach out to me. If he wants to talk to me I will always be there. He's just very abusive and it's hard to see in your child.
You failed him somehow. Narcissists are made through trauma and abuse.
@@LilPoopsie There are lot of reasons why someone might develop personality disorder, it's not always because of the parent(s)!
@LilPoopsie how dare you! You have no idea what you're talking about.
@LilPoopsie that's a horribly judgmental thing to say especially when it is not always the case! NPD can be linked to environmental, true, but this can easily be as simple as too much praise or too much criticism from the parents that doesn't match the child's expectations. It can have genetic links and neurobiology causes as well, so it's not fairness to immediately accuse the parent of generating abuse and trauma. (I'm quoting the Mayo Clinic here)
@@jessicakornelsen Thank you. I didn't know at the time but his father had the same conditions. He's a narcissist so he was able to hide it for quite a long time from me.
This is so hard to deal with because now you have to worry about the safety of others .
The ones that watched the documentary say that she got better later, that's a relief because the foster parents here are clearly scared of her.
But they still helped her and got her professional help, they never turned their back on her
There's a fictional movie based on this child and her family that can possibly clear up some confusion when it comes to her history. It's called Child of Rage, 1992. I think it's important to note that the therapist used a holding technique to push the child to the point of rage... We know better now... Unless it's for the child's safety we don't pin them down or physically hold them. Even if their safety is at risk there are tools to try before it reaches the point of physical restraint. I think this move away from that has changed lives. Have you seen the documentary called The Medicated Child? It's a pretty good one. Fairly unbias look at how medication can and can't work with children.
Such a beautiful kid she was, I hope she and her brother found peace and happiness ❤
Psychopaths are born, sociopaths are made so yes, children can be psychopatic
I'm retired, but I taught special ed. and taught in a private school. It was a zero reject school. I did like my class which were autistic kids with some difficult behaviors (like trashing.a room if they got angry). But there were two classes of kids with severe behavior disorders. They might come up to you and kick you, faces filled with rage. The teachers did an amazing job with these kids and handled them with a lot of structure and lots of caring. I don't know what happened to them. 100% of them were victims of neglect and abuse, what I was told. I think they were all in foster homes.
I worked at a school for kids with autism. I was a TA with a certification in ABA. I was working a class of verbal kids (we classified classes by verbal vs non) and we got a new student. Little girl about 6yrs old. She looked like a beautiful doll and had perfect curly hair, and the prettiest smile. She was so sweet and kind to others. My first 1 on 1 she very cheerfully explains to me how she’s gonna go home and sneak the biggest knife in the kitchen to her room so when her parents fall asleep she can stab them to death. Obviously I was WTF (in my head), and it occurred to me that MAYBE she was being abused. So without leading, I calmly asked why she would want to do that? (I expected little to no concept of death to play a part) I said if you did that then her mommy and daddy wouldn’t be around to give her hugs and love her. The sweetest little Face I had ever scene suddenly drops like a hot rock and this face with nothing behind the eyes looks at me and says “I want that. I want a judge to put me in a hole and never let me out”. Dropped that issue into the classroom teachers lap and noped back to my regular non-verbal classroom
It's been a year since I've been out of the hospital because of psychosis. I've been binge watching your videos because I enjoy learning about psychology and neurology. Good stuff!
Were you always interested in psychology/neurology, or was it the episode of psychosis that generated your interest? :)
I wanted to mention that as an individual who would have benefitted by a diagnoses of PTSD and even just having "Experiences Hallucinations" on my record would have helped me seek better care at a sooner age and known what to do better at age 18, which therapists to seek out at 18 and thsoe sorts of things. I agree that deffinitions of Mental issues cannot be applied to children, but Symptoms the child is experiencing NEEDS to be documented. When I was finally able to get a summer job at 16 and got my own insurance card and got my self into therapy I was treated like "Being a teen is tough, you're just angsty" in response to "Im having hallucinations and rage" .... It made me feel like no one was listening to me, and that no one was concerned with my symptoms. Even as an adult nearing my 30s I am still being told that I am just making things up for attention. when in reality I have some form of Schizophrenia...
"Being a teen is tough, you're just angsty" - That's always an unhelpful way for people to react to a distressed teenager, but for them to respond to that when you told them about the hallucinations is wild! People can be so unundertsanding.
Way back when I was in pre-school, there were some kids who lived in the neighboring houses, I think mostly boys. There is one girl that I recall, and I'm not sure how our ages compared, I only know that she was also really young. I feel like I recall something seeming slightly off about her, but I'm not sure if that's accurate memory or a retrospective rewrite. But a specific incident that I do remember and have confirmed with others...
At that point in my life, burning barrels were a pretty normal thing; I think it was how most of us in that immediate community disposed of our trash. And I remember watching, once, when one of my parents had to run over across the road to stop her from dropping a kitten into a burning barrel.
My family moved around a lot, so I have no idea what ever came of her.
So I was discussing with my instructor about the debate about nature vs nurture, and I concluded that it's neither this or the other as the total explanation of certain behaviors, I think it's a balance of both. Some people are born with certain innate personality traits that they can't help with, and only the environment can either weaken or strengthen those traits. Like the general population, it's a popular opinion that parents are to blame for a child's misconduct. However, even psychopaths/sociopaths come from very good parents who used the authoritative parenting style, for instance, and they end up being criminals anyway. This is because parenting is not the only determined indicator of a child's resulting behavior. Sometimes people forget that there are other things that can determine a child's attitude towards life and people in general, such as how school, teachers, friends, external families, and many other things treat a child that can influence their overall behavior. Yes, parents are the primary teachers and influencers, but outside influence can sometimes be just as strong. I also think that it has a lot to do with a person's temperament...some people are more sensitive than others, either because they are born sensitive or because they have a certain mental disorder they were born with, which could sometimes be determined by genetics or a mother's substance abuse that has ultimately hurt the infant's brain and overall body. There are many explanations to a child's behavior, which is the reason we can't overgeneralize a child's behavior on a single reason. It's also important to have an intake interview with the child or the child's caregivers to get more insight into the child in order to determine what factors have shaped the child to be that way and what is keeping that behavior.
I'm glad someone said it finally. People ARE born different and it does matter unfortunately. Just cause you can't medically diagnose them until a certain age doesn't mean that they don't have strong antisocial tendencies they were born with. Nurture can either change that or not.
I agree on nature and nurture but this about antisocial kids being born in good families... I don't know, this girls 1 family was horrible.
I wonder if anyone finds it interesting that so many women who suffered neglect and abuse as children, and who didn't receive any neurodiversity assessment until adulthood, are diagnosed with personality disorders at such a high rate. ASPD comes up even when a person has shown no violence or antagonism to other people, just expresses an inability and consequent disinterest with making personal cvonnections. BPD is usually an answer to childhood trauma, but is used as an implication that what you suffered broke you permanently (again, interesting how it's diagnosed in femme presenting people more often)
It's almost like personality dosrders are abused by medical professionals to avoid taking any responsibility for the consequences of medical misogyny and sexist expectations of women in our society.
I also noticed it when I worked at a low secure mental health hospital. I can't recall a single woman who was sectioned there with a personality disorder who didn't also have a history of (usually very severe) abuse. Awful.
Awefull stuff. :/
John is Beth's biological brother. They were both adopted together, after both were abused and neglected.
Weren't some of the questions in the interview kinda leading? I picked up a vibe that Beth responded in accordance to her doctor's reactions/the way he formulated the questions.
Yes, he also used several tones of voice, sometimes sadness, disappointment, and a disapproving tone.
Thank you for bringing that up. I am a psychotherapist (currently still in training) and work mainly with children. When I try to help children, I talk to them in a very different way. I think that children are very vulnerable to a suggestive way of questioning. You make something out of them when you question them like that. (I hope I was able to express myself clearly, English is not my mother tongue).
I'm studying psychology and we learned that humans, especially children, are very susceptible to suggestive language because they want to give a pleasing answer. You can also create false memories this way. There was a case where this happened and a lot of children "said" that they were sexually assaulted at kindergarten but it turned out that a lot of them began thinking and saying that because of suggestive language from the interviewers.
That's my 1st reaction too!
Thank u for saying it out.
I wouldn't trust half her responses to be actually true.
I half expected her to say "I'm a 400 foot tall, purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."
I'm not sure if they were leading or if Beth was used to them. But you see, this interview was made so that Beth's therapist could show it to other professionals in the hope of getting Beth more help. Beth had already told him and others these things. Whatever it was or wasn't, after this was filmed, they were able to send Beth to a therapeutic foster home where she really got the help that she needed.
Educational video to say the least! This is such an important topic, but also very taboo 😢
I think a peer at my school when I was 12 might have been on this spectrum and she had a deep fascination for death and tragedy. Im my country Sweden there was a horrible incident some years ago where a 15 year old girl murdered her 10 year old brother. The boy had been terrified of her and tried to reach out to the authorities but in vain. I think the girl was sentenced to some kind of physicatric care, but I don't remember. 😢😢😢
Austin, MN - I appreciate your insight, I watched many videos like this when taking psych courses. Thanks for taking the time to make this content!
Kudos to the interviewer for handling it so well and responding neutrally!
I do believe bed wetting was ruled out. There's genetic predisposition to bed wetting that runs in families. There's also physiological reasons for bedwetting like hormonal imbalance and extremely deep sleepers.
And having been sexually abused.
Yeah I have seen this clip of beth before. It made me sad that severe abuse can mess this much with a child's head. I actually am a social worker for kiddos in mental health too their trauma histories can be so sad😢.
Houston, TX, USA. I am a new subscriber and truly enjoy learning about the psychology and psychiatry of the human mind and what makes different people tick and why. My oldest son is in his 3rd year of becoming a psychologist. I love talking with him about all the different classes he takes and what information surprises him. He has a lot of empathy and I know he will get great satisfaction by helping others heal!
♥️🤠🌴
Hello from Montreal, Canada 🇨🇦
Love your videos!!! Thanks for you content 🙏
I hope that she could find some joy later on life.
Thank you for this video Dr, Syl. Greetings from Colombia!
I recently found a video where she is doing really well. She had years of therapy and it helped. She became a nurse and her goal is to help people. ruclips.net/video/7wncaF5Rdvc/видео.html
@@tinak3271 that is wonderful!
Thank you for sharing thi video!!
I'm glad I found this, very helpful in understanding this stuff. It can be very hard to understand.
Hugs and healing to Beth ❤❤❤ sounds like she did so well getting over such a horror of a childhood
Oh my god Dr Syl! RUclips hasn't been sending me your videos, my memory lapsed and I may have forgotten. But good to see you back (heckin' RUclips......)
Much love! Stay safe!
Welcome back 😜
Hey Syl, great video as always! Can you do one on Schizoid personality disorder?
Ive been obsessed with the older videos around the mind, child development, etc for years. Thanks to RUclips suggesting one video of yours, I can get modern day insights! Great channel! New, bell notified sub here... 🔔😊
Poor child, mens violence causes so much destruction in this world
that's so true
As someone without kids I always wondered about how blindly parents usually defend their kids as a general rule when they get blamed for something. Somehow the absence of it coming from the non biological 'parents' answers part of that question.
I’m a new fan!!!! The human brain is so fascinating!!!! Greetings from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷
These videos are extremely helpful. Thank you
I'm from Iran and I'm a fourth year medical student. I absolutely love your contents and psychiatry😌❤️
This is from a documentary called “Child of Rage” for some of you commenting on this clip. It helps put the whole story in context. Poor girl, poor brother, poor family. Happy she was able to climb out of this trauma. Love your videos Dr. Syl.
Blessings from South Africa.🇿🇦
Greetings from Budapest, Hungary.
I'm new here, from Brazil and I'm prerty much enjoying your videos. Thank you very much!
Thanks for watching!
You know I went through a lot of abuse and neglect as a child, and I am still on my path to healing and growing at 28, however I've never gotten a genuine response from any past therapist when I told them about my childhood.
When I was around 5 I used to have a cat that had kittens. And when my parents weren't around I would take my cats and put them under the couch cushion and sit on them until they were gasping for breath. And then I would pull them out and cuddle them and cry while saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry".
There is mental health issues in my family.
I've only ever been diagnosed with C-PTSD, MDD (major depressive disorder), and acute generalized anxiety disorder
I only gained empathy once I turned 18 (and subsequently went to boot camp and moved away from my narcissistic father and his wife; my mother was the neglectful on in my life).
Prior to that I would feel creeped out or disgusted when people would confide in me and cry about something they were going through and I would try to leave the conversation as quickly as possible.
I also attempted suicide as young as 7.
So, I wonder if I was showing any signs like Beth since I like the hurt animals until the age of 8.
But all the therapists pretty much wave away the concerns since I'm no longer like it- almost making me feel like I just "went through a phase". But I think they are overlooking something.
With my 9-month old son's father being narcissistic, almost sociopathic, and who has an addictive personality, and me having an addictive personality (I was addicted to video games to the point it sent me to the hospital for potassium deficiency and poor nutrition)... I worry about my son's predisposition for issues.
But he's the healthiest and BIGGEST chunk I have seen. So I am just staying aware and I will get him help as soon as I find signs.
Do you remember what motivated you to sit on the cats like that? What were you getting out of it? And when you would cry and apologize after, what were you feeling then? Empathy? Remorse? Shame? I'm genuinely so curious to understand the process and reasoning.
@@dolomedestenebrosus9564
I don't recall what I emotions I felt while I was sitting on them but I recall feeling extreme shame, sorrow, and sadness when I would hold them. My crying and negative feelings were all genuine.
But when I sat on them I didn't feel anything really- I was pretty numb.
I wish my therapists would have dived deeper. I have a new therapist and she seems to be of a different breed so I will bring it up with her and see what she says.v
I absolutely get what people are saying about not labelling a child a monster when you factor in horrific levels of abuse & an eventual positive response to therapy, but I grew up in the same neighbourhood as a child who went on to be considered a factor 1 psychopath and in my experience they are different. I'll go through some major life points of, I'll call him M for anonymity, to give an idea of what a callous and unemotional child, who grows up to be a psychopath, might look like:
Infancy - Adopted at 2 weeks into a stable and loving family. No prior information on the birth parents available. Early signs of abnormal emotional responses.
Age 3 - Began physically attacking his mother with enough ferocity to leave her covered with bruises. Witnessed several times appearing to derive pleasure from squeezing the bruises and eliciting a pain response from her. The first of many specialist appointments and therapy attempts begins at this point.
Age 6 - M's adoptive mother is diagnosed with breast cancer. As she's recovering at home from surgery he attempts to stab her with a kitchen knife. At this point it is recommended M be removed from the home and placed in care for the families protection. His mother refuses, stating, "He's still my son and I love him". Mother passes away from cancer a short time later, M's adoptive father continues trying to find help for him.
Ages 8-12 - M is becoming increasingly manipulative. Students and teachers observe him on a number of occasions studying the behaviour of others, apparently in an attempt to learn how best to act to avoid or reduce consequences for his actions. Begins torturing and killing small animals, sets a number of fires in the local area, also suspected of molesting two local girls although this is never proven. Specialist appointments and attempts at therapy remain ongoing.
Age 14 - M is asked to leave school after failing to get past 2nd grade Primary. It is discovered he has a natural ability with engines, and is given an apprenticeship with a local mechanic. The apprenticeship lasts approximately 3 months as he is fired for punching his boss out at work. Grandparents break contact at this point for reasons unknown.
Age 16 - M pours petrol around the family home and sets it on fire with his brother and father asleep inside, he later claims it was an attempt to kill them. Thankfully neighbours raise the alarm and call the fire brigade in time. M is removed from the house and has a restraining order placed on him. As far as I know M's brother and father have no further contact with him at this point.
Age 17 - 48 - M is arrested on break and enter charges. This begins a lengthy criminal career with numerous incarcerations. Between the ages of 17 and 48 (his approximate current age) he is arrested and jailed on charges of drug distribution, auto theft, break and enter, sexual assault, kidnap, and grievous bodily harm. The only thing he hasn't been arrested for, that we know of, is murder. Court records indicate he continues to receive therapy in jail, but is also now considered to have a diagnosis of ASPD with a notation of likely Factor 1 Psychopathy. As of this year he is appearing once more on charges of drug trafficking, following a prior arrest for reckless endangerment with a motor vehicle. And honestly at this point I don't think he should be let out again.
Very informative video! Greetings from Florida USA
Why were pins available to her?
Ok, I’ve never seen documentary about this child, BUT why was she and her brother left to themselves by those adoptive parents to the point where the parents didn’t even even know that Beth would come out and hit her brother in the stomach? How long were they neglected and left to themselves? Another thing, when she said that she played with the birds too rough and went to ask mommy if the birds were alive or dead - if no one is supervising a child and teaches them to play gentle with little things like birds, it doesn’t mean the child is cruel or psycho like it’s portrayed here, it just means she was neglected AGAIN and wasn’t explained and taught how to play with such little fragile creatures. I have a 2 year old and a newborn, I cannot imagine leaving my 2 year old with a newborn alone and expect her to understand to be gentle and not clumsy and rough around the baby.. The video is too suggestive, the questions are very framed
Yeah also if you pay attention to her reactions and words there does seem to be a clear distinction between what happened to the birds and what she was doing at the time. The current events are showing signs of intent "I do it to hurt him, to kill him" "I want to kill them"... But the fact she didnt even realise the birds were dead and even seemed to be a bit uncomftable (compared to the smiles and wide eyed glee of other statments) that I dont think she killed the birds on purpose. I think it was a genuine accident but may well of infulenced her views on life and death. Also depending on her age at the time it could be somewhat "normal" as there is a point where kids just dont know their own strength or how to be gentle. Some small children do accidently kill such a fragile creature like a baby bird. It does tend to relate to trauma but some kids just arent as inherently empathic and need it taught more by adults.
Watching from Manchester England the uk. Very interesting videos you have done.
There is a movie called Child of Rage based on this girl. It discusses her earliest years, when she is adopted, her treatments and the outcome. It's hard to watch, but informative.
She was physically and sexually abused by her father, from close to birth.
She and her brother were then put up for adoption.
Love to work and videos you put out, very informative. Thank you.
I’m from
CANADA ONTARIO
Great Video, as always! Greetings from Germany. :)
Great, great videos! Dr Syl, you look and sound great also! :)
Uwielbiam Twoje filmy😁 IT means I love your movies. Well done!! Im from Poland. Pozdrawiam 😁
Great information. Greetings from Virginia, USA!
Hi im from the UK thankyou for this informative video xx
It's funny that lots of comments come from people who believe watching RUclips makes you an expert on the subject
I feel not finishing this video with her as an adult is a miss step. I feel it is a disservice to her and her work to omit the person she has come and how she advocates for children now.
Her brother is her biological brother. His head was flat when they adopted him
I love your channel.
Beth had reactive attachment disorder aka RADS. Beth has recovered and healed alot from her abuse. I had issues similar and i squeezed birds to death as a child. It stopped after therapy and removal from sexually abusive environments. This is honestly a normal reaction for a child suffering from chronic severe abuse. Beth is a happy nurse advocating for rads treatment
What I don't understand is: why do psychopaths always seem to have an interest in hurting others? I mean I to some degree get not having empathy for someone suffering but why would they have an interest in causing it? This would imply that all of us secretly want to kill or hurt others but aren't doing it purely because of our empathy
Well for an abused child like this she never got out of fight flight freeze, and the fight became second nature due to the abuse she received from her biological father. I imagine she became dissociative at the same time due to the inability to escape the situation, and this all happened in the critical development stages
Not always, it's when a psychopath is a victim of abuse that they become more likely to abuse others too
This child was literally r'd by her own father when she was a BABY. She's not an abuser because she's a psychopath she's an abuser because she was abused
If a psychopath is raised in a loving family and a person without any disorder is raised by an abusive family, the person without any disorder will most likely be an abuser rather than the psychopath.
Honestly, I think the diagnosis of psychopathy and all personality disorders needs a massive overhaul. The mental health care profession is so fucking slow to evolve. It takes around 10 years MINIMUM after a condition has been ascertained and noted in hundreds or thousands of patients before they even CONSIDER considering it for the DSM. I don't even think C-PTSD is officially in the DSM or the ICD yet, despite it being well known for *checks watch* yep, at least a decade. And what do we do in the meantime, while we're ignoring the traumatic basis of the vast majority of mental health issues? Diagnose personality disorders, that's what!
I think there was actually a guy researching what genes make you more susceptible to psychopathy who did a test and realised he had all of the genetic factors. He was also very logical and unemotional in a way that had really helped him as a researcher and had a history of brutal violent criminals in his family. However, he had had a very happy childhood without any traumatic events. Most serial killer types suffered some kind of abuse that triggered their violent side, most psychopaths that have not been exposed to violence in childhood are just asshole CEOs or successful surgeons.
OMG!! Wholeheartedly agree!! the mental health system is so fuckin slow at this point. Especially when concering personality disorders and cluster b disorders. The system is failing these people honestly.@@angelalovell5669
The mother looked like her i thought it was her grown up. I remember seeing the interview years ago. Id love to see her now
Great video as always Dr. Syl!
Thank you latisha!!
Interesting and distressing. Best wishes from the southern coast of England. X
Also from south of England 😊 I’m in fareham
*Waves to the south coast (from Nottingham)*
North of England here :)
Greetings from Slovakia
Its amazing how many doctors show up in RUclips comments sections
Looking at research into bedwetting - children who have too low levels of vitamin B12 and magnesium have been found to be persistent bedwetters. Perhaps this situation coupled with emotional neglect can lead to these maladaptive behaviors. Deserves much more looking into...
There is a cultural way of raising children that studiously ignores emotions. Many, many middle and upper class families behave this way. If a family understanding this type of culture adopts a child that was emotionally abused, they will not be able to overcome the child's past. They just don't have the tools.
She squeezed THEM ALL dead...
is NOT NORMAL
Pretty sure her little brother is her biological brother, they got adopted together. She's doing good these days ❤
I feel sorry for her so much. I want to go to the younger Beth and save her from whatever has hurt her.
I definitely believe there are child psychopaths.
Hey 👋,
Gary, Indiana from the USA here.
What exactly is a “Junior Doctor From Australia”???
This sounds so difficult for the parents.
Commenting from Cambridge England.
To be honest , if I didn't have the memory of a gold fish going around the fish bowl, I'd go to school to be a psychologist.
Beth basically had so much inner hurt and she couldn't see it reflected in her environment, which means she strongly enpathised- but had no experience of joy/self compassion so she couldn't identify with anyone unless she saw them in pain. Not even herself. Children are instinctively driven to connect with their world, its a survival MUST. Her Attachment Disorder was very much traumatic
Nice Job….Cleveland OH
I just wanted to add to bed wetting. Could also be due to interoceptive issues (not understanding or feeling internal processes) as he said it's not the bed wetting itself. It was a huge fear of mine growing up 😅 but learning a lot.
Children who are sexually abused will often show signs of poor control of their urinary system and/or bowels.
@@joekopsick1540 that is true I don't want to reduce that importance. I just wanted to make the point that it may not mean trauma, something else may be the cause or maybe it's nothing. For me personally it was due to ADHD and Autism. One not recognising the body sensations and not wanting to follow the routine of toilet before bed to counteract the not noticing.
@@lolly5657 Good on you. The number of times neurodiversity is flat out ignored in favour of a much harsher, less appropriate diagnosis or used as a reason to shame children into better behaviour is fucking staggering. There are actually a LOT of reasons for urination during sleep., I was a bit disturbed by his lack of transparency on the issue.
We have a horridying tendency to only acknowledge severe neglect and abuse in children, anything less (including the medical neglect of not seeking diagnoses or being denied assessment because you're not a screaming 6 year old boy covered in red cordial stains, breaking everythging around you and rocking constantly) just doesn't get any engagement or playtime.
Would you ever react to a criminal case in relation to this, for example Ethan Couch, whose legal defence attempted to use affluenza to explain/justify his violent action?
She gave some strange answers that seem almost staged. For example, when she said she liked sticking pins in people and animals and was asked what she was trying to do, she said "kill 'em". She's definitely old enough to know that sticking pins in people and animals won't kill them. Also, when she was asked about the baby birds, she originally said that she played too rough with them. Then when she couldn't remember what happened, the therapist asked "Did you squeeze them?" and she suddenly says she did. It's really easy to get a child this age to say they remember things that they don't, and to confess to things they didn't do.
Hello Dr. Syl, I'm a medical student, I've been wanting to ask this question to our forensics doctor, it's about approximating the extent of damage or potential damage due to a fall to the forehead.
Scenario:
A 165cm 60kg 15 year old male slips, falling forward, falls on forehead, person didn't use hands to break the fall. Person is on the ground, wakes holding his head in fear of brain injury. He was assisted to stand up and walk, he was saying 'he is fine' in a groggy but alert way (kind of like a drunk person) when asked by his PE instructor.
He goes home not telling his parents about the fall. He developed redness in his foreheadthat day. Then the bruise went through the colors (green, purple, then dark brown; all under the skin). Then it became like a scab, on the surface. The scab stayed like that for a week or two.
Can:
1. The kinetic energy absorbed by the head (and the brain) be measured?
2. Can the data from that calculation be used to model and predict the potential effects of that fall on a brain? (I.e. if a PET/CT using FDG/18F 'flurodeoxyglucose' was used, can a neurologist predict that their might be a focal functional lesion in the brain?).
Thanks for reading this.
Yes.
Unfortunately I got to raise a child with these. I called ODD and childhood onset of CD basically an allergic reaction to authority figures. Fortunately he’s doing really well as an adult.
Unfortunately? I'd call it a blessing to be able to help
@@linamarie84They probably meant that it was unfortunate that the kid went through trauma in the first place, not that the had to care for the kid.
Thanks
Thank you so much for the support - really appreciate it!
@@DrSyl love your videos. Yourself & @dontcrossagayman have got me through a very quiet afternoon at work
There is a movie about this child called "child of rage"
I've never heard "weeing" used for "peeing" by a medical professional but I'm in the US
Another psychatrist on youtube said you are born as a psychopaths and sociapaths become one. I also heard psychopathy is kind of a braindamage and less a developed personality disorder. Well however just words. diagnosis - they change all the time, more like a trend. its hard to categorize the mind or cure a mind.
It seems to be a neurodevelopmental disorder :) which society can exacerbate.
From Sydney!
I think she have primary psychopathy which means she was born with lack of empathy, but the severe abuse she experienced made her psychopathy even worse
I am diagnosed with ASPD in a way because of my genetics it kinda pertdcted me from full fledged ptsd but i also have SSD
Kid is proof that kids can have antisocial personalities. Difference is that kids can be fixed because they are developing so if in proper environment and right. (She got from awefull parents to foster homes and then to treatment) She got in the right environment on time for earlier "programming" to be corrected.
Hi dr syl
After seeing this footage/interview almost 10 years later.....
I kinda dislike the way the questioning went.
We can't see the interviewer but it seems like he was disapproving enough to make her not talk as openly and make things up.
Maybe she had trouble with that story before and already understood what she did was not good (even though she did not know why yet) and would have answered dishonest anyways🤷🏻♂️
I'm glad the therapy worked out for her though.
Germany, Hamburg
Bedwetting at a later age can also be a physical thing!
Yes. My mom had this issue and she was nothing like a psychopath, she was the most compassionate, empathic person I've ever known. But she also would sleep walk /talk, and even once woke in middle of surgery but couldn't feel or move but could hear, and I think those things can be somehow related like the thing that makes us not move in our sleep doesn't function well in certain people. Can also just be developmentally delayed (my mom was a literal genius though with no learning or developmental disabilities so again hers was different), and yeah physical issues alone can definitely cause bed wetting issues. So can other conditions so it's pretty agenda having how people want to associate it with this one thing lately.
This is from the documentary "Child of Rage".
That footage is obviously old.. so any update on how that girl turned to be as an adult now .😮