Dependent Personality Disorder Essay -- essays research papers

A Psychological Aspect of Susan Smith Dependent Personality DisorderOn October 25, 1994, Susan Smith drowned her two sons, Michael and Alex, in the John D. Long Lake in Union County, South Carolina. For nine days she lied about knowing where the boys were. On November 3, she confessed to the killings and would soon go to trial. Susans defense team hired a psychiatrist to conduct a psychiatric evaluation of her. She was diagnosed as having dependent character put out. He described her as a person who feels she cant do anything on her own. She constantly needs affection and becomes terrified that shell be left alone She was unaccompanied depressed when she was alone. The psychiatrist studied her family history and concluded that based on her family history and his interviews with her, Susan had a tendency toward depression that began in her childhood. Susans attorney argued that his node was psychologically destabilized by a lifetime of betrayal. A father who killed himself when s he was just six, a stepfather who sexually molested her as a child, a husband who cheated on her and a boyfriend who toyed with her affections (Pergament).Her boyfriend testified that the pleasure she got from sex was not physical pleasure, it was just in being close and being loved. The psychiatrist testified that Susan had sex with quaternary different men during the six-week period leading up to the murders and she had begun to drink heavily during this time (Pergament). Alcoholism is a component of dependent personality disorder. After scarcely four days of testimony, the defense rested its case. Susan was charged with two counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole in 30 twelvemonths, the year 2025.Dependent personality disorder is an inability to function without significant reliance on a forceful or dominant person providing direction. Individuals diagnosed with dependent personality disorder are usually quiet, and needy for attention, valuati on, and social contact. Lack of self-confidence and relying on others are typical. Threatened with solitude or separation, a dependent disorder person may panicwith feelings of profound helplessness (Gillihan). The person may be convinced that he/she is incapable... ...ost effective in treatment (Gillihan). In conclusion, The content Mental health standstill suggests thatThere are many types of help available for different personality disorders. Treatment may include individual, group, or family psychotherapy. Medications official by the patients physician may also be helpful in relieving some of the symptoms of personality disorders including problems with anxiety and depression.ReferencesAmerican Psychiatric Association (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV. (4th ed.). Washington, DC AuthorBornstein, Robert F. (1993). The Dependent Personality. New York Guilford PressGillihan, Lori. (n.d). Dependent Personality Disorder. Retrieved March 1, 2002, from http//cstl-coe.semo.eduNational Mental Health Association. (n.d.). Personality Disorders. Retrieved from http//www.nmha.orgPergament, Rachel. (n.d.). Susan Smith Child Murderer or Victim? Retrieved March 1, 2002 from http//www.crimelibrary.comRey, Joseph M. (1996) Antecedents of Personality Disorders in Young Adults. Psychiatric Times, 13 (2). Retrieved March 1, 2002, from http//www.mhsource.com