New book about Cluster B pds discusses bad wiring, genetics, and environment

[Guest guest]

I just heard a radio interview of author Barbara Oakley about her book

" Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed, and My Sister

Stole My Mother's Boyfriend "

Its gotten some good reviews, and hearing Oakley talk about her book

made me want to get it. Its about personality disorders, most

specifically the Cluster B's: borderlines, narcissists and sociopaths,

and how it happens that some people develop pds.

Her research and other studies seem to point towards a combination of

genetic and environmental components, similar to the way polio cases

happen. As it turns out, you have to have a certain genetic sequence

in order to catch polio: if you are born without those specific

genetic receptors, you can be exposed to the polio virus and never get

it. But if you are born with those genetic receptors, and if you are

exposed to the polio virus, you will get it.

She says that in the case of personality disorders its much more

complicated: there are hundreds of gene sets responsible for

personality, and her theory is that you have to be born with certain

sets of personality genes *and* undergo the right (or wrong) kind of

environment for the first few years of life (such as neglect or

mistreatment by a parent/caregiver) in order for a personality

disorder to develop.

Her research goes on to say that the " evil pds' " key components are

lack of empathy, the need to dominate and control, and usually,

remorselessness, which is most strongly evidenced in

psychopathic/sociopathic/anti-social personality disorder. (What

amazes and confuses me is that I've read that the *same* behaviors

tend to be diagnosed as " sociopathic pd " in men, but " borderline pd "

in women!)

What fascinates me is that the most current research is " hard

science " ; the author herself holds a doctorate in systems engineering,

does research on the effects of electromagnetic fields on biological

tissues, and is an associate professor of engineering at Oakland

University in Michigan. She writes that computers that do 3-D live

brain scans are now able to pinpoint the areas of the brain that

respond differently in people with pds compared to people without pds.

Studies done on young people who have demonstrated and been

repeatedly reprimanded for bullying fellow students indicate that

their " pleasure centers " light up when they view (staged) images and

film of people being hurt, whereas non-bullying test subjects " pain

centers " light up. (Which is along the same lines of other research

I've read about, that shows that pd individuals' brains do not light

up/register that the pd individual is *receiving* goods from their

study-partner; the pds' brains only lit up when they were *giving*

goods to their partner: *they do not perceive interaction, that they

are being given to, at all!*)

During the radio interview, the author made a point of saying that if

you have a family member who has a personality disorder of the Cluster

B variety, that your best way to deal with it is to keep them at arm's

length, to emotionally detach from them, and set firm boundaries and

limits to how and when they may interact with you. (We could have

told her that!)

So, if I get this book I'll read it thoroughly and will be able to

make a more detailed report!

-Annie