False Confessions

The JonBenet Ramsey murder case has not been solved after all and the "confessed killer," John Mark Karr, didn't do it. Now there's DNA that doesn't match his and the Colorado prosecutor has decided to drop all charges. I'm sure a lot of you are wondering who confesses to something they didn't do and what would be the reason.

As I thought about it, an unusual psychiatric disorder, Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy (MSP), came to mind.

False confessions and this syndrome share a lot in common. MSP patients are, generally, mothers of small children who make the children sick on purpose, and then rush them to a variety of doctors and ERs for treatment. This can go on for years and, in some cases, the children die from the things the mothers have done to them. The mothers in the meantime are seen as tantamount to living saints as they endure the endless medical treatments their child must face and sit devotedly by their side during many of these treatments. The staff is in awe of these women and, in some instances, permits them to provide some of the treatment.

The central focus in both cases is the thrill of all that publicity and the attention that will be paid to them. Craving attention and believing that they should be "rewarded" in this way for all that has been denied them causes these individuals to do whatever it takes to get their names into the media. Some of them have a psychiatric illness in addition to this syndrome, others have a personality disorder and some may really believe they did commit a crime. The latter happens in cases of individuals with psychotic illnesses where just reading about a crime can begin to seem so familiar that they're easily convinced they did it.

Generally, adults give false confessions. children are usually confused or scared into them and it's easy to do that because not everyone knows how to properly interview a child involved as either a victim or the perpetrator of a crime. I've witnessed interviews of children by inexperienced and poorly trained professionals and it's shocking how they lead the children, confuse them or provide information that later the child can't tell fact from fiction.

I wouldn't attempt to offer an opinion on Mr. Karr or what might be involved in his case because I am not involved in his care and have had contact with him or anyone involved in his case. The one thing we do know is that he will be going to California in response to an outstanding warrant related to the possession of child pornography.

Related Topics: Lying Makes the Brain Work More, A New Age of Celebrity Worship

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The Scents That Soothe

The publicity that has been given to aromatherapy over the past decade or so, it seems, is on target and scents do help.

I don't know if it should be called "therapy" or not, but I suppose we can use that word because it does mean an attempt to alleviate or relieve something. What do these wonderful scents soothe and are there specific ones you should use? I don't think the question is which but how do they work? The researchers offered no specifics on that.

The information that's come out points to the ability of essential oils to improve the immune system to fight illness. We know that the immune system is tied to our levels of stress and anxiety. One group that seemed to benefit from the use of aromatherapy was cancer patients.

What do the oils do? The scientists at one of the nation's biggest cancer centers found it provided relaxation, energized patients, aided memory and decreased anxiety. So, next time you think about getting a little lift, you might consider room scents, bath oils, or even a carpet cleaner with a scent in it.

Go ahead, the docs tell us it's really opened their eyes to how a simple self-help technique can work wonders.

Related Topics:
Understanding Aromatherapy (WebMD Video), Mood Buster Game: Find Balance & Fight Stress

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Protecting Our Kids

By now, everyone is aware that pedophiles are active all over the world and that computers, inexpensive software, the internet and accommodating governments make it possible to spread their wares and snatch up new victims.

In New Jersey, a contractor has been indicted on hundreds of counts of molesting a large number of children and of not only downloading child pornography, but of making and distributing it. Parents everywhere must be wondering how this could happen and, indeed, when I read about it, I asked myself this same question.

We live in an age where it is difficult not to feel anxious when our kids leave their home to go to school, play activities or even remain in the home when workers come in. If we were anxious before, this hasn't helped matters any.

I have a suggestion for a beginning we might all think about. The idea came to me when I was looking for items to add my website's self-help page and I was searching for information on registries of child molesters and for ways to protect kids.

What would be the problem with a national database for anyone who works with kids? I was initially thinking only of those individuals who work in the area of sports activities such as coaches. Canada has such a database, I believe, but it applies only to coaches for ice skaters.

Pedophiles are very nice people. You'd gladly let them into your home, send your kids off to soccer with them or wave good-bye as they hopped into a van for a sleepover in the woods. I've never met a pedophile who wasn't neat, clean, polite and, seemingly, the type of person you could trust anywhere and with anyone. These are their most potent tools. The problem is that when they are caught and prosecuted in one area, they move to another feeding area and begin their crimes anew.

A national voluntary database of coaches (to begin with) would be a beginning to help with some of this anxiety. I know that some people will say this won't solve the problem and I agree, it won't, but it's a start.

Related Topics: Protecting Your Child From Sex Abuse, Child Sex Abuse Affects Both Genders Long Term

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The JonBenet Case and Cruel Stress

Many years ago, the attorney Roy Cohn (who would have his own share of stress) once said that he didn't care if an indictment stuck or not. The thing that mattered was that it made Page One in the newspapers. It's true; once the charge is made, whether based in concrete evidence or supposition, it lives as though it were nothing but the truth. Retractions are usually relegated to the back pages of newspapers.

Now, there is a new suspect in the Christmas day murder of JonBenet Ramsey, the kiddie beauty queen who was killed in her home a decade ago. Who was the prime suspect in the case originally? JonBenet's mother, Patsy, who recently died after a battle with cancer. How much did the stress contribute to her death?

I've said it before, and so do many others in the healthcare community, stress kills because it depletes the body's ability to fight disease. Cancer, if it is one or a series of viruses as is suspected, takes advantage of weakened immune systems and being accused of the horrendous murder of your child would certain attack your immune system. Think what Patsy Ramsey went through and of all the unsavory allegations not only of murder, but worse.

We can only imagine how stressful every day of Patsy Ramsey's life was before she died and how this affected her husband and young son -- all of whom would come under the cloud of suspicion in this case.

What are your thoughts?

Related Topics: Stress Management: The Effects of Stress, Stress in the Workplace, JonBenet Ramsey: Are There Lessons To Be Learned From Her Tragic Story?

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Anxiety and Children

A child's life, or so we adults seem to think, is free of all the cares of adults and filled with only those frivolous things like parties and play dates and just fun, fun, fun. If life is so filled with fun, then how come so many kids get those awful morning stomachaches or don't want to go to bed at night or act so moody that we wonder who they are? Could it be that it's not all fun?

Consider what many kids have to contend with in their lives. They not only have to go to school, they have to maintain their grades, do their homework, be involved in organized after-school activities and look forward to weekend "academies" for additional drills on math and reading as well as summer camps for college prep courses. Oh, how much fun could one kid want?

How would you feel if your every waking hour, or so it seems, were filled with nothing but organized and demanding activities? When I was a kid, I could go outside and explore the moss that grew on the side of trees or hunt for wild orchids in the woods. Summer was time off from school and I dreaded that awful "Back to school!" signs the merchants plastered all over their windows. I didn't want to go back to school. I wanted to play and swim and catch crabs at the dock and just enjoy life. Unrealistic, I know, but I wasn't giving a thought to growing up.

I've heard mothers complain that they are just chauffeurs for their kids, shuttling them from one activity to the next and always worrying that they might not get into the "right" college. Just what is the "right" college and is that "right" for the kids. We're hearing from professionals who indicate that "a little stress" is good for a child because it pushes them to finish projects and work harder. Who measures how "little" a "little stress" and how does a parent know when it's too much.

Agreed that children aren't the ones to make long-term career goals for themselves and it's a good idea to get a good education, but weigh the risks here, please. Over-scheduling a child and leaving them no time for the wonder of imagination can mean leaving them vulnerable to school-related anxieties, phobias and depression.

Remember that everyone needs some downtime.

Related Topics: Chronic Stress May Boost Anxiety, Parenting in 'MySpace' Era Challenging


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Forgetfulness and Anxiety

A recent news broadcast brought to mind something that is of interest to all of us; when is it Alzheimer's and when is it anxiety-evoked forgetfulness? The speaker was attempting to respond to questions from the audience, an audience of people well-known to him. He couldn't remember one person's name and asked for the fellow to say his name. The man did and the speaker said, "Yeah, I knew that. I just wanted to know if you knew that."

Sounded very much like a patient I saw. She had Alzheimer's and when I asked her name she turned to me and said, "See that man sitting in the hall? Well, my name is the same as his." It was her husband. The difference between Alzheimer's and anxiety-related forgetting is both interesting and of great concern to me and other clinicians.

My work with patients with Alzheimer's Disease made me more aware of the concerns and the ability to try to cover up memory problems. We know that anxiety leads to a decreased ability to concentrate and, therefore, problems in memory. It's a natural part of life, but as we approach our sixth decade of life, our concerns, and those of our family and friends, may tend more to see memory lapses as signs of impending dementia. Don't be predisposed to that kind of thinking.

Anyone can have lapses in memory and it can happen at any time. Have you ever found yourself walking down the street where you were stopped by someone who greeted you and you couldn't remember their name? It happened to me just the other day as I walked up to an attorney I've known for many years. He and his wife were about to enter a theatre for a performance and I walked up and greeted both of them. He smiled, but I knew he couldn't remember my name and, for a moment, I had forgotten his wife's name. Neither of us let on what was happening and as we chatted, he remembered who I was and I remembered his wife's name.

Medications can also cause problems in memory, so don't be quick to offer up a diagnosis of "old timer's disease," as one of my patients called it. Give yourself time, think of cues that might help you recall what you need and understand that it's normal not to remember everyone and everything.

Related Topics: Is Your Memory Normal?, Apple Juice May Boost Memory

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Etiquette and Social Anxiety

There aren't classes in etiquette anymore, unless you are attending one of the super high-priced "finishing" schools dedicated to the rich and the nouveau riche. No longer do children learn the rules of social behavior or proper dress as they once did. Now, they learn, as we psychologists say, vicariously, meaning they learn by watching. Much of the watching may be of adults in their life or on TV or in films or even video games. So, the potential for learning is rich, but the downside is that they can also learn to be afraid and develop anxiety disorders.

When you were a child, what was one of the first things you learned to do with regard to significant others in your life? For instance, your mother and how she reacted to what you were doing? Wasn't there some signal that you looked for before you continued? I'll bet it was her expression and that's one of the ways anxiety reinforces our behavior.

I watched a little boy put his hand in a decorative planter that had lots of small, white pebbles in the pot. He reached out, scooped up a handful of the pebbles and flung them across the room. In almost the same instant, he turned around to look up at his mother's face. Was she finding it funny or would there be consequences he wouldn't like? The look told everything and, since he didn't see anger, he proceeded to do it again and then he was told to stop. Of course, now he didn't want to stop and the struggle began.

Some adults are now being seen as either super-sensitive to facial cues or just plain super sensitive. At least that's what a study by an Indiana professor found. He said that "highly anxious people tended to judge the change in facial expressions faster than less-anxious people." Okay, doc, but how did they get that way? We know that some people seem more sensitive to facial cues than others. I contend that it's how we've been raised and, sometimes, our training has been overly intense in this respect.

I wonder what he would conclude if he were confronted by a different culture where looking at someone's face is seen as impolite.

Related Topics: WebMD Video: Too Scared: A Tale of Social Anxiety, Best Ways to Ease Anxiety Disorders

Technorati Tags: social anxiety disorder, SAD

Alcoholism and Mel Gibson

Sometimes, I wonder where certain expressions originate and one of them is "demon rum." I suppose it's because of all the pain and the personal and collective harm that has been perpetrated while someone was under the influence of alcohol. This drug, which is served to celebrate births, marriages, engagements, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and so many other happy events has brought so much heartache when used to excess.

One of my professors once said, "The super ego is dissolvable in alcohol." The super ego, of course, is our control center which adheres to the rule of family and culture and helps us toe the line. When bathed in alcohol, the brain loses this control and, in response to this poisonous level of any alcoholic beverage, the demon runs loose.

Mel Gibson has a problem with alcohol abuse and, by his own admission, it has gone on for much of his adult life. It has caused him and his family difficulty, but recently, it unleashed the worst demon of all, verbalized hatred and bigotry aimed at those of the Jewish faith. The fact that we are in a time of spreading warfare in the Middle East and violence against Jewish places of worship and individuals here in the United States makes his remarks all the more incendiary.

Mr. Gibson is now apologizing for his remarks and wants to meet with members of the Jewish community to rebuild bridges. His first task, however, must be to build a bridge for himself that allows him to avoid the abyss of alcoholism and this he must know will be a daunting task.

What do we know of alcoholism? Many alcoholics suffer from depression, anxiety and insecurity. Alcohol is a mild anxiolytic, but when used excessively, it promotes depression, insomnia and poor physical health in addition, in chronic cases, to certain types of dementia, seizure and a most unpleasant death.

We all wish him well in his recovery and remain thankful that no car or pedestrian crossed his path that night on those winding Malibu roads he took at 85 mph while legally drunk. He has been given another chance.

Related Topics: Americans Drinking Alcohol More Often, Anxiety Linked with Alcoholism Relapse

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