Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabbit
It is dangerous to look to the parents for an explanation of their offspring's mental illness. Freud tried it a lot, but there are no truly conclusive studies on the subject. Yes, you can make anything worse, or better, through parenting, but to create a sociopath from a mind that is otherwise healthy would take extreme abuse.
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I should have used the word influenced instead of created. I do not think that we are merely victims of our childhoods nor do I think that a sociopath can't come out of a 'normal' household.
Some studies do show that emotional abuse can dampen a person's ability to feel empathy. I don't know if this is a shot term effect that disappears once the victim escapes the abuse.
I have read that some of Freud's patients might have been sexual abuse victims but his own personal mindset wouldn't accept that sexual abuse occurred in 'regular' families. I don't know if this is true or not.
I know some people have pointed out that a narcissistic mother can damage her children, but what about a narcissistic father? Isn't he damaging also.