General Empathy?

[twopenny]

Another thought - and bear in mind I have no psych training, only first hand experience, so this may only apply to my own situation (everybody's different) - isn't it one of the major symptoms of PTSD (combat or otherwise) that the mind shuts down and blocks out the parts of the brain that are being overloaded, in order to protect itself as a whole.

In which case, if it senses that empathy in any situation is too much, it may just shut down the centre that deals with it, making empathy impossible (either short or long term).

That's not a sociopath / psychopath.


That said, based on reading I've done, it's probably worth remembering that there is an overlap with PTSD between neurosis and psychosis, because the one refers to extreme forms of things like anxiety, and the other to anything that changes your perception of reality.
So maybe the fact that people with PTSD show signs of being psychopathic or sociopathic (psychotic conditions), is entirely understandable, but not the whole story.

 

[mamachick]

I also think we all have our uniqueness with ptsd. If you compared it with cancers, there are all types, stages, locations, etc. Before ptsd, I was a very empathetic person. That does not change, but after being the victim because of being easily manipulated, I have had to be more protective and may viewed as less empathetic. I am less judgmental of others, which is not necessarily good. I relate more how others can have problems that may seem self created and have a tendency to overlook that. Empathy has gotten me into more trouble than not. So I do have to say that I am to the point of being on the turning point of having less empathy. It has cost me greatly.

 

[JustBe]

I agree. I have retreated into myself over the years. :bag:

 

[Toria]

I can only comment on how Husband's character has changed over the years and empathy / sympathy seemed to be one of the first character traits to disappear. Not for everyone - but for some - and for others his empathy / sympathy went in to overdrive.

For example: if we watch the news and there are children suffering through war it goes in to hyper-drive as that is something he had to deal with in the Army. Dead children are even worse and can result in days of withdrawal.

If we watch the news and someone's house is flooded (just an example) he would turn round flat and say "should have had insurance". He wont know anything about them, their circumstances or anything - he just writes them off.

I can't draw conclusions as I'm not expert but I would imagine there's a good deep reason behind it. I always thought it would be something along the lines of: the things he'd seen, done, heard etc etc are 100 times worse than the average person in this world will see / do / hear etc etc so why should he bother.

That's just my possible take on it x

 

[Life_in_the_Mist]

Psychopathy and sociopathy are not psychotic conditions, although one may be a psychopath or sociopath and also be psychotic. Psychopathy is not a term used in the DSM; sociopathy is basically a personality disorder. If you think about it, every mental illness alters your sense of reality; that isn't always psychosis. :: Steps off soapbox::

 

[JustBe]

http://www.livescience.com/38800-abused-puppies-sympathy-adult-victims.html?cmpid=51462710711454

Interesting