Child Stress Disorders Checklist Screening: Fill & Download for Free

The history of autism & Asperger syndrome1798 — French physician Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard described Victor of Aveyron, a young boy who was found after being isolated in the woods for 11 years, as being socially withdrawn in addition to having language and intellectual disabilities. He recognized Victor as being developmentally different from other children his age. Itard’s description of Victor’s tendencies would later be formally characterized as autistic (Itard, 1932).[1]1887 — British physician John Langdon Down, the first to describe Down’s syndrome, researched mental retardation. His description of developmental retardation describes individuals who would be classified as having autism today.[2]1908 — Swiss psychiatrist and eugenicist Eugen Bleuler coins the term autism to describe a subset of schizophrenic patients who were especially withdrawn and self-absorbed.[3]1925 — Soviet child psychiatrist Grunya Sukhareva was the first to publish a detailed description of autistic symptoms in Russian in 1925 and in German a year later. She initially used the term schizoid psychopathy (meaning of the time: eccentric psychopathology) but later replaced it with autistic psychopathy (pathological avoidant psychopathy) to describe the clinical picture of autism.[4]1927 — French psychiatrist Eugène Minkowski, a student of Bleuler, further defined autism as the “trouble generator” of schizophrenia.[5]1943 — American child psychiatrist Leo Kanner studied 11 children with difficulties in social interactions, difficulty in adapting to changes in routines, good memory, sensitivity to stimuli (especially sound), resistance and allergies to food, good intellectual potential, difficulties in spontaneous activity, echolalia (the propensity to repeat words of the speaker).[6]1944 — Austrian pediatrician, medical theorist, and medical professor Hans Asperger describes a “milder” form of autism now known as Asperger syndrome. The cases he reported were all boys who were highly intelligent but had trouble with social interactions and specific obsessive interests.[7]1949 — American child psychiatrist Leo Kanner observed a small sampling of children from well-educated families. Due to the limited sample size and selectiveness of the population used, Kanner made the erroneous statement that children with autism were more likely to be born into highly intellectual families. During this study, he began calling the mothering style as “cold”, and thus these mothers were later referred to as refrigerator mothers.[8]1950s — Austrian psychoanalyst Bruno Bettleheim claimed that autism was an emotional disorder that developed in some children due to psychological harm brought upon them by their mothers. Bettleheim wrote multiple books and appeared in magazines as well as prime time television discussing the theory.[9] The theory was wrong however, and after his suicide in 1990 it became apparent that he had no psychoanalytics credentials.[10]1952 — The first Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) categorized autism as a childhood subtype of schizophrenia (American Psychiatric Association, 1952) though autism was eventually separated from schizophrenia.[11]1964 — American research psychologist, writer, and lecturer Bernard Rimland, who was a father of a son with high-functioning autism, presented the first solid argument that autism is a biological condition, and has nothing to do with the parent–child relationship. He founded the Autism Society of America for parents to have a voice against the Refrigerator Mother Theory.[12]Results of a pubmed search for articles containing the word “Asperger” in the title, published between 1976 and November 2015. (Image source: A Concise History of Asperger Syndrome: The Short Reign of a Troublesome Diagnosis)1977 — Research on twins finds that autism is largely caused by genetics and biological differences in brain development.[13]1980 — Infantile autism is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) for the first time[14]; the condition is also officially separated from childhood schizophrenia.1980s — The work of Hans Asperger was translated to English and published internationally, meaning his work now came to prominence, and Asperger syndrome was starting to become known.1987 — The DSM replaces infantile autism with a more expansive definition of autism disorder, and includes a checklist of diagnostic criteria. Norwegian-American clinical psychologist and professor Ole Ivar Lovaas publishes the first study showing how intensive behavior therapy can help children with autism.[15]1994 — Asperger syndrome and PDD-NOS are added to the DSM, thus expanding the spectrum of autism conditions with high-functioning variants.[16]1998 — A study published in The Lancet suggests that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism, although these findings were quickly debunked, and no causal link has been found.[17]2000 — Vaccine manufacturers remove thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative) from all routine childhood vaccines, due to public fears of its alleged cause of autism.2008–present — ASD is found to be caused by the interaction of genes and environmental factors, as genes statistically associated with autism are emphasized to be important in inflammation and in innate immune pathways, including pathways for susceptibility to asthma. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) is thought to have an increased risk for autism.[18][19][20][21]Image credit: Vitamin D Wiki2009 — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 1 in 68 children have autism spectrum disorders[22], up from 1 in 150 in 2002. The CDC notes that the increase stems at least in part from improved screening and diagnostic techniques.2013 — The DSM-5 generalizes all autism conditions to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As such, Asperger syndrome is no longer considered a separate condition.[23]And below is (part of) the history of autism as described above, in images.Image source: NerdGraphFor more information on (high-functioning) ASD, have a look at: Embrace ASDA blog about quantitative- and qualitative research on autism, by Natalie Engelbrecht and Martin Silvertant.Footnotes[1] https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/6ed8/57e5d256422f23815ca2eab358f3b51d22ac.pdf[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677584/[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080676/[4] Sukhareva—Prior to Asperger and Kanner[5] http://www.easewellbeing.co.uk/PDF_Downloads/Urfer-2001-Phenomenology-and-Psychopathology-of-Schizophrenia-the-views-of-Eugene-Minkowski.pdf[6] https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjF6Z6Qs_HVAhVCZVAKHe98DWUQFgg8MAI&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsimonsfoundation.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fshare%2F071207-leo-kanner-autistic-affective-contact.pdf&usg=AFQjCNFiuOyKOnJWyTDerAtlKzethmMrPQ[7] Die „Autistischen Psychopathen” im Kindesalter[8] APA PsycNET Login[9] Infantile Autism and the Birth of the Self: Infantile Autism and the Birth of Self: Amazon.co.uk: Bruno Bettelheim: 9780029031407: Books[10] Genius Or Fraud? Bettelheim's Biographers Can't Seem To Decide[11] DSM I | DSM Library[12] Bernard Rimland, 78, Scientist Who Revised View of Autism, Dies[13] INFANTILE AUTISM: A GENETIC STUDY OF 21 TWIN PAIRS[14] An Evaluation of DSM-III Criteria for Infantile Autism[15] Dr. Ole Ivar Lovaas | Pioneer of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)[16] A Concise History of Asperger Syndrome: The Short Reign of a Troublesome Diagnosis[17] Autism and measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine: no epidemiological evidence for a causal association[18] Acetaminophen (paracetamol) use, measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, and autistic disorder[19] Similarities in features of autism and asthma and a possible link to acetaminophen use[20] Use of acetaminophen (paracetamol) during pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorder in...[21] The role of oxidative stress, inflammation and acetaminophen exposure from birth to early childhood in the induction of autism[22] Facts About ASDs[23] DSM-V: What Changes May Mean

Although getting pregnant is a wonderful experience for most women, it can become daunting with all that time spent at the doctor’s clinic. It suddenly feels like there’s too much information to absorb and too many decisions to take on which tests are necessary without it becoming a financial burden and adding to the stress levels. While the process of having blood withdrawn frequently and having people give unsolicited advice can be stressful, it’s important to remember that some of these tests are absolutely essential and can save the life of the baby and the mother too. We have compiled a list of tests that need to be done before and during every stage of pregnancy.1. Pre-conception tests:The first test, in fact, starts before conception with a carrier genetic screening that is done to detect if the parent might be a carrier for potentially serious genetic disorders. Some of the more common disorders screened for include cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and Tay-Sachs disease, but there are more than 100 others that can be tested for. Thalassemia is particularly common amongst people of Indian origin.Sometimes parents can be carriers without showing symptoms but can pass on the gene for that disorder to their children. Typically, if the mother is not a carrier, the father may not need to be tested but if both parents are carriers, there is a chance that the baby would be affected. As ethnicity often determines the prevalence, genetic testing may focus on different diseases. Usually, the family background and ethnicity are factors taken into consideration and the doctor may call for a genetic test if any abnormality is suspected. The genetic counselor also helps the couple to understand which type of genetic test is relevant to their case and what type of outcome they can expect from the test.The ‘CBC’ is an important test before conception or in early pregnancy. This measures a variety of factors in your blood, such as the number of white and red blood cells that you have. Crucial indicators in your CBC test results are the hemoglobin, hematocrit and platelet count.Hemoglobin is a protein in the blood that delivers oxygen to your cells, and hematocrit is a measure of red blood cells in the body. Anemia results when either of these counts is low and needs to be addressed by the doctor. The platelets help in blood clotting and are critical as they ensure that blood loss during pregnancy does not exceed the normal levels. If your count is unusually low the doctor needs to conduct further tests and resolve the issue.2. Early pregnancy tests in the first trimester:The Rh (or Rhesus) factor test looks for a protein on the surface of the red blood cells. About 85% of the population is Rh positive as it expresses the protein. If however, you lack the protein (Rh negative) and the father has it, complications can occur as the baby can inherit Rh-positive blood from the father. The result for it would be the baby’s blood mixing with the mother’s and the maternal immune system attacking the baby’s blood, causing a condition in the child known as hemolytic anemia. This condition is more of a concern for second pregnancies as an intermingling of blood can occur during the first delivery and the next time a Rh-negative mother gets pregnant with a Rh-positive child, her antibodies will attack the fetus. This can be prevented by a simple vaccination around the 28th week of the pregnancy and again 72 hours after delivery of the first child.Screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), such as HIV/AIDS, syphilis, herpes and hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea and Chlamydia should be done early on as well. This time, the point is crucial to prevent these diseases from being transmitted to the fetus. STDs can cause a range of complications for a baby besides transmission of the disease such as early delivery, eye infections (from gonorrhea and chlamydia), or much more severe consequences such as miscarriage or stillbirth (caused by syphilis). Administration of medication can dramatically reduce the transmission rate of HIV from 25% to 7%. In the case of hepatitis B, if the virus is contracted early in the pregnancy, there is a less than 10 percent chance the disease will be transmitted to the baby. If it is contracted later in the pregnancy, the transmission rate increases to approximately 90 percent. Chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea can be cured with baby-safe antibiotics.3. Testing at 8 weeks:Immunity towards Rubella virus is important to be ascertained during pregnancy as a baby affected by German measles may end up with multiple birth defects, such as sight and hearing abnormalities, as well as congenital heart defects. The test is administered before conception or after 8 weeks of onset of pregnancy. It is advisable to get vaccinated before pregnancy, failing which vaccination for Rubella can be done after the birth of the child.4. Testing at 10-12 weeks:For women over the age of 35, CVS testing is recommended to test for chromosomal abnormalities. The test involves withdrawal of chorionic fluid employing ultrasound using a needle and allows for chromosomal testing 8 weeks before amniocentesis. CVS test is unable to identify neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, which can be detected by amniocentesis. It also carries a higher risk (1%) of miscarriage than amniocentesis.5. Testing at 12th week:Besides checking the developing baby’s heartbeat, a fetal ultrasound test is useful for discovering the gestational age of the baby which helps in planning pre-natal care and predicting a delivery date. It also helps in locating the fetus to ensure that it is properly situated in the uterus and not in the fallopian tubes, which would indicate a dangerous condition known as an ectopic pregnancy. Fetal ultrasounds also help in confirming that the baby is growing correctly and does not have any fetal abnormalities. It also helps expecting parents know if they can expect just one or multiple births.6. Testing at 16 weeks:Amniocentesis is done at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy to allow for detection of chromosomal abnormalities. This is recommended for women over the age of 35 as the chances of chromosomal abnormality increase greatly at that age. The technique uses a needle employing ultrasound to extract amniotic fluid that is then analyzed for genetic defects, particularly neural tube defects that cause birth defects due to abnormal development of the brain, spinal cord, or their coverings. Amniocentesis carries a lower risk of miscarriage than CVS, about 1 in 400.7. Testing at 20 weeks of pregnancy:Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is found in the amniotic fluid, fetal blood, and in the mother’s blood. Neural tube defects are indicated by abnormal levels of AFP that necessitates the need for a more detailed ultrasound analysis of the baby’s spine. Abnormal levels are also indicative of complications later such as stillbirth. This is usually done as part of multiple marker screening. Multiple marker screening comes in two varieties: the triple screen test and the quad screen test. The triple marker screen looks for three substances in the fetal blood or placenta: alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and estriol. The quad screen looks for inhibin A (Inh-A) in addition to the three substances in the triple screen.By combining the test results from these screens along with factors such as the mother’s age, weight, and ethnicity, doctors can evaluate the possibility of developing neural tube defects like anencephaly or Spina Bifida, or even Down’s Syndrome, all prevalent in the Indian population.The tests are about 80 percent accurate in predicting neural tube defects. Since the tests tend to deliver high false-positives, a doctor may recommend further testing such as an amniocentesis. A Sonogram is also helpful to determine if the pregnancy is actually further along than previously thought and might explain the abnormal results.8. Testing at 28 weeks:Glucose test for diabetes is done at around 28 weeks of pregnancy. Gestational diabetes is a temporary condition affecting 2-5% of all pregnant women in which insulin fails to break down enough glucose in the blood. There is an approximately a 30% chance that you have developed the condition if the Glucose Challenge Test (GCT)comes out positive and the doctor would the conduct a glucose tolerance test (GTT). In the event that you develop gestational diabetes, your doctor can help you develop a diet, exercise, and possible insulin-supplementation plan. The condition is usually resolved after the birth of the baby. In addition to this, several other conditions may also be determined by testing the urine sample such as protein in the urine, indicating a kidney infection; bacteria, pointing to a urinary tract infection; and ketones indicating dehydration.9. Testing at 36 weeks:The Group B Streptococcus test is done at 36 weeks to determine whether the mother is a Strep B carrier so that antibiotics may be administered to minimize the risk of an infection to the baby at birth. About 25% of healthy women test positive for Strep B and if the test comes back positive, there is a one in 200 chance that a baby will contract the disease during birth, which could potentially result in serious conditions like sepsis, pneumonia, and meningitis. Intravenous administration of antibiotics during delivery allows the risk to drop to one in 4000. It is particularly recommended for a woman whose water breaks more than 18 hours before delivery, who has a fever during labor, who goes into labor early, or who has a history of giving birth to a child who contracted the disease.10. Testing blood pressure:The doctor monitors blood pressure for a condition called Preeclampsia, indicated by increased blood pressure. Testing of blood and urine is done and the condition is indicated by a low platelet count in blood and by the presence of protein in the urine.Preeclampsia affects 7 percent of all pregnant women, especially first-time mothers and those carrying multiple children. It is a rising of the blood pressure due to the pregnancy and typically happens late term and can have serious health risks for both mother and child, such as a lack of blood flow to the placenta. However, high-blood pressure alone does not confirm preeclampsia and must be verified with protein in the urine, as well.During labor, the heart rate of your baby needs to be monitored as due to contractions, the flow of oxygen to the fetus may be limited resulting in change in baby’s heart rate during birth. Any changes outside of normal range (approximately 110 to 160 beats per minute) would mean that the baby is not getting enough oxygen necessitating the need for corrective steps.In conclusion, while the array of tests on offer during pregnancy might be bewildering, it’s important to be informed of the health of the baby and also monitoring one’s one health. It’s certainly necessary to feel reassured and be one step ahead of a potential health problem. The tests outlined above serve to provide a complete checklist for an expectant Indian woman but it’s always a good idea to speak to your gynecologist who would take your family history and ethnicity into account before recommending specific tests that you may otherwise overlook.Source

This is a complex question, and really it comes down to the circumstances in which these things are created in.In psychopathy, it is genetic. The brain is a variant structure, and due to that we lack some emotions and the rest are muted. No matter what, a psychopath will be psychopath, the environment can shape how that manifests however. We will get into that when we get to ASPD though.In psychopathy the structure of the brain limits some emotions from ever being present. Those would be;Bonding—Any bonding. To a friend, a husband or wife, to children, to pets, etc. We have our own version of love, and it involves no emotional connection of any kind.Depression—Not even a little; we don’t feel it.Anxiety—The same as depression.Suicidal ideations—Psychopaths don’t kill themselves.Fear—We can feel adrenaline, but not fear. A lot of people like to think that we can; I invite them to live in our heads so they can see how wrong they are.Chemical love—Right back to bonding. That high most people chase—the “Woo hoo, I’m in love intoxication”—we don’t get that. Our love is very intentional. It is a conscious act. This means when we want to be around a person, we actually want to be around them. It also means that we don’t get frustrated that our feelings changed, meaning we aren’t on the chemical high any more and resent our partner for it.Sadness—Nope.Self-doubt—Failure is never a problem. It doesn’t bother us, we don’t fear it, and we never dwell on it; it simply isn’t there. We either accomplish something or we don’t. If we don’t, we go about it a different way. If it’s unobtainable, we move on.Low self-esteem—I still can’t figure out the evolutionary reason for this one. We don’t think we’re amazing by default. Sure, some psychopaths do and have high narcissism traits, but as this is simply a trait of personality that everyone has on some level, some psychopaths, just like some neurotypicals, have it quite high. Narcissism as a trait is very different than diagnosable narcissistic personality disorder. This is something else we cannot have. Goes against the wiring. For the last time, there is no such thing as a psychopath with NPD. Every time I read that, it tells me that the person writing knows nothing about either condition.Empathy—We have cognitive empathy, not emotional empathy. We have never had it. We didn’t feel it when we were young and lost it; it’s not hidden under the bed. We don’t have it.Remorse—Yup, we don’t feel bad when we do things that hurt people. The reverse of this is that we don’t care about the many small trespasses that happen all the time that most people lose their minds over. We just aren’t bothered by pretty much anything on a normal realm. There are certainly things that will, but they are pretty specific and normally have to do with a violation of trust or loyalty. Remorse is not something we understand. We can cognitively see why something upset a person and can make apologies based on that, but it is because we can logically work it out, not because we feel any way about it.Stress—Nope. Not even a little. We are incredibly adaptable. We just flow from one thing to the next. Circumstances changing doesn’t trip us up; we will adjust.Add to this trust, as that is part of the oxytocin cocktail and we cannot feel it at all, and that’s a pretty good picture of what we lack. No, psychopathy itself has certain traits as well due to the brain structure being different. You can read about the brain structure and genetics here;The most recent information about the genetics and brain structure of psychopathyif you like. The traits that are present in psychopathy that makes it unique other than the missing emotions are;RuthlessnessFearlessnessImpulsivitySelf-ConfidenceFocusCoolness under pressureMental toughnessCharmCharismaEmpathy-lowConscience-lowThat’s pretty well psychopathy in a nutshell. There is some variation on this if the psychopath is raised in a poor environment. That will create antisocial traits. If you want to know how that specifically affects psychopaths, you can read here;Athena Walker's answer to What happens when a psychopath is abused growing up?Otherwise, let’s move on to ASPD.ASPD is one of those things. I am currently looking at as a trait collection that, instead of being representative of a condition on its own, is more the manifestation of antisocial traits that can be present in a number of conditions.For instance, a person that is psychopathic can have antisocial traits that manifest due to epigenetic switches that are thrown during rearing. Their motivation for behaving in the way that they do is motivated by psychopathic reasoning. However, if a person with histrionic personality disorder manifests antisocial traits, they would be similar in behavior but have different motivating factors. This was beautifully illustrated by fellow Quoran, Robert Porter. He states in his answer to the questionRobert Porter's answer to What is the most misunderstood thing about psychopaths?The traits of ASPD are as follows;Parasitic lifestylePoor behavioral controlsPromiscuous sexual behaviorEarly behavior problemsLack of realistic long-term goalsImpulsivityIrresponsibilityFailure to accept responsibility for own actionsMany short term marital relationshipsJuvenile delinquencyRevocation of conditional releaseCriminal versatilityComparing the two lists, the list of psychopathy traits, and the ASPD traits, you can see there is a fundamental difference. The first list deals with intrapersonal traits—in other words, how the mind works and how the person views the world from the outside in. The second one is a list of behaviors, not about how a mind works. You can view the world with the first list, but nothing on it determines that there will be any behavior from the second list displayed by that person.That doesn’t mean that it’s impossible, but there is no correlation between the two. On the other hand, the second list of behaviors wouldn’t be limited to one type of person; it is instead a list that would suit any criminal. Also, you may note that none of the lists has to do with things like anxiety, which is interesting in and of itself. A person that has antisocial traits may experience anxiety, but a psychopath cannot. It is one of many fundamental differences between the diagnoses.I think another aspect that needs to be addressed is cause of different aspects. They differ based on the condition. Think of empathy, or a lack thereof, as an example.It’s interesting. Many things can lack empathy, but that is just the manifestation of that thing. It is the motivation behind it that is really what should be looked at.In psychopathy, it is lack of the brain structure.In sociopathy, it was a response to protect the person from pain and suffering.In narcissism, it is to be able to service the ego needs and protect them from seeing themselves in a negative light.So ASPD is a collection of traits that you can see attached to anyone, including neurotypical people. In fact, only fifteen percent of the prison population would ever qualify as psychopathic (a stat that I think is unreasonably high due to the use of the PCL-R) and fifty to eighty percent qualify for a diagnosis of ASPD. That is because this is simply environmentally caused bad behavior. It is not specifically attached to any one type of person.Now for sociopathy. This is a diagnosis that basically gets the shaft in recognition, but it shouldn’t. It has it’s own special qualities that makes it unique and different. Starting with the formation of sociopathy;The current understanding of sociopathy is that it is created when the person is a young child, usually before the age of six. Isolation alone is not enough, to my knowledge. It would need to be severe neglect. Sociopathy is normally something that comes from the treatment a child receives at the hands of their primary caregivers.The reason I believe this occurs is that they shut off emotions that are causing them pain—i.e. trust, love, and empathy. When they do so and choose to ignore those things, the neurons are not fed during the development of the child’s brain. This explosion of growth and pruning of these neurons takes place in these early years. This is the template of sociopathy.The creation of sociopathy also has it’s own set of emotional abilities, and lack thereof.As sociopaths have the neural map of a neurotypical person in an fMRI machine, they are not lacking in, nor do they have differences in the brain that are apparent as psychopaths do, they have the grey matter necessary to experience what empathy is. Here is the massive difference from neurotypical responses, from sociopathic ones.When the sociopathy is formed, the person experiencing whatever the causative agent is tends to shut off their access to the emotions like affection, desire for attention, empathy, anything that would make them outwardly dependent and turn insularly. While the pathways are still there, they are no longer used.Think of it this way. If you have a child that you never speak to, the neurons of the brain responsible for language get pruned away. The less experience with it, the more stunted the ability to learn language becomes. Often this is irreversible. The child will have difficulty with communication for the rest of their life assuming that their lack of exposure to language was chronic and ongoing.Apply this lesson to sociopathy and what they are cutting themselves off from. The neurons that are responsible for bonding, empathy, affection, love, are pruned away. They have the pathways, but instead of a eight lane highway, they now have a two way, single lane, mountain pass. It’s treacherous and unpredictable. You have no idea what is going to successfully traverse this pass, and what is going over the edge, never to be seen again.The ability for empathy is there. The communication of it however is not like a neurotypical person. It’s difficult to navigate and get through from origin to manifestation. Also, it doesn’t necessarily trigger for a person. It is just as likely, if not more so in some cases, for it to trigger for a character in a book over a live person. The character in the book, or perhaps a movie, has no actual impact on the sociopath’s life. They cannot cause them harm in any way. There is a safety to that person being locked away on paper, or behind a glass screen. They can allow themselves to experience that person’s life more fully and without reservation because it’s separate.While they look fully capable on brain scans, and in some instances in their life, it would be a mistake to assume that this means that empathy is an emotion that is at their fingertips that they are ignoring. There is a much larger picture at work.As for NPD, this is one that I have the least education in, and find that there are far better writers on the subject than I. However, narcissistic personality disorder id also rooted in abuse, but likely has a genetic background as well. Their emotional map is also quite different than the other two. I am going to point you to two answers by Elinor Greenberg to paint that picture.Elinor Greenberg's answer to How does narcissistic personality disorder develop psychologically from childhood?There are three common childhood scenarios that I hear about frequently from my Narcissistic clients:Scenario 1—Parental ValuesIn this situation the child is raised in a family that is very competitive and only rewards high achievement. The family motto was: if you can’t be the best, why bother?Love was conditional: When you came in first in the race, won the science fair, or starred in the school show, you were showered with praise and attention. When you didn’t, you were a disappointment.Children in these families do not feel stably loved. It is hard for them to enjoy anything for its own sake, if it does not confer status. They only feel secure and worthwhile when they are successful and recognized as the “best.” This sets in motion a lifelong pattern of chasing success and confusing it with happiness.Scenario 2—Devaluing Narcissistic ParentIn this scenario there is a very domineering and devaluing parent who is always putting down the child. The parent is generally irritable, easily angered, and has unrealistically high expectations.If there are two or more children, the parent will praise one and devalue the others. The “good one” can quickly become the “bad one” and suddenly a different sibling is elevated. Nobody in the family feels secure and everyone spends their time trying to pacify the explosive Narcissistic parent.The other parent is often treated exactly like the children and belittled as well. When he or she disagrees with the Narcissistic parent, they too are devalued.Children who grow up in these households feel humiliated and inadequate. In later life, they often try to prove to themselves, the world, and the devaluing parent that they are special and their parent was wrong. Proving they are special becomes a lifelong mission, while underneath there is always a harsh inner voice criticizing their every mistake—no matter how minor.Scenario 3—”The Golden Child”These parents are usually closet Narcissists who are uncomfortable in the spotlight. Instead, they brag about their extremely talented child. Often the child is talented and deserves praise, but these parents sometimes take it to ridiculous lengths.Occasionally the child becomes embarrassed by the excessive praise and feels burdened by this role. As one such mother told me: “My son is the flagship of the family who will lead us all to greatness.”Punchline: The commonest childhood routes to developing narcissistic personality traits involve a focus on winning at all costs, the continual threat of devaluation, or parents who put you on a pedestal and insist you stay there.A2AElinor Greenberg, PhD, CGPIn private practice in NYC and the author of the book: Borderline, Narcissistic, and Schizoid Adaptations: The Pursuit of Love, Admiration, and Safetywww.elinorgreenberg.comAs well as this one;Do narcissists feel emotional pain?Unless you are a Narcissist yourself, or someone you love is, you are unlikely to realize that most people with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder are often one small step away from falling into a pit of shame and self-hatred. They definitely can and do feel emotional pain.In fact most of the behaviors that we associate with Narcissistic disorders, such as:Status consciousnessAttempts to establish dominanceBragging about their accomplishmentsDevaluing other peopleClaiming to always be rightSeeing other people as either “winners” or “losers”are actually attempts by Narcissists to shield themselves from their inner fear that they are not really special, are faking their way through life, and are actually inferior goods.As they dance on the edge of the pit, trying to appear perfectly at ease and confident, they are continually looking ahead trying to find firmer ground for their self-esteem.Punchline: Narcissists may not feel your emotional pain, but they certainly can and do feel their own.Elinor Greenberg, PhD, CGPHopefully this clears up some of your questions. These three things are vastly different. Sharing some traits such as low empathy has made people quite fond of conflating them. It is really doing a lot of damage to the understanding of these very different conditions, and also creating a very convoluted picture of ASPD as well.Athena Walker's answer to Do you think that ASPD and psychopathy should be considered to be different things?Athena Walker's answer to Do psychopaths not feel emotions or do they suppress them?The Psychopath Mixing Desk - Dr Kevin Dutton, Ph.D.Hare Psychopathy ChecklistAthena Walker's answer to Can bullying or isolation cause sociopathy?Athena Walker's answer to Is it true that sociopaths don’t lack empathy but lacks remorse and guilt? I read it somewhere in sociopathworld.com.