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Hi,
I can understand that itīs tempting to think oneīs theory about a serial killer, whatever theory you have, could get support from theories of phychiatric disorders (PD).
Spontaineously it goes well with what people generally think about a serial killer. He must have some kind of psychiatric disorder, he must be insane.
Even in 1888 the thinking went along this line. Jack the Ripper had to be a "lunatic". Perhaps the murders even stopped because he was put away in an asylum. This type of idea was thus given an explanatory status.
But the thing is that itīs very hard to diagnose serial killers even when they are alive and are beeing tested for different PD:s.
Doing it with historical sources is impossible - they donīt test the killer, they only describe crime scenes or what witnesses have thought and said.
So why do ripperologists use this old and very irrelevant idea of the killer having to be insane, mad, a psychopath etc? Because it says nothing about the mental status of Jack the Ripper but it says a lot of what people would expect from a serial killer, would he ever be tested for having some type of PD.
So hereīs a list of possible diagnoses from a rather rescent bibliographical review (Full article: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbp/v28s2/en_04.pdf) Have a go at it and try to diagnose Jack the Ripper from the list!
You will probably find that you think he could have many diagnoses.
You will also probably find that some of the literature you have read about him about him reflects different aspects and traits in this list.
Classification
The ICD-10 describes eight types of specific PDs: paranoid,
schizoid, antisocial, emotionally unstable, histrionic,
anankastic, anxious, and dependent.
1) Paranoid PD is characterized by self-referential thinking:
a predominance of distrust, oversensitivity to setbacks, and
the perception of being constantly harmed by others.
2) Schizoid PD is predominated by detachment, a lack of
interest in social contact, affective withdrawal, difficulty in
feeling pleasure, and a tendency toward introspection.
3) Antisocial PD is characterized by indifference to the
feelings of others (which can lead the individual to adopt
cruel behavior), disdain for norms and obligations, a low
tolerance for frustration, and a low threshold for the
perpetration of violent acts.
4) Emotionally unstable PD is marked by impulsive and
unpredictable manifestations, presenting two subtypes:
impulsive and borderline. The impulsive subtype is
characterized by emotional instability and uncontrolled
impulses. The borderline subtype, in addition to emotional
instability, presents self-image perturbations (causing difficulty
in defining personal preferences) and a consequent feeling of
emptiness.
5) Histrionic PD is characterized by a prevalence of
egocentrism and a low tolerance for frustration, as well as
theatricality and superficiality. Individuals with histrionic PD
are ruled by the need to be the center of attention.
6) In anankastic PD, concern about details prevails, together
with rigidity and stubbornness. However, the repetitive and
intrusive thoughts seen in anankastic PD do not attain the
level of severity that would lead to a diagnosis of obsessivecompulsive disorder.
7) Anxious (or elusive) PD is predominated by oversensitivity to
criticism, persistent feelings of tension/apprehension, and a
tendency toward social withdrawal (due to insecurity regarding
social capacity, professional capacity, or both).
8) Dependent PD is characterized by behavioral deficit, lack of
determination and lack of initiative, as well as by an unstable
sense of purpose.
Regards Pierre
I can understand that itīs tempting to think oneīs theory about a serial killer, whatever theory you have, could get support from theories of phychiatric disorders (PD).
Spontaineously it goes well with what people generally think about a serial killer. He must have some kind of psychiatric disorder, he must be insane.
Even in 1888 the thinking went along this line. Jack the Ripper had to be a "lunatic". Perhaps the murders even stopped because he was put away in an asylum. This type of idea was thus given an explanatory status.
But the thing is that itīs very hard to diagnose serial killers even when they are alive and are beeing tested for different PD:s.
Doing it with historical sources is impossible - they donīt test the killer, they only describe crime scenes or what witnesses have thought and said.
So why do ripperologists use this old and very irrelevant idea of the killer having to be insane, mad, a psychopath etc? Because it says nothing about the mental status of Jack the Ripper but it says a lot of what people would expect from a serial killer, would he ever be tested for having some type of PD.
So hereīs a list of possible diagnoses from a rather rescent bibliographical review (Full article: http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rbp/v28s2/en_04.pdf) Have a go at it and try to diagnose Jack the Ripper from the list!
You will probably find that you think he could have many diagnoses.
You will also probably find that some of the literature you have read about him about him reflects different aspects and traits in this list.
Classification
The ICD-10 describes eight types of specific PDs: paranoid,
schizoid, antisocial, emotionally unstable, histrionic,
anankastic, anxious, and dependent.
1) Paranoid PD is characterized by self-referential thinking:
a predominance of distrust, oversensitivity to setbacks, and
the perception of being constantly harmed by others.
2) Schizoid PD is predominated by detachment, a lack of
interest in social contact, affective withdrawal, difficulty in
feeling pleasure, and a tendency toward introspection.
3) Antisocial PD is characterized by indifference to the
feelings of others (which can lead the individual to adopt
cruel behavior), disdain for norms and obligations, a low
tolerance for frustration, and a low threshold for the
perpetration of violent acts.
4) Emotionally unstable PD is marked by impulsive and
unpredictable manifestations, presenting two subtypes:
impulsive and borderline. The impulsive subtype is
characterized by emotional instability and uncontrolled
impulses. The borderline subtype, in addition to emotional
instability, presents self-image perturbations (causing difficulty
in defining personal preferences) and a consequent feeling of
emptiness.
5) Histrionic PD is characterized by a prevalence of
egocentrism and a low tolerance for frustration, as well as
theatricality and superficiality. Individuals with histrionic PD
are ruled by the need to be the center of attention.
6) In anankastic PD, concern about details prevails, together
with rigidity and stubbornness. However, the repetitive and
intrusive thoughts seen in anankastic PD do not attain the
level of severity that would lead to a diagnosis of obsessivecompulsive disorder.
7) Anxious (or elusive) PD is predominated by oversensitivity to
criticism, persistent feelings of tension/apprehension, and a
tendency toward social withdrawal (due to insecurity regarding
social capacity, professional capacity, or both).
8) Dependent PD is characterized by behavioral deficit, lack of
determination and lack of initiative, as well as by an unstable
sense of purpose.
Regards Pierre
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