Is my child a sociopath?

[tonya623]

My son is 10 years old and for as long as I can remember we have been having issues with his behavior.  In the beginning it was stealing little things like snack cakes and pens off my desk and it progressed to stealing bigger things like my husbands watch.  Added to this he lies almost constantly, sneaks around and is always making up stories to see if he can trick someone into believing him.  We took all of that in stride and tried to believe that he was a normal child with behavior problems. We tried postive and negative reinforcement, time-outs, grounding, taking things away and just about everything else at one time or another.  We even moved to another state to give him a new start in a new school, with new friends and in a house with his own room instead of in a tiny apartment but things just got worse and worse.  

Last year he was having problems in school and nearly failed. He has already taken first grade twice and second grade twice and he nearly had to take second grade for a third time because he didnt want to do the work. Not because he can't or because he is distracted but because he thinks his teachers are too stupid to teach him anything. This year he has been better but I think it is because he has tricked the teacher into giving him most of the answers on his work and making things very easy on him because he is so small and she feels that he is being mistreated at home.  They even called child services because of the stories that he told them.

We also found out that he has been peeing in his room. At first he was peeing on the clothes in his laundry basket and then he began peeing in the corners and in his clothes depending on how badly the need was. His reason for this is alternately that he is trying to teach me a lesson and that I should let him wander the house and do whatever he wants and that it is his room and he should be allowed to do anything he wants in there even pee.

When we realized that he was peeing in his room we took him to a mental hospital for inpatient treatment and they kept him for 8 days before releasing him.  I was told that they could not keep him there because he was not a danger to anyone and besides he promised not to pee and would follow all the rules ect.  That only lasted a few hours after he got home and he was peeing again.  We moved him out of his room and into the living room so that he wouldnt have the opportunity to do it anymore and we thought that was the end of that until he tried to starve our ferrets by pretending to feed them but not actually doing it.  His reason was that he was tired of them and wanted to see how long it would take them to die.  I sat him down to talk about this and he told me that he was also planning to kill the cat, myself and my 10 month old because he was also tired of us.  I took him back to the mental hospital where they kept him for 24 days with absolutely no improvement.  This time they released him because he said that he no longer planned to kill anyone and was all better.  The couselor suggested that I send him to a boys camp because even though he said he was better and they were sending him home they did not feel that he was really better.

So here we are trying to decide what we should do with our son.  He is 10 years old and the size of an 8 year old, has mild Cerebral palsy and needs shots in order to grow.  If I send him to this camp he will not get the chance to grow normally and wont get all the treatment for his CP. Neither of which will matter if he doesnt get the mental help he needs.  I hate the idea of sending my son away because I am his mother and feel that I should be the best thing for him.  The problem is that he wants to kill me and thinks that it is okay if he does.  He does not express remorse for anything that he has done and never has, is extremely maniputlative and is not affected by punishments or consequences of any kind because he feels that they are only temporary and do not matter.  I am nearly convinced that he is a sociopath but he is SO manipulative that the doctors havent been able to see the real child and instead see the fake one that he is so good at portraying.  What can I do in this situation?

[Kittyarena]

My daughter does not pee on things but refuses to wipe. She is a master manipulator as well. I'm in the process of putting her back into counseling after she faked being suicidal in order to get out of her math and science classes. She has always tried to make teachers and counselors feel sorry for her and alienates herself from peers because adults are easier to manipulate. I had to warn the school counselor today not to believe my daughter, which makes me sad but it's needed. She is a middle child with an older brother who doesn't like her and a younger brother who is special needs. I'm also divorced from her father and he has made it clear that he wants to see her, and loves her, but doesn't want her living with him. I can see the problems but what is the solution?

[Spb1124]

Wow, I found this site boys I am asking myself the SAME question.My 12 year old daughter is in a facility at this very moment and told the therapist she has thoughts of stabbing me!
What do I do?????

[craftmom84]

My 9 almost10 year old step-daughter is lying about physical abuse. She lies, steals, and throws tantrums that are potentially dangerous and last for hours. She's seeing a counselor and has been for a year now. Today she told her babysitter that her dad hits her in the face, even chipped her tooth, that he hits her on the back with a belt for no reason.  Please, help! Anyone, if you have any ideas about what to do?

[Mcp68]

Oh brother these are traits of every single cluster b personality disorders there are. Or as they were more aptly called character disorders.

[Sandman2]

   Hi Sonya, I am also the CL on the ADHD forum - http://www.medhelp.org/forums/ADD---ADHD/show/175
   Why don't you start a new post over there?   This behavior (believe it or not) is something that I have seen posted many, many times.  It is so sad that you have not gotten the help that you need.
   I know of some very good links that will help you with discipline, but more importantly will help you understand why he is doing what he is doing.
   There are definite things that can help him in school - like a 504 plan.
    Have you tried any medication and if so what?
    I think that I can help, but do try and post to the site mentioned above so that you don't get lost in the 130 posts here.  Really glad I decided to check this out.  

[Sonyacapps38]

I have a child he is 9 years old and he is ADHD has been since he started school. I keep telling anyone who will listen to me about is lying, stealing, and could care less about consequences. He has peed in his room before and blamed the dogs for it. He lies about any and everything, he steals right now just from me and my husband but in school last year I found things that did not belong to him. I am getting scared of going to bed without locking my door because I am scared that one day he will kill me and because he has does not care about consequences he will not care I am no longer here. He has not tried anything at this time and I have had him in therapy for going on 4 years now with no help. all I get is he promises not to lie any more or he said he would not steal again. I do not see where I have anyone that will listen to what I am saying and get the help for my baby that he needs before it is to late. Where do you go to get someone to listen to you and be willing to help you without blaming you or seeing this child as what they can show to everyone else a sweet loving child when at home you cry mostly because you are tired of fighting them to do what is right. I have grounded him, took away his room, made him write sentences and even spanked him nothing works. family members will not keep him because they say he is blatantly defiant. I do not get a break even in school because I get a call all the time saying he want keep his hands to him self or he gets up and walks out of class. Where do I turn please help me.......And we moved to a new state to even help him not carry the trouble maker name with him in school and that did not work either he fooled them for like two months then he started showing them the real him. Although the teacher will say he is sweet she will talk to you about some of the trouble she is having but nothing really comes out till you get called into the office.