Aa
Is my child a sociopath?
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?
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?
COMMUNITY LEADER
There are 157 posts to this topic and I have no clue which one of mine you might be referring to.
But, the fact that you think that to treat ADHD is to dope them up so they can be controlled like zombies ....makes me pretty sure you have no clue what you are talking about.
But, the fact that you think that to treat ADHD is to dope them up so they can be controlled like zombies ....makes me pretty sure you have no clue what you are talking about.
im sorry but all you want to keep saying and pushing is adhd like wow why didnt anyone think of that oh probably cause they did since like you that is what the school and drs want to say off top and dope them up so they can be controlled zomBIES when i think we know our kids better than anyone since we always around them and there is a big difference is sociopath and adhd and i think we know what it is
My 11 year old step son put his hands around my 7 year old daughters neck and squeezed hard enough to cause her to cough. She says she was just watching tv, he doesn't have a clear answer as to why he did it. He has been aggressive with her in the past. Am I crazy to think he needs therapy? Is it wrong for me to not want him around? His mother thinks this is a one time thing even after I have explained he has been aggressive before. What do I do?
COMMUNITY LEADER
Oh boy, I can certainly see why you feel like you are at the end of your rope. There is a lot going on here. I definitely think that seeing a psychiatrist is the best way to go. There may very well be some medical issues going on here. I think a full medical workup (including hormones) would be helpful.
This is an old write up on encopresis but the first part does explain a lot about soiling. http://www.dulwichcentre.com.au/beating-sneaky-poo-1.pdf
After that I can see signs of anything from autism to ADD to SPD (sensory processing disorder).
You need to take full documentation with you to the psyc. Especially any reports from teachers while still in school.
When you say he destroys things ... I assume he goes into a rage kind of thing. If so, how long do these last? One significant sign of bipolar is rages that last much longer then normal.
Of course things like eye contact and social contact when in elementary school are important Particularly, comments made by his early teachers K-3rd grade are important. Start writing this down now to take in with you.
This has been going on way to long. I do so hope that you will be able to get an accurate diagnosis. Please keep in touch and let us know what is going on. If you have any questions, please post. Best wishes.
This is an old write up on encopresis but the first part does explain a lot about soiling. http://www.dulwichcentre.com.au/beating-sneaky-poo-1.pdf
After that I can see signs of anything from autism to ADD to SPD (sensory processing disorder).
You need to take full documentation with you to the psyc. Especially any reports from teachers while still in school.
When you say he destroys things ... I assume he goes into a rage kind of thing. If so, how long do these last? One significant sign of bipolar is rages that last much longer then normal.
Of course things like eye contact and social contact when in elementary school are important Particularly, comments made by his early teachers K-3rd grade are important. Start writing this down now to take in with you.
This has been going on way to long. I do so hope that you will be able to get an accurate diagnosis. Please keep in touch and let us know what is going on. If you have any questions, please post. Best wishes.
I have done this to the point of them falling apart. I have taken photos of the state of his room as well as feces in his clothing and on his floor. I intend on showing the psychiatrist. I'm hoping for possible explanations......
oh, and he's two faced, so if you can do so totally discretely and WITHOUT any chance of triggering him, consider recording or much better video recording, his sociopathic behaviour he's presenting his family
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Child Behavior Community
Fearing autism, many parents aren't vaccinating their kids. Can doctors reverse this dangerous trend?
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
We answer your top questions about the flu vaccine.
Learn which over-the-counter medicines are safe for you and your baby
Yummy eats that will keep your child healthy and happy
Healing home remedies for common ailments
