Personality Disorders

Personality Disorders
Friday June 13, 2008

Hello Dr. Miller,

Of course, I want to thank you for your work. It has been of crucial importance to me in my growth as a human being.

My question is: Are there actual personality disorders? Meaning genetic personality disturbances? Or are personality disorders a function of emotional and physical abuse?

I was neglected badly in the first 5 years of life. Punctuated by violence by a mother who clearly had no capacity for empathy for the needs of her children. Is it possible for her to have had a genetic issue which made it impossible for her to empathize with her children or, again, is it a function of her parents not having the capacity to empathize with her? I understand the cultural factors that create the ‘poisonous pedagogy’ that you’ve mentioned repeatedly in your writings, but I want to understand the genetic component to these issues from your perspective.

Again, thank you for writings. The world most certainly needs to know how love their children into psychological self responsibility and I think your work is an important contribution to that end.

Best wishes, J. L.

AM: You are asking: “are personality disorders a function of emotional and physical abuse?” My answer is: YES. Above all a function of its DENIAL.I have written about this issue a lot in all my latest books.