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Reply #90 posted 07/10/19 12:18pm

Dalia11

When I took abnormal psychology(almost 20 years ago) my professor, Dr. Shucker used to joke and say: "How many psychological issues do all of you have? lol He was an Aquarius. He said he did not believe in astrology. However, he knew about the popular book by Linda Goodman, info about the Sun signs and compatibility/love. Interesting! There are many psychologists who do follow astrology. Some believe in past life regression to help people with phobias and other issues. Another professor I knew is a Cancer Sun sign and has her Ph.D, she also is interested in astrology, spiritual subjects, etc.

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Reply #91 posted 07/10/19 4:33pm

violetcrush

onlyforaminute said:



violetcrush said:




gandorb said:


When I saw the title of the thread, I purposely stayed away but I eventually had to take a peek. This is what I do for a living, and as a professional you aren't supposed to diagnose people who you haven't seen professionally (sorry Dr. Phil). Even if I could, I wouldn't because Prince was such an extremely complex and private person that it would be hard to be sure about his diagnosis. Also, Prince was so beyond any one diagnostic label.



I will say a couple of things about some of the comments here. It seems that three types of Prince issues seem to be mentioned in these types of discussions: Narcissism, trauma issues, and high functioning Autism. These are three very different things, with different roots and presentations. Nevertheless, I can see why people wonder about them in regards to Prince because they actually have some overlap: difficulty connecting to people, aloofness, difficulty in perspective taking, extreme drive to be the best in certain areas, and a tendency to demean others. Sounds like anyone we know? However, if you lived with someone with PTSD or insecure attachment from trauma, a person with autism, or a person with a narcissistic personality disorder you would be dealing with completely different experiences. Who knows how Prince really was inside his psyche?



On another note, I do want to differentiate between someone who uses narcissistic defenses and someone who has narcissistic personbality disorder. The latter type of person can NEVER truly connects with others, though they may seem to do so when they are secretly exploiting others or when they are soaking up the praise by others of themselves. In contrast, most people use narcissistic defenses (e.g., building yourself up while tearing others down) to varying degrees when they feel wounded. Think of how people engage in put downs of each other while in an argument, for example. I do think it was clear that Prince certainly used these types of defenses at times and some of his songs certainly have elements of self-aggrandizement, but he also could have a sense of humor about this. I am not trying to make a case for NPD here. Indeed, when I hear the song like Wally with all of its heartache and vulnerability, I can't imagine someone with full blown NPD or Autism singing it. Of course, I could be wrong lol .



A final note is that most people who are raised in abusive households statistically are likely to have insecure attachment interpersonal styles throughout their lives. That is they stay remote and guarded as their primary style, and feel extremely vulnerable in the rare instances when they try to get close to others. A different insecure pattern is that they have no boundaries and get too close too fast and then get clingy and threatened by the intimacy. The childhood that Prince grew up in as described in various book seems abusive and non-responsive enough to his needs that it would have been a minor miracle if he had a secure attachment style. It is also important to note that having an insecure attachment style is not in itself a psychiatric disorder, though extreme forms of the clingy insecure style can be found in Borderline Personality Disorder.



All of this is to say that we need to be careful in using psychiatric diagnostic labels for Prince, although he is so fascinating I can understand the desire to do so. I do think it is safe to say that he used narcissistic defenses and likely has an insecure attachment style that made it difficult for him to sustain connections.






How about the idea of Antisocial Personality Disorder? Many of the behaviors used to describe this seem to fit Prince's m/o:


*


Antisocial personality disorder describes an ingrained pattern of behavior in which individuals consistently disregard and violate the rights of others around them.


The disorder is best understood within the context of the broader category of personality disorders. A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of personal experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to personal distress or impairment.


The symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity. The more egregious, harmful, or dangerous behavior patterns are referred to as sociopathic or psychopathic. There has been much debate as to the distinction between the two descriptions. Sociopathy is chiefly characterized as something severely wrong with one's conscience; psychopathy is characterized as a complete lack of conscience regarding others. Some professionals describe people with this constellation of symptoms as "stone cold" to the rights of others. Consequences of this disorder can include imprisonment, drug abuse, and alcoholism.


People with this illness may seem charming on the surface, but they are likely to be irritable and aggressive as well as irresponsible. They may have numerous somatic complaints and perhaps attempt suicide. Due to their manipulative tendencies, it is difficult to tell whether they are lying or telling the truth.


The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder is not given to individuals under the age of 18 but is given only if there is a history of some symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15. Antisocial personality disorder is much more common in males than in females. The highest prevalence of antisocial personality disorder is found among males who abuse alcohol or drugs or who are in prisons or other forensic settings.


*





Symptoms


According to the DSM-5, features of antisocial personality disorder include:


  • Violation of the physical or emotional rights of others

  • Lack of stability in job and home life

  • Irritability and aggression

  • Lack of remorse

  • Consistent irresponsibility

  • Recklessness, impulsivity

  • Deceitfulness

  • A childhood diagnosis (or symptoms consistent with) conduct disorder

Antisocial personality is confirmed by a psychological evaluation. Other disorders should be ruled out first, as this is a serious diagnosis.


The alcohol and drug abuse common among people with antisocial personality disorder can exacerbate symptoms of the disorder. When substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder coexist, treatment is more complicated for both.








Causes


While the exact causes of the disorder are unknown, both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. Genetic factors are suspected since the incidence of antisocial behavior is higher in people with a biological parent who displays antisocial characteristics. Environmental factors may also play a role, however, as a person whose role model had antisocial tendencies is more likely to develop them.


About 3 percent of men and about 1 percent of women have antisocial personality disorder.


*


I believe Prince's Father was said to be extremely reclusive and anti-social even though he was a performer in his earlier days. Obviously, Prince would not have been on the drastic or criminal end of this disorder, however, many have described him as having behavior that could be manipulative, deceitful, controlling, and narcissistic. Also, if you listen to his songs about lost love (ie: Wally, NC2U, etc) he expresses himself as the victim in those relationships - as in, why did you leave me when you know I love you so much and treated you so well - but in reality, he cheated constantly, tried to control the women, and manipulated them. I think at least part of his consience had to have been missing in order for him to consistently lie to, and manipulate the women. His songs tell one story, but his behavior and track record with relationships seem to show something else altogether.









Uh, the man had a 40+ year career doing the same thing, how in the world can you attribute the the second "symptom" to Prince? And that first one is just plan stupid, who the heck hasn't hurt someone, heck several people throughout their lifetime? This comes off as drama seeking non-sense.


To requote...

All these “symptoms” will be familiar to any
creative person who has ever been intensely and happily focused on a new
idea—their “pathology” may be more indicative of the observer’s agenda
than the artist’s actual behavior.


One can have a psychological disorder without displaying every single “behavior” known to be attributed to that disorder. In fact, there are far more “functioning” non criminal individuals with APD than those who are on the psychopathic level. Many may display some of the behaviors and not others.
*
He may not have had the “irresponsible” tendency, but one can argue that he had the impulsive piece - recording wherever and whenever he had the urge, and often for 24-36 consecutive hours. It seems he also may have displayed many of the other behaviors listed based on information given by those in his inner circle throughout the years.
*
This is just a discussion of ideas - not a clinical diagnosis.
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Reply #92 posted 07/10/19 4:46pm

onlyforaminute

avatar

violetcrush said:

onlyforaminute said:



violetcrush said:


i

gandorb said:


When I saw the title of the thread, I purposely stayed away but I eventually had to take a peek. This is what I do for a living, and as a professional you aren't supposed to diagnose people who you haven't seen professionally (sorry Dr. Phil). Even if I could, I wouldn't because Prince was such an extremely complex and private person that it would be hard to be sure about his diagnosis. Also, Prince was so beyond any one diagnostic label.



I will say a couple of things about some of the comments here. It seems that three types of Prince issues seem to be mentioned in these types of discussions: Narcissism, trauma issues, and high functioning Autism. These are three very different things, with different roots and presentations. Nevertheless, I can see why people wonder about them in regards to Prince because they actually have some overlap: difficulty connecting to people, aloofness, difficulty in perspective taking, extreme drive to be the best in certain areas, and a tendency to demean others. Sounds like anyone we know? However, if you lived with someone with PTSD or insecure attachment from trauma, a person with autism, or a person with a narcissistic personality disorder you would be dealing with completely different experiences. Who knows how Prince really was inside his psyche?



On another note, I do want to differentiate between someone who uses narcissistic defenses and someone who has narcissistic personbality disorder. The latter type of person can NEVER truly connects with others, though they may seem to do so when they are secretly exploiting others or when they are soaking up the praise by others of themselves. In contrast, most people use narcissistic defenses (e.g., building yourself up while tearing others down) to varying degrees when they feel wounded. Think of how people engage in put downs of each other while in an argument, for example. I do think it was clear that Prince certainly used these types of defenses at times and some of his songs certainly have elements of self-aggrandizement, but he also could have a sense of humor about this. I am not trying to make a case for NPD here. Indeed, when I hear the song like Wally with all of its heartache and vulnerability, I can't imagine someone with full blown NPD or Autism singing it. Of course, I could be wrong lol .



A final note is that most people who are raised in abusive households statistically are likely to have insecure attachment interpersonal styles throughout their lives. That is they stay remote and guarded as their primary style, and feel extremely vulnerable in the rare instances when they try to get close to others. A different insecure pattern is that they have no boundaries and get too close too fast and then get clingy and threatened by the intimacy. The childhood that Prince grew up in as described in various book seems abusive and non-responsive enough to his needs that it would have been a minor miracle if he had a secure attachment style. It is also important to note that having an insecure attachment style is not in itself a psychiatric disorder, though extreme forms of the clingy insecure style can be found in Borderline Personality Disorder.



All of this is to say that we need to be careful in using psychiatric diagnostic labels for Prince, although he is so fascinating I can understand the desire to do so. I do think it is safe to say that he used narcissistic defenses and likely has an insecure attachment style that made it difficult for him to sustain connections.






How about the idea of Antisocial Personality Disorder? Many of the behaviors used to describe this seem to fit Prince's m/o:


*


Antisocial personality disorder describes an ingrained pattern of behavior in which individuals consistently disregard and violate the rights of others around them.


The disorder is best understood within the context of the broader category of personality disorders. A personality disorder is an enduring pattern of personal experience and behavior that deviates noticeably from the expectations of the individual's culture, is pervasive and inflexible, has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood, is stable over time, and leads to personal distress or impairment.


The symptoms of antisocial personality disorder can vary in severity. The more egregious, harmful, or dangerous behavior patterns are referred to as sociopathic or psychopathic. There has been much debate as to the distinction between the two descriptions. Sociopathy is chiefly characterized as something severely wrong with one's conscience; psychopathy is characterized as a complete lack of conscience regarding others. Some professionals describe people with this constellation of symptoms as "stone cold" to the rights of others. Consequences of this disorder can include imprisonment, drug abuse, and alcoholism.


People with this illness may seem charming on the surface, but they are likely to be irritable and aggressive as well as irresponsible. They may have numerous somatic complaints and perhaps attempt suicide. Due to their manipulative tendencies, it is difficult to tell whether they are lying or telling the truth.


The diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder is not given to individuals under the age of 18 but is given only if there is a history of some symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15. Antisocial personality disorder is much more common in males than in females. The highest prevalence of antisocial personality disorder is found among males who abuse alcohol or drugs or who are in prisons or other forensic settings.


*





Symptoms


According to the DSM-5, features of antisocial personality disorder include:


  • Violation of the physical or emotional rights of others

  • Lack of stability in job and home life

  • Irritability and aggression

  • Lack of remorse

  • Consistent irresponsibility

  • Recklessness, impulsivity

  • Deceitfulness

  • A childhood diagnosis (or symptoms consistent with) conduct disorder

Antisocial personality is confirmed by a psychological evaluation. Other disorders should be ruled out first, as this is a serious diagnosis.


The alcohol and drug abuse common among people with antisocial personality disorder can exacerbate symptoms of the disorder. When substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder coexist, treatment is more complicated for both.








Causes


While the exact causes of the disorder are unknown, both environmental and genetic factors have been implicated. Genetic factors are suspected since the incidence of antisocial behavior is higher in people with a biological parent who displays antisocial characteristics. Environmental factors may also play a role, however, as a person whose role model had antisocial tendencies is more likely to develop them.


About 3 percent of men and about 1 percent of women have antisocial personality disorder.


*


I believe Prince's Father was said to be extremely reclusive and anti-social even though he was a performer in his earlier days. Obviously, Prince would not have been on the drastic or criminal end of this disorder, however, many have described him as having behavior that could be manipulative, deceitful, controlling, and narcissistic. Also, if you listen to his songs about lost love (ie: Wally, NC2U, etc) he expresses himself as the victim in those relationships - as in, why did you leave me when you know I love you so much and treated you so well - but in reality, he cheated constantly, tried to control the women, and manipulated them. I think at least part of his consience had to have been missing in order for him to consistently lie to, and manipulate the women. His songs tell one story, but his behavior and track record with relationships seem to show something else altogether.









Uh, the man had a 40+ year career doing the same thing, how in the world can you attribute the the second "symptom" to Prince? And that first one is just plan stupid, who the heck hasn't hurt someone, heck several people throughout their lifetime? This comes off as drama seeking non-sense.


To requote...

All these “symptoms” will be familiar to any
creative person who has ever been intensely and happily focused on a new
idea—their “pathology” may be more indicative of the observer’s agenda
than the artist’s actual behavior.


One can have a psychological disorder without displaying every single “behavior” known to be attributed to that disorder. In fact, there are far more “functioning” non criminal individuals with APD than those who are on the psychopathic level. Many may display some of the behaviors and not others.
*
He may not have had the “irresponsible” tendency, but one can argue that he had the impulsive piece - recording wherever and whenever he had the urge, and often for 24-36 consecutive hours. It seems he also may have displayed many of the other behaviors listed based on information given by those in his inner circle throughout the years.
*
This is just a discussion of ideas - not a clinical diagnosis.



Im really curious what persuaded you to pick this one? Cause thats a wussy comeback that he didn't have to have all of these symptoms because on that token how you know he had any of these, they are all so general i don't think anyone on this entire board couldn't check every single one of these at some point. Irritability? Seriously? You've been the epitome of patience evety single moment of your life?
Time keeps on slipping into the future...


This moment is all there is...
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Reply #93 posted 07/10/19 4:49pm

onlyforaminute

avatar

I think I've bumped my shopping cart into somebody's child purposely once or twice and didn't feel bad about it at all. Oh My Gawd, I must suffer from it too.
Time keeps on slipping into the future...


This moment is all there is...
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Reply #94 posted 07/10/19 5:27pm

violetcrush

onlyforaminute said:

I think I've bumped my shopping cart into somebody's child purposely once or twice and didn't feel bad about it at all. Oh My Gawd, I must suffer from it too.

Wow, that’s slightly aggressive - you may want to see someone about that biggrin
*
The behaviors - controlling, manipulative, deceitful - seem to have been a consistent pattern in his personal relationships - especially with women.
*
Then again, he was also very charitable and showed great empathy for those in need, which I don’t think are typical traits with APD.
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Reply #95 posted 07/10/19 5:59pm

gandorb

While I will try to stay true to my stance that I will not diagnose (or rule out a diagnosis) for Prince, I will say that the core of the APD person is that they NEVER show empathy towards other people. It is even a colder place than the narcissitic personality disorder. They don't even like positive social interactions such as praise and even adulation, unlike the person with NPD. They don't have true grief either, although they may feel the loss of some exploitation opportunity if that person was still in their life. The vast majority of people who act like jerks some or most of the time don't have APD. Are you getting my hint about a possible rule out lol ?

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Reply #96 posted 07/10/19 6:27pm

violetcrush

gandorb said:

While I will try to stay true to my stance that I will not diagnose (or rule out a diagnosis) for Prince, I will say that the core of the APD person is that they NEVER show empathy towards other people. It is even a colder place than the narcissitic personality disorder. They don't even like positive social interactions such as praise and even adulation, unlike the person with NPD. They don't have true grief either, although they may feel the loss of some exploitation opportunity if that person was still in their life. The vast majority of people who act like jerks some or most of the time don't have APD. Are you getting my hint about a possible rule out lol ?


Okay, I’ll take that as a valid rule-out smile
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Reply #97 posted 07/10/19 6:37pm

benni

simm0061 said:

Prince seems to meet a lot of the symptoms of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

https://www.healthline.co...d#symptoms

Lack of emotional regulation

This refers to having uncontrollable feelings, such as explosive anger or ongoing sadness.

Changes in consciousness

This can include forgetting the traumatic event or feeling detached from your emotions or body, which is also called dissociation.

Negative self-perception

You may feel guilt or shame, to the point that you feel completely different from other people.

Difficulty with relationships

You might find yourself avoiding relationships with other people out of mistrust or a feeling of not knowing how to interact with others. On the other hand, some might seek relationships with people who harm them because it feels familiar.

Distorted perception of abuser

This includes becoming preoccupied with the relationship between you and your abuser. It can also include preoccupation with revenge or giving your abuser complete power over your life.

Loss of systems of meanings

Systems of meaning refer to your religion or beliefs about the world. For example, you might lose faith in some long-held beliefs you had or develop a strong sense of despair or hopelessness about the world.



No, Prince doesn't meet Complex PTSD symptoms. I also want to point out that Complex PTSD is not in the DSM V. Some psycologists and psychiatrists have argued in favor for Complex PTSD as individuals that have undergone longterm or repeated abuse or trauma tend to display different symptoms from PTSD, but they also fit the symptoms for PTSD (which is why they did not add it this last revision). (Some therapists/doctors do diagnose individuals with CPTSD because while they fit the criteria for PTSD, there are other symptoms they may display that an individual with PTSD does not.) I'm on the fence about CPTSD, as I would want to see what criteria they determine would meet that diagnosis.

While what you listed explain some of it, it doesn't exactly truly cover it. I prefer this link: https://www.ptsd.va.gov/p...x_ptsd.aspv

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Reply #98 posted 07/10/19 6:40pm

onlyforaminute

avatar

violetcrush said:

onlyforaminute said:

I think I've bumped my shopping cart into somebody's child purposely once or twice and didn't feel bad about it at all. Oh My Gawd, I must suffer from it too.

Wow, that’s slightly aggressive - you may want to see someone about that biggrin
*
The behaviors - controlling, manipulative, deceitful - seem to have been a consistent pattern in his personal relationships - especially with women.
*
Then again, he was also very charitable and showed great empathy for those in need, which I don’t think are typical traits with APD.


Welp, I ve checked off another symptom, I'm ready to be diagnosed by the org. How shall i work being manipulative in this?


Truthfully, i think a lot of us have played this game in our own hesd. And ended up with s long list of possibilities, so msny thst commonsense dictates no human being can be all those things. It's gotten morbid. People nowadays seem to have forgotten how to draw a line. Its gotten gluttonous dissecting every behavior every phrase to being some over the top pathology. I know we live in a world where every individual thought needs to be brosdcsst but man it stinks.
Time keeps on slipping into the future...


This moment is all there is...
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Reply #99 posted 07/15/19 8:13am

Dalia11

Genetics and the environment:

A person's genes and the environment interact in complex ways. Some people usually inherit a vulnerability or predisposition to having a particular psychological trait. And the environment in which those people live also shapes the developmet of the trait. Just as a person's psychological traits will influence their environment - a person can shape their environment by exerting their traits.

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Reply #100 posted 07/15/19 8:25am

Dalia11

Behavior Genetics is a branch of psychology that examines the genetic base of behavior and personality differences of people. Many cells make up the human body . Chromosome pairs contain thousands of genes.

A person's parents will share 50% of their genes with the individual, with a sibling 50% and 25% with the grand-parents.

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Reply #101 posted 07/15/19 8:39am

Dalia11

Some characteristics or traits are controlled by a single gene. A single gene can be part of what makes a person become an alcoholic. Most traits can be controlled by the actions of several genes. The environent can also shape a person's traits.

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Reply #102 posted 07/15/19 9:00am

Dalia11

Experiences and Behavior:

Experiences affect behavior because environmental stimulus forms and maintains neurological connections.

Many research has shown: babies need consistent, loving contact with their parents/care givers in order to achieve optimal brain development. Neglected babies lacking attention, love will experience unpleasant emotions that are not simply transitory. Their experiences determine the development of their neurological connections.

Research on soldiers has found: the one's on active combat duty can suffer mental damage from the continuous stressful environment they are in. That can also apply to police officers.

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Reply #103 posted 07/15/19 9:13am

Dalia11

Environmental factors also play a role in affecting a person's genes. Some are: prenatal influences, child - rearing/ other parental influences, nutrition, the experiences throughout a person's life, peer influences and culture.

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Reply #104 posted 07/15/19 9:49am

PeggyO

I would like to show my gratitude to Gandorb for his sensitive, thoughtful and insightful assessment of Prince's personality. I immediately said to myself, "that's it".

...Narcissistic defenses and an insecure attachment explain so much.

I am not a psychologist by any means but have read widely on personality evolution. I found myself wrestling with trying to "figure him out". Eventually, I decided he was likely a narcissist or high on that spectrum. His chaotic/neglectful upbringing would have supported that outcome.

After reading Gandorb's assessment, though, I have changed my mind and agree that he likely only used narcissistic defenses.

[Edited 7/15/19 9:50am]

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Reply #105 posted 07/15/19 10:17am

RJOrion

lol...a bunch of Dr. Phils in the house...
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Reply #106 posted 07/16/19 5:20am

barnswallow

If there's someone who is totally out of their depth on this topic, that's me. But, toujours gai, I'm jumping in. Since what age, early 20s, a globally known celebrity who can't wander anywhere without being recognized... how can narcissism be assessed? Impossible to know his experience of day-to-day reality. But, golly, he chose to stay in Minneapolis, the cold kept the bad people away.

Where do his lyrics like:

"Oh Lord, Love... Thy will be done
Since I have found U, my life has just begun
And I see all of Your creations as one perfect complex
No one less beautiful or more special than the next
We are all blessed and so wise to accept
Thy will, Love, be done"

Yeah, sure, there's 'My Name is Prince':

"In the beginning God made the sea
But on the 7th day he made me
He was tryin' to rest y'all when He heard the sound
Sound like a guitar cold gettin' down
I tried to bust a high note, but I bust a string
My God was worried 'til he heard me sing"

But, when I hear that I'm smiling at the audacity and the clever, funky image of God listening to Prince play the guitar.

All his philanthropy... contrast that with the T---- Org, paying for a portrait of the D----- (sorry won't write that name).

How he treated women? Hm. So beautiful and complex. He couldn't stop exploring. I've often thought every rock star, after the first platinum record, should receive a tee shirt, "I may be a rock star looking for poontang. Or I might not."

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Reply #107 posted 07/19/19 3:49pm

Roby78

Thank you so much guys ..... reading everything you wrote, I just found out that I have all the existing mental illnesses and not eek

Apart from the jokes, I have been reading about these things about Prince for years, but never once I heard his birth year, do not forget that he was born in 1958. Have you ever thought about what kind of education your parents gave you children at that time? It's not like now.Before judging the behavior of parents, try to think about how they were also educated, how they were taught to educate their children.I don't know how old you are, but I had a father born in 1931 and I have a mother born in 1943, I was born in 1978 and for them it was very difficult to raise a daughter having to adapt their education to my times. Suffice it to say that my mother had been taught that a daughter should not talk about pregnancies or such experiences.

With this I do not want to justify Prince's parents for their behavior (or prince himself), but I do not even feel I can misunderstand them, I think they gave Prince the education he had been taught.And then you also think in what period Prince spent his childhood / adolesceza, what happened in the world and around him, all this can influence a person.If we think of all this, I think that much of his behavior is answered. wink

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Reply #108 posted 07/19/19 4:23pm

benni

gandorb said:

While I will try to stay true to my stance that I will not diagnose (or rule out a diagnosis) for Prince, I will say that the core of the APD person is that they NEVER show empathy towards other people. It is even a colder place than the narcissitic personality disorder. They don't even like positive social interactions such as praise and even adulation, unlike the person with NPD. They don't have true grief either, although they may feel the loss of some exploitation opportunity if that person was still in their life. The vast majority of people who act like jerks some or most of the time don't have APD. Are you getting my hint about a possible rule out lol ?


Very true. APD is often interchanged with sociopathy and psychopathy I think it even mentions that in the DSM V. And Prince definitely ain't that.

Like you, in not talking with Prince, not having him in front of us to clarify anything, I would be loathe to try to diagnose him. I think that there are certain traits that might be related to attachment disorder, however, we'd have to be able to rule out any medical issues or substance use.

One thing that really hasn't been mentioned in this thread is his early diagnosis of epilepsy. Epilepsy can have an affect on the personality, including causing dysphoric disorder or depression, anxiety, aggression, etc.

There is just no way, ethically or otherwise, to even diagnose him.

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Reply #109 posted 07/20/19 6:42am

CherryMoon57

avatar

Y'all are projecting too much onto Prince. Why try and categorise everything.
He was just human and going through this thing called life, just like the rest of us.
Give the man some rest and the respect he deserves.

Life Matters
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Reply #110 posted 07/20/19 9:33am

violetcrush

Roby78 said:

Thank you so much guys ..... reading everything you wrote, I just found out that I have all the existing mental illnesses and not eek

Apart from the jokes, I have been reading about these things about Prince for years, but never once I heard his birth year, do not forget that he was born in 1958. Have you ever thought about what kind of education your parents gave you children at that time? It's not like now.Before judging the behavior of parents, try to think about how they were also educated, how they were taught to educate their children.I don't know how old you are, but I had a father born in 1931 and I have a mother born in 1943, I was born in 1978 and for them it was very difficult to raise a daughter having to adapt their education to my times. Suffice it to say that my mother had been taught that a daughter should not talk about pregnancies or such experiences.

With this I do not want to justify Prince's parents for their behavior (or prince himself), but I do not even feel I can misunderstand them, I think they gave Prince the education he had been taught.And then you also think in what period Prince spent his childhood / adolesceza, what happened in the world and around him, all this can influence a person.If we think of all this, I think that much of his behavior is answered. wink

All very good points. Parental and familial exposure and teaching from birth to adolescence, the national culture, and the local culture, all play a part in shaping the personality and behavior of a person. Nature (the genetics) and nurture (the environment) are both significant. Prince discussed all of this in his song The Sacrifice Of Victor.

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Reply #111 posted 07/22/19 10:37am

Dalia11

Good points!

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Reply #112 posted 07/22/19 10:45am

Dalia11

Theories of Development....

Sigmund Freud's Theory of Development: The Austrian psychiatrist first described personality development as a series of stages. He believed that early childhood was the most important and that a child's personality developed around age 5.

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Reply #113 posted 07/22/19 10:56am

Dalia11

Theories of Development.....

Erik Erikson's theory of pychosocial development: Erikson also believed in the importance of early childhood development. He also believed that personality development happens over the entire course of a person's life.

In the early 1960's Erikson proposed a theory that describes 8 distinct stages of development. In each stage people face new challenges and the stages outcome depends on how people handle these challenges.

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Reply #114 posted 07/22/19 11:24am

Dalia11

Erikson's stages of Development....

Two examples:

Stage 1: Trust vs. Mistrust: In the first year after birth, babies depend completely on adults for basic needs(food, comfort, warmth, etc). If the caretakers meet these needs reliably, the babies become attached and develop a sense of security. Otherwise, they may develop a mistrustful, insecure attitude in adulthood.

Stage 4: Industry vs. Inferiority: Between ages 6 and 12 children compete with peers in school and prepare to take on adult roles. They end this stage with either a sense of competence or a sense of inferiority.

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Reply #115 posted 07/22/19 8:50pm

PeggyO

I have often wondered if fame heals feelings of childhood pain. I don't think so.

[Edited 7/22/19 20:51pm]

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Reply #116 posted 07/23/19 7:46pm

Nonamesfan

nod

Leave the man alone and be thankful for what he left behind. I don't think there are many among who who could achieve what he did - so what if he had a few quirks? Of course I never met P and only know about him from the internet & music but I don't think he would like having his personality picked apart.

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Reply #117 posted 07/24/19 8:55am

Dalia11

Even in the Purple Rain Movie, the kid's father shot himself, was abusive to his wife and son. And he told his son to "never get married".

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Reply #118 posted 07/24/19 11:21am

violetcrush

Dalia11 said:

Even in the Purple Rain Movie, the kid's father shot himself, was abusive to his wife and son. And he told his son to "never get married".

It has been confirmed that most of the finished script was fictional, and not a direct reflection of Prince's home environment. Prince stated in an interview that the most autobiographical scene in the film was him watching his Mother crying. I'm sure some of the parent fight scenes were somewhat real, and per Albert Magnoli, Prince did tell him that his Father had said, "never get married" to him when he was younger - probably after a fight with his Mother.

*

Prince, on his Father in the 1985 RS interview:

*

"An ignition turns. “Wait,” calls Prince, remembering something. He grabs a tape off the T-Bird seat and yells to his father, “I got something for you to listen to. Lisa [Coleman] and Wendy [Melvoin] have been working on these in L.A.” Prince throws the tape, which the two female members of his band have mixed, and his father catches it with one hand. Nelson nods okay and pulls his car behind his son’s in the alley. Closely tailing Prince through North Minneapolis, he waves and smiles whenever we look back. It’s impossible to believe that the gun-toting geezer in Purple Rain was modeled after John Nelson.

“That stuff about my dad was part of [director-cowriter] Al Magnoli’s story,” Prince explains. “We used parts of my past and present to make the story pop more, but it was a story. My dad wouldn’t have nothing to do with guns. He never swore, still doesn’t, and never drinks.” Prince looks in his rearview mirror at the car tailing him. “He don’t look sixty-nine, do he? He’s so cool. He’s got girlfriends, lots of ’em.” Prince drives alongside two black kids walking their bikes. “Hey, Prince,” says one casually. “Hey,” says the driver with a nod, “how you doing?”"

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Reply #119 posted 08/01/19 7:40am

Dalia11

Also in the Purple Rain Movie: the Kid asks his father if he has music written down? His father replies: "No, I do not have to! That is the big Difference between YOU and I"!

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Forums > Prince: Music and More > Prince's Personality, a discussion of some theories , not a diagnosis of his personality.