On the Newtown, CT Elementary School Mass-Murderer, Adam Lanza and an article in this weeks The New Yorker by Andrew Solomon: The journalist/author Andrew Solomon (Far From the Tree, The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, other books and TED talks) was interviewed on Terri Grosss NPR interview program Fresh Air today. Mr. Solomon was speaking about his interviews with Adam Lanzas father, Peter Lanza, about Adams problems and what may have led up to Adam becoming the Newtown Elementary School mass-murderer. Mr. Solomon had many interviews with Adams father, one of which lasted 7 hours. Among the fascinating insights Mr. Solomon shared were these. The psychiatric diagnosis of Adam Lanza of Asberger Syndrome may have been a relief to his parents, but it concealed the other aspects of his personality which could not be treated with whatever treatment is given for Asberger Syndrome. That is the dilemma with psychiatric diagnosis. On the one hand, it gives the diagnosed person and his family a feeling that they are not in this alone, that other people have the same problem. On the other hand, the diagnosis only goes so far. If there are other characterological problems afflicting the diagnosed person, such as in Adam Lanzas case, psychopathology, these other problems may be overlooked and not addressed. Another fascinating but disturbing tragic aspect of the case of Adam Lanza is this. One of his school teachers became aware of his angry feelings towards people, his feeling that hed like to do violence to people. In addition, Adam Lanza was depressed, based on his mothers emails to his father, Peter Lanza, which Peter let Mr. Solomon read. In the last few years of his life he cut off all contact with his father and began not communicating even with his mother. So, Adam Lanza was a young man who combined the pathology of deep depression with violent psychopathy. When he killed his mother, he shot her with four bullets, the same number as the members of his family: his mother, father, brother, and himself. In perhaps the saddest part of the discussion, Mr. Solomon says that Adams father Peter wishes his son had never been born. And in the end Mr. Solomon says its not fair to blame the parents for what Adam became. They loved him and did everything they could for him. Ultimately, this horrific, tragic mass-murder will remain forever in a shroud of mystery.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 17:48:50 +0000
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