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In Reply to: Apologies if offense given/I really wish you all the best posted by Skidrow on September 15, 2005 at 00:06:14:
Herein lies the problem with clinical descriptions--they are difficult to interpret without a great deal of exposure to people who actually have the condition. That's why licensed diagnosticians are required to clock several thousand hours of field experience and then pass an examination.
If you want to get a grip on Zerby's behavioral health issues, read up on personality disorders, particularly symptoms sometimes called "cognitive slippage" and "splitting" and "affect regulation." In a nutshell, Zerby has a problem with perceptual distortion and highly maladaptive coping strategies because she can't adequately process or regulate her anxiety states.
Zerby shows a lot of evidence toward dependent personality traits. She appears to have an extremely weak internal locus of control, and everything--the cause of all events--are externalized. "The devil made me do it" or "Jesus made me do it." She's not capable of conceptualizing how she might choose to do something by operating under her own steam.
Also, from some of the stuff I've read and analyzed, there's a possibility Zerby has Attention Deficit Disorder, but I've not seen enough evidence to confirm that diagnosis, so the position I take is "rule out" (R/O) ADD. In other words, I consider it a possibility until more evidence comes in.
