Diagnosing Charles Manson
Diagnosing Charles Manson
Brianna M. Petrosky
Harrisburg Area Community College
Diagnosing Charles Manson Born into a life of poverty, despair, and recklessness, Charles Manson did not have the greatest upbringing. His mother was a sixteen year old prostitute who was unsure of who was Charles’ father. He did not have a father figure in his life whatsoever. His mother was an alcoholic all his life who never sought treatment for herself. Alcoholism has been deemed a “family disease” for a reason…because those dealing with family members who are alcoholics tend to have harsh emotional problems. This can lead to destructive behavior throughout a person’s life, especially if neglected as a child. This was Charlie’s case. He was neglected at such a young age and his behavior spiraled out of control.
According to The Biography Channel online, Manson spent time living with his grandparents after his mother went to jail (“Charles Manson,” 2011). He was not used to their strict ways, seeing how he had all the freedom he did when he was living with his mother. He began to behave poorly and started causing trouble. Around age twelve, he raped another boy his age. Denying that he was gay, people did not understand at the time. Contemporary times say that he is in fact not gay, he just loved the power over other individuals. Manson was constantly in and out of detention centers until he served time in a penitentiary around age nineteen. That time he served was because he scammed a girl out of $700 and drug-raped her roommate. He was released around 1967 and traveled to San Francisco.
He met up with a group of hippies who eventually became his followers. They called themselves the “Manson family.” Charlie felt like a God to them, he could manipulate these people, who were mostly females. Manson enjoyed the power and used it to the best ability he could. He loved control. The group of hippies and “cult” became very large. It was estimated that the
Brianna M. Petrosky
Harrisburg Area Community College
Diagnosing Charles Manson Born into a life of poverty, despair, and recklessness, Charles Manson did not have the greatest upbringing. His mother was a sixteen year old prostitute who was unsure of who was Charles’ father. He did not have a father figure in his life whatsoever. His mother was an alcoholic all his life who never sought treatment for herself. Alcoholism has been deemed a “family disease” for a reason…because those dealing with family members who are alcoholics tend to have harsh emotional problems. This can lead to destructive behavior throughout a person’s life, especially if neglected as a child. This was Charlie’s case. He was neglected at such a young age and his behavior spiraled out of control.
According to The Biography Channel online, Manson spent time living with his grandparents after his mother went to jail (“Charles Manson,” 2011). He was not used to their strict ways, seeing how he had all the freedom he did when he was living with his mother. He began to behave poorly and started causing trouble. Around age twelve, he raped another boy his age. Denying that he was gay, people did not understand at the time. Contemporary times say that he is in fact not gay, he just loved the power over other individuals. Manson was constantly in and out of detention centers until he served time in a penitentiary around age nineteen. That time he served was because he scammed a girl out of $700 and drug-raped her roommate. He was released around 1967 and traveled to San Francisco.
He met up with a group of hippies who eventually became his followers. They called themselves the “Manson family.” Charlie felt like a God to them, he could manipulate these people, who were mostly females. Manson enjoyed the power and used it to the best ability he could. He loved control. The group of hippies and “cult” became very large. It was estimated that the
References: American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Quick reference to the diagnostic criteria from DSM-IV-TR. Washington, DC: Author. “Charles Manson Biography.” The Biography Channel. N.p. 2011. Web. 21 February 2013. Lewine, R. (2004). At Issue: Sex and Gender in Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 30(4), 755-762. McMurrich, S., Sylvia, L., Dupuy, J., Peckham, A., Peters, A., Deckersbach, T., & Perlis, R. (2012). Course, outcomes, and psychosocial interventions for first-episode mania. Bipolar Disorders, 14(8), 797-808. Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan. Abnormal Psychology. 5th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.