Can a person suffering from very severe depression become a killer?

1. 91

   sangreposted 12 years ago

   Can a person suffering from very severe depression become a killer?

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2. 59

   faith_love_hope32posted 12 years ago

   Anyone can become a killer.  Some of the most notorious killers were your average joe that shocked the heck out of everyone when they did what they did.  That is stereotyping.  I was actually thinking about this myself yesterday, the stereo typing. 
   
   It's something I'd like to write about.  From my own personal experience and knowing people that have gone through depression or anyone with mental illness.  Some of the mentally ill wouldn't hurt a fly and are probably more afraid of you. 
   
   I personally feel like people that kill are psychopaths and sociopaths.  People with no conscience and are pure evil.  Having depression doesn't make you a killer.  I went through depression myself.  I wanted to hurt myself in my early teens but not anyone else.  I just didn't want to live anymore. 
   
   I didn't feel good enough.  Never had a homicidal thought in my life.  Some people that have killed and were depressed, there had to be more to it than just being depressed. 
   
   When I was a kid, I was the kind of kid that felt guilty if I stepped on ants or cracks in the ground because I thought I'd "really" break my mothers back.  I'd cry if I saw a cat lying on the side of the road.  So again, not everyone that goes through depression is violent.

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      faith_love_hope32posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      This is kind of what I was saying:  http://investigation.discovery.com/crim … ology.html   No mention of depression.  But psychopath yes.

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   2. 93

      peeplesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Not being rude but the encyclopedia of serial killers both first and second edition show depression, bipolar, and several other illness being rampant among killers. Depression just isn't "worthy" of many writing about. Again not being rude js

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      faith_love_hope32posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't find you rude.  I've just witnessed many people go through depression, either because of a chemical imbalance, divorce, loss of employment, trauma, break up, postpartum and not everyone goes out and kills people.   That's ridiculous.

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   4. 93

      peeplesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Oh of course not. I personally suffer with it and bipolar and I am not homicidal. Just a possibility.

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   5. 59

      faith_love_hope32posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I think it would all boil down to whether or not the depressed person was experiencing psychosis.  Same thing with any other type of mental illness. Not everyone experiences psychosis though, but I think that's more than likely a huge factor. I agree

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3. 93

   peeplesposted 12 years ago

   Over 70% of known serial killers were suffering from one mental illness or another. With that said anyone can kill. Will it be the depressions fault? No. Depression is not likely to be the cause of killing thoughts. There are other mental illness that do cause bad thoughts and there are medications for depression that cause bad thoughts though.

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      faith_love_hope32posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I agree about the meds.  There are actually even medications for other illnesses that cause people to have bad thoughts.  I have a 16 year old that was on Keppra for Seizures and that medicine had him an emotional mess, so we tried something else.

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4. 70

   postsposted 12 years ago

   I don't think people suffering from any kind of depression can become a killer but if  the depression transforms to BPAD (episodes of depression and mania), he/ she can do especially in maniac phase.

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5. 92

   meloncauliposted 12 years ago

   I once had depression so severe years ago, that there is a huge blank in my memory about it! When you go into a black hole and depression is severe, you may say and do things that you don't even recall saying or doing!
   
   I recall the true story of a man who attacked his wife with an axe whilst depressed. He loved this woman dearly and his two teenage sons. There was absolutely no reason to attack her apart from the fact that he was in an abyss, a nothingness in life where meaning seemed to have been lost. As soon as he was treated for his very severe depression and realised what he had done he had another breakdown because of what he had done ( he couldn't recall  doing it). He lives his life now trying to regain the trust of his wife who got through the trauma. I watched a programme about this guy and I actually felt sorry for him...so did his wife! He didn't have any other mental illness...this is what depression can do to someone.

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