Signs of personality disorder fit

MAXINE COHEN

I picked up my Daily Pilot on Sunday and saw the Steve Bolton cartoon

about Greg Haidl.

“Three strikes and you’re out” more than sums up the current mess

Haidl has created for himself.

Right next to the cartoon was an editorial expressing the same

opinion -- that Haidl deserves no more chances. The following

Tuesday, the paper’s lead story was an update on the Haidl case. This

whole fiasco makes my blood boil. So much so that I’m going to have

to add my two cents.

What does this kid have to do to convince the justice system that

he needs help? The list of his alleged misdeeds goes on and on. In a

small area like Newport-Mesa, what are we going to do? Wait until he

violates someone else -- inadvertently, unintentionally, not his

fault, isn’t what it looks like on video?

So what’s the deal here?

Let’s start with Don Haidl, Greg’s father and former assistant

Orange County sheriff. Where is he? Clearly, we can guess where he

was prior to two years ago -- absent, not paying attention, not

involved, but hasn’t Greg acted out enough by this time to have

gotten him to pay attention, and I don’t mean just with his

checkbook?

I raised a difficult child, and I mean to tell you, it’s a tough

job. But it has to be done, because Dad’s efforts to control and

contain his son are what will let the boy know that Dad loves him and

cares about his well-being. Now and then, I read something that asks

what Don Haidl is doing as a parent to deal with this, and then moves

quickly on. I think the answer to this question is worth pursuing.

I think we’ve all heard the maxim, if you want to know how someone

is likely to behave in the future, just look at how he has behaved in

the past. In Haidl’s case, this is a bleak prognosis. Being tried for

a gang-rape, not to mention the run-ins with authorities prior to

that, was not enough to deter him from violating the strict

provisions of his right to remain free on bail. Clearly this boy is

either unwilling or unable to take control of himself and his

behavior. He is a danger to himself and certainly to others.

Being a marriage and family therapist, I see things in

psychological terms. Now, I’m not a big advocate of the medical model

and diagnosis. I think that can get in the way of people seeing

themselves as able and believing that they can make what they want

happen in their lives. In Haidl’s case however, I got interested in

pigeon-holing him. I consulted the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual

of Mental Disorders, the Bible for all mental health professionals. I

went straight to the section on personality disorders.

A personality disorder is a distortion in perception embedded in

the basic structure of the person’s personality. Antisocial

Personality Disorder jumped right out at me. The essential feature of

this personality type is “a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and

violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early

adolescence and continues into adulthood.” Bulls-eye!

The diagnosis is made if at least three of the seven criteria are

met:

* Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful

behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds

for arrest.

* Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases

or conning others for personal profit or pleasure.

* Impulsivity or failure to plan ahead.

* Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated

physical fights or assaults.

* Reckless disregard for safety of self or others.

* Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure

to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations.

* Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or

rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another.

It seems to me that Haidl meets numbers one, five and seven

outright, with numbers two and three real good possibilities.

The remainder of the diagnosis is that the person is now at least

18 years old and has been acting out since before age 15.

The disorder follows a chronic course until about the fourth

decade, when it begins to subside, especially in terms of criminal

behavior and substance use. What allows the behavior to continue for

so long is that the person experiences no guilt, remorse or pangs of

conscience and thus has no means of internally moderating his

behavior, because he doesn’t feel bad about it.

Today I read that Haidl’s bail was revoked, and he was sent to

wait in jail, in the mental ward, until his retrial. I think this is

appropriate, both to guarantee his safety and that of the population

at large. If he can’t control himself, we need to do it for him. I

just hope that in addition to providing adequate supervision, Haidl

will get some therapy while he waits.

* MAXINE COHEN is a Corona del Mar resident and marriage and

family therapist practicing in Newport Beach. She can be reached at

[email protected] or at (949) 644-6435.