The boy in NJ who shot and killed mom, dad, sister and family friend was autistic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of folks want to believe this could never happen to them, hence all of the second-guessing of the parenting.

The salient issue here isn't when folks got a "proper" diagnosis or choosing a different provider. It is access to firearms.

Adam was a ticking time bomb. He was going to go off at some point whether he had a gun at his disposal or not. Banning firearms would not have made him well.

...but 26 people, mostly young children, may be alive today if he hadn't had access to those guns--the tragedy might have been prevented or at least contained. Not to get too political here, but that has to be said.

Maybe. Or he could have plowed his car into a playground taking out 27 kids. Or set off a bomb or torched a preschool.

But his obsession was with school shootings, particularly Columbine. He kept a list of mass shootings and posted on the internet about buying guns and shooting people. As is common with ASD, he had a restricted interest, but it was a rare and extremely dangerous one.

He was obsessed with violent thoughts. If it hadn't been a gun, it would have been something else. Banning guns wouldn't have made those obsessive thoughts go away.

I don't think banning guns is the answer either, but there should not have been guns in his home. Driving a car into a playground would probably not have caused as many deaths. Guns are made to kill people, and they work very well, which is why they are the method of choice for mass murderers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Sandy Hook shooter was also on the spectrum.

The Sandy Hook shooter had way more than ASD going on and those things were far more impactful on his psyche. Sometimes people say ASD, when there are other things going on that they would rather not explain or broadcast.

He also had OCD and depression, which are common comorbidities with ASD. Add that to a lack of treatment, poor family life and easy access to guns, and it's a disaster waiting to happen.

And he was a sociopath. OCD doesn’t cause people to be aggressive or violent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Sandy Hook shooter was also on the spectrum.

The Sandy Hook shooter had way more than ASD going on and those things were far more impactful on his psyche. Sometimes people say ASD, when there are other things going on that they would rather not explain or broadcast.

He also had OCD and depression, which are common comorbidities with ASD. Add that to a lack of treatment, poor family life and easy access to guns, and it's a disaster waiting to happen.

And he was a sociopath. OCD doesn’t cause people to be aggressive or violent.

Not all violence is sociopathy, although people often think so. Based on the extensive report from the State of Connecticut, he does not appear to have met the criteria for sociopathy. And nobody said OCD causes violence. The report made clear that Adam Lanza made his own choice to kill. But it also outlines all the missed chances for treatment, better school environment and better parental care that could have helped him make better choices.

[Anonymous]

Lanza was the extreme. He should have been institutionalized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet stigma head-on. People on the spectrum are much more likely to be the targets of harassment and violence than the other way around.

Or to put it another way, if everyone with ASD was a gun-crazed murderer there would be nobody left on the planet.

This is truly a tragedy on multiple levels for this family and their community.

But it is not proof of some kind of link between ASD or mental health challenges and the rates of gun deaths in the US.

Every single kid who does a mass shooting is also medicated for things like anxiety, depression, etc.

I think the issue is the pharmaceutical drugs and side effects on young men in particular, that are being glossed over that are the true cause of these mass shootings.

I can't even believe I'm saying this because I'm not at all a conspiracy theorist and I know that these drugs help many people-- but I do wonder if there are more harmful side effects than we are made aware of and that people who take them need much closer monitoring.

I am not a scientist, lol. But i wonder if there is some additional side effect that makes the risk of psychotic episodes/aggression/suicide/self harm/depression (all listed by the drug companies as possible side effects to those drugs) amplified by the surge of testosterone that boys naturally get during that phase of puberty around the later teen years to early 20s.

So instead of self harm, suicide, depression, etc they end up with uncontrollable rage/violence bursts/psychosis towards others.

Because these kinds of kids are more likely to take these kinds of drugs, it makes it appear that it is the disorder causing the mass shootings, when in reality it is a side effect of the drugs.

As it was explained to me (not my opinion, just as our physician advised): Depression increases the risk of suicidal behavior. Often, those who commit may have (unfortunately) done so regardless. It's not the medication, per se, that is causing it, it is the pre-disposition to that sort of behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet stigma head-on. People on the spectrum are much more likely to be the targets of harassment and violence than the other way around.

Or to put it another way, if everyone with ASD was a gun-crazed murderer there would be nobody left on the planet.

This is truly a tragedy on multiple levels for this family and their community.

But it is not proof of some kind of link between ASD or mental health challenges and the rates of gun deaths in the US.

Every single kid who does a mass shooting is also medicated for things like anxiety, depression, etc.

I think the issue is the pharmaceutical drugs and side effects on young men in particular, that are being glossed over that are the true cause of these mass shootings.

I can't even believe I'm saying this because I'm not at all a conspiracy theorist and I know that these drugs help many people-- but I do wonder if there are more harmful side effects than we are made aware of and that people who take them need much closer monitoring.

I am not a scientist, lol. But i wonder if there is some additional side effect that makes the risk of psychotic episodes/aggression/suicide/self harm/depression (all listed by the drug companies as possible side effects to those drugs) amplified by the surge of testosterone that boys naturally get during that phase of puberty around the later teen years to early 20s.

So instead of self harm, suicide, depression, etc they end up with uncontrollable rage/voiolence bursts/psychosis towards others.

Because these kinds of kids are more likely to take these kinds of drugs, it makes it appear that it is the disorder causing the mass shootings, when in reality it is a side effect of the drugs.

As it was explained to me (not my opinion, just as our physician advised): Depression increases the risk of suicidal behavior. Often, those who commit may have (unfortunately) done so regardless. It's not the medication, per se, that is causing it, it is the pre-disposition to that sort of behavior.

Paradoxical effects of antidepressants are documented as a rare but potentially deadly side effect. Even though they are prescribed for anxiety, in some people, they increase anxiety. My DD had this problem with Zoloft. At 25 mg her anxiety got a little better. At 50 mg her anxiety got much worse, she became very impulsive and irritable, and we had to stop. On Prozac, we had 3 great weeks, then she suddenly became extremely anxious again. In extreme cases, this can lead to uncontrollable rages or suicide.

[Anonymous]

If someone is horribly depressed, the medication can help them just enough that they have enough energy to do the terrible things they have been contemplating.

[Anonymous]

We had a kid at our son's school who was on ritalin and SSRIs for Aspergers and related attention and depression issues. (I knew the mom). It made him psychotic. He was paranoid, seeing things and so quite aggressive at school. As her psychiatrist played around with dosage the class wasn't safe. My kid got knocked to the ground and punched multiple times. He just would randomly lash out at kids for no reason. Nobody wanted to be sat near him or in a group with him. It was really sad because he was a sweet boy otherwise. Not sure whether the psychiatrist didn't get how dire it was or if the mom wasn'[t communicating, but as much as we liked the kid, so many of us wanted out kid switched to another class or something.

[Anonymous]

Both the Sandy Hook shooter and this kid were home-schooled, too. Parents are not helping their autistic children by isolating them at home. They need to be in a school setting where they can receive treatment and therapies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both the Sandy Hook shooter and this kid were home-schooled, too. Parents are not helping their autistic children by isolating them at home. They need to be in a school setting where they can receive treatment and therapies.

I'm pretty sure that Adam Lanza attended public school for a good part of his schooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet stigma head-on. People on the spectrum are much more likely to be the targets of harassment and violence than the other way around.

Or to put it another way, if everyone with ASD was a gun-crazed murderer there would be nobody left on the planet.

This is truly a tragedy on multiple levels for this family and their community.

But it is not proof of some kind of link between ASD or mental health challenges and the rates of gun deaths in the US.

Every single kid who does a mass shooting is also medicated for things like anxiety, depression, etc.

I think the issue is the pharmaceutical drugs and side effects on young men in particular, that are being glossed over that are the true cause of these mass shootings.

[phone] drugged up Americans in the name of xyz pseudo diagnosis.

[Anonymous]

Adam Lanza was not taking his meds. He wasn't even eating. He was 6 feet tall and weighed under 115 pounds at the time of the shooting per the medical examiner's report.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet stigma head-on. People on the spectrum are much more likely to be the targets of harassment and violence than the other way around.

Or to put it another way, if everyone with ASD was a gun-crazed murderer there would be nobody left on the planet.

This is truly a tragedy on multiple levels for this family and their community.

But it is not proof of some kind of link between ASD or mental health challenges and the rates of gun deaths in the US.

Every single kid who does a mass shooting is also medicated for things like anxiety, depression, etc.

I think the issue is the pharmaceutical drugs and side effects on young men in particular, that are being glossed over that are the true cause of these mass shootings.

I can't even believe I'm saying this because I'm not at all a conspiracy theorist and I know that these drugs help many people-- but I do wonder if there are more harmful side effects than we are made aware of and that people who take them need much closer monitoring.

I am not a scientist, lol. But i wonder if there is some additional side effect that makes the risk of psychotic episodes/aggression/suicide/self harm/depression (all listed by the drug companies as possible side effects to those drugs) amplified by the surge of testosterone that boys naturally get during that phase of puberty around the later teen years to early 20s.

So instead of self harm, suicide, depression, etc they end up with uncontrollable rage/voiolence bursts/psychosis towards others.

Because these kinds of kids are more likely to take these kinds of drugs, it makes it appear that it is the disorder causing the mass shootings, when in reality it is a side effect of the drugs.

As it was explained to me (not my opinion, just as our physician advised): Depression increases the risk of suicidal behavior. Often, those who commit may have (unfortunately) done so regardless. It's not the medication, per se, that is causing it, it is the pre-disposition to that sort of behavior.

Paradoxical effects of antidepressants are documented as a rare but potentially deadly side effect. Even though they are prescribed for anxiety, in some people, they increase anxiety. My DD had this problem with Zoloft. At 25 mg her anxiety got a little better. At 50 mg her anxiety got much worse, she became very impulsive and irritable, and we had to stop. On Prozac, we had 3 great weeks, then she suddenly became extremely anxious again. In extreme cases, this can lead to uncontrollable rages or suicide.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Meet stigma head-on. People on the spectrum are much more likely to be the targets of harassment and violence than the other way around.

Or to put it another way, if everyone with ASD was a gun-crazed murderer there would be nobody left on the planet.

This is truly a tragedy on multiple levels for this family and their community.

But it is not proof of some kind of link between ASD or mental health challenges and the rates of gun deaths in the US.

Every single kid who does a mass shooting is also medicated for things like anxiety, depression, etc.

I think the issue is the pharmaceutical drugs and side effects on young men in particular, that are being glossed over that are the true cause of these mass shootings.

I can't even believe I'm saying this because I'm not at all a conspiracy theorist and I know that these drugs help many people-- but I do wonder if there are more harmful side effects than we are made aware of and that people who take them need much closer monitoring.

100% correct

I am not a scientist, lol. But i wonder if there is some additional side effect that makes the risk of psychotic episodes/aggression/suicide/self harm/depression (all listed by the drug companies as possible side effects to those drugs) amplified by the surge of testosterone that boys naturally get during that phase of puberty around the later teen years to early 20s.

So instead of self harm, suicide, depression, etc they end up with uncontrollable rage/violence bursts/psychosis towards others.

Because these kinds of kids are more likely to take these kinds of drugs, it makes it appear that it is the disorder causing the mass shootings, when in reality it is a side effect of the drugs.

[Anonymous]

I have a huge amount of sympathy for Nancy Lanza. Hindsight is 20/20, but when you've been living in a situation like that, it can feel impossible. I came across this interview with the writer who told Adam's father's story to The New Yorker. Really good: https://www.npr.org/2014/03/13/289815818/6-interviews-1-reckoning-sandy-hook-killers-dad-breaks-silence

But apart from that, IMHO, we don't really need automatic and semi-automatic weapons for civilian use. They are designed to kill in volume.