STEPHEN I. BLOOMFIELD ED.D. CLINICAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY 3725 DUPONT STATION CT. S; JACKSONVILLE, FL

MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESS PERSONALITY DISORDERS SAFETY ENDURING CHILD DISPUTES

 The majority of families settle down and diminish their anger and conflict in the first two to three years after divorce.  The majority of families and family members are not dangerous.  Things change and life moves on.  A small percentage of families 8-12% continue in hostile relationships.

This relatively small group of chronically contentious and litigating parents utilize disproportional court resources and the children and others are likely to be exposed to emotional and physical interparental aggress

 Anxiety  Depression  PTSD  Thought disorders  Mood disorders  Comorbid  Somatization

 Major change from DSM IV to DSM 5  People now seen on a continuum  Most people with major mental disorders NOT dangerous.  Most people with major mental disorders are experiencing fear and psychic pain  Biggest dangers are paranoia and mania  Diagnosis and signs

 DEFINED BY ABNORMALITIES IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE DOMAINS:  DELUSIONS  HALLUCINATIONS  DISORGANIZED THINKING ( SPEECH)  GROSSLY DISORGANIZE OR ABNORMAL MOTOR BEHAVIOR(INCLUDING CATATONIA  NEGATIVE SYMPTOM

 FIXED BELIEFS NOT AMENABLE TO CHANGE EVEN WITH CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION  PERSECUTORY  GRANDIOSE  EROTMANIA  RELIGIOUS  SOMATIC  BIZARRE AND NOT

 PERCEPTION LIKE EXPERIENCES THAT OCCUR WITHOUT EXTERNAL STIMULUS  AUDITORY  VISUAL  TACTILE  IN THE CONTEXT OF CLEAR SENSORIUM ( NOT DREAMS, FALLING ASLEEP OR AWAKENING0

 INFERRED FROM SPEECH  DERAILMENT  LOOSE ASSOCIATING  INCOHERENCE  WORD SALAD

 DIMINISHED EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION  AVOLITION  ALOGIA  ANHEDONIA

 CHILD LIKE SILLINESS  UNPREDICTABLE AGITATION  CATATONIA

 Guns and signs in home  Paranoia  Delusions

 DIFFERENT THAN MAJOR MENTAL ILLNESS  HARD TO DIAGNOSIS  HARD TO TREAT  HARD TO CHANGE  CHARACTEROLOGICAL, PERVASIVE, INGRAINED  NOT SEEN AS PROBLEM UNLESS DYSFUNCTION

 BORDERLINE  NARCISSIST  ANTISOCIAL  HISTRIONIC  PSYCHOPATHY

 AT BEST IN COURTSHIP  PREOCCUPIED BY REAL OR IMAGINED ABANDONMENT  SEEK AND REJECT INTIMACY  INTENSE ANGER AND TANTRUMS  IMPULSIVE,SELF DESTRUCTIVE  IDEALIZATION AND DEGRADATION

 GRANDIOSE SENSE OF SELF  NEED FOR EXCESSIVE ADMIRATION  LACK EMPATHY  SPECIAL AND UNIQUE  BEST IN COURTSHIP

 WHAT IS MORE GRATIFYING THAN AN ADORING FIANCÉ  SEDUCTIVE, CHARMING, LIKEABLE  EXCITING  IMPULSIVE

 REJECTION.. SHATTERS NARCISSIST SENSE OF SELF FEEDS BORDERLINE FEAR OF ABANDONMENT

 DISREGARD FOR LAW AND MORES  CHRONIC LYING  DISREGARD FOR RIGHTS  ANGER AND FEELING WRONGED  SAFETY ISSUES  ADVERSARIAL PROCESS FEEDS

 Acknowledge concern  Active listening  Offer help if calm  Types of people presenting problem;  Verbally aggressive person  Violent of physically destructive person  Irrational person  Paranoid person

 ASK POINTED AND SHORT QUESTIONS NOT OPENED ENDED  PARAPHRASE, LET THEM KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING  FEELING DESCRIPTIONS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENT  DON’T BE INTIMATED, DON’T PRESS FOR EXPLANATIONS, DON’T YELL OR BECOME HOSTILE, DO NOT ACCEPT THE ABUSE

 SMILE, CLARIFY FACTS, SHORT PHRASES  DO NOT INVITE PEOPLE WHO THREATEN, ELECTRONICALLY, TO OFFICE TO TALK IT OVER.  DO NOT MEET WITH A POTENTIALLY VIOLENT PERSON ALONE  DO NOT IGNORE BODY LANGUAGE KEY WORDS  DO NOT DARE THEM OR BECOME MACHO

 USE LEADING QUESTIONS  CLARIFY FACTS  REDUCE EXTERNAL STIMULI  DON’T VALIDATE THEIR FANTASIES  DON’T ENCOURAGE TO SHARE  DON’T LAUGH OR SMILE  DON’T TELL THEM THEY ARE CRAZY  DON’T EXPECT A NORMAL CONVERSATION

 USE OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS  PARAPHRASE  USE OPEN SETTINGS  DON’T EXPECT TO BE TRUSTED  DON’T CHALLENGE BELIEFS  DON’T BE WARM AND CARING  DON’T MAKE LIGHT OF SITUATION

 HAVE AN OFFICE SAFETY PLAN  DON’T THINK YOU CAN OUT PLAY A PERSON IN THEIR OWN GAME  DON’T DIAGNOSE  DISENGAGE  DON’T SEE PEOPLE ALONE

 STEPHEN I. BLOOMFIELD ED.D.  CLINICAL AND FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY  3725 DUPONT STATION CT. S;  JACKSONVILLE, FL  