A Trauma Therapists Take on Netflix’s Dahmer Series
The other day I was coming back home from a weekend getaway and stopped at Five Guys for lunch. I ordered a cheeseburger and cajun fries if you were wondering. While I was waiting for my food, I overheard the staff talking about a “fantastic” new series. I didn’t even hear the title of the show but, based on what they were saying, I knew they were referring to Netflix’s new series “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” You can’t escape it! People are talking, and loving, this new take on one of America’s most infamous serial killers: Jeffrey Dahmer.
So of course, my interest peaked and I decided to watch the series myself. I do have to admit, the series is pretty good. The perspectives and way the story is told is interesting and hold my attention. Evan Peters plays the character Dahmer a little too well- it’s actually a bit creepy. From the first episode, my trauma therapist hat was on. Seeing how Dahmer’s parents neglected him, fought in front of him, and heck even taught him to cut up road kill may seem like the reason he became a serial killer.
What caused Dahmer to be a Serial Killer?
There isn’t one thing specifically that made Dahmer a serial killer. There was a multitude of things that formed him into who he was. You could also use the whole nature vs/ nurture argument. Let’s first take a look into how nature may have impacted his wanting to kill people. Clinically speaking, Dahmer meets the criteria for Antisocial Personality Disorder (what we mainly know as a psychopath/sociopath). Essentially people with APD do not have the capacity to feel empathy or remorse. Studies have shown psychopaths’ brains are wired differently - specifically the part of the brain that is able to feel empathy and guilt. This part of the brain isn’t as connected to the rest of the brain as someone who isn’t a sociopath.
Now let’s look into the nurture part. When it comes down to it, there isn’t anything his parents could have done to prevent him from being a psychopath. However, the question is, if he didn’t have the traumatic childhood he had could it have prevented him from killing people? Having abusive or neglectful parents in itself doesn’t make them abusive parents. However, many people who have abused others have a history of abuse. Are these things correlated? Sure! However, being abused doesn’t cause someone to become an abuser. This idea can be applied to Dahmer. Did his parents actually cause him to become a serial killer? Not directly. Did his parent’s constant fighting, his mom abandoning him, and his Dad being absent increase the chances of him becoming a serial killer? The answer would be yes.
Are all Psychopaths Serial Killers?
Nope! in fact, you’ve probably met people who have APD. There are plenty of people who fit the criteria of APD but don’t become serial killers. Their sociopathy presents differently. Sociopaths may not be able to feel empathy, but they can be very good at learning how to read people and social situations so they can get their way. Many CEOs of large companies probably fit into the mold of a sociopath. Why? because as a CEO you have to be ruthless and willing to do whatever takes to get to the top. Which means screwing other people over eventually.
Is antisocial personality disorder treatable?
Unfortunately, there is no known treatment for APD. There was a study that attempted to teach people with APD empathy. What ended up happening was that the crime rate in this group increased because they were able to capitalize on their new skills of empathy to get their way. It’s important to understand that sociopaths are born this way. It’s not something that can be randomly developed later on in life. Something to remember is just because there are no current treatments, doesn’t mean there never will be. There is so much about the human brain we don’t know about. With time, my hope is that some type of effective treatment will come to fruition. Until then, online therapy can help you cope with family members afflicted by APD, counseling in Philadelphia, PA is available, reach out!
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