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2000+ Years Later, Samson's Diagnosis: Antisocial Personality Disorder
Writing in a recently published psychiatric journal, four physicians offer slightly different interpretations of the character of Samson, the Biblical hero who fought the Philistines and fell victim to Delilah s wily charms. They argue that Samson who lied to his parents, stole from his neighbors, brawled on a regular basis, and apparently killed with abandon offers a classic example of someone suffering from antisocial personality disorder (ASPD).
Dr. Eric L. Altschuler, a research fellow at the University of California at San Diego's brain and perception laboratory and the lead author of the research letter to Archives of General Psychiatry, suggests that Samson meets six out of seven criteria for diagnosis of the disorder, as defined by the American Psychiatric Association s official diagnostic manual (only three of the seven listed specifications are necessary for the diagnosis to be applied). It s pretty straightforward, pretty cut and dried, Dr. Altschuler said.
In the era of Prozac and Ritalin, some may feel that psychiatric syndromes and disorders are over applied, however, Dr. Altschuler contends that a great deal can be learned from applying modern diagnostic criteria to historical figures. Dr. Altschuler and his colleagues argue that the study of the history of a disease can provide clues to its pathogenesis. Although their analysis was done partly tongue-in-cheek, Dr. Altschuler contends that, from a literary point of view, an appreciation that Samson had ASPD makes many pieces of the story previously enigmatic or in need of long explanations fall into place.
Samson Aggressive Style of Heroics Fits the DSM-IV Description For ASPD
In the psychiatric association's diagnostic manual, antisocial personality disorder is described as a pervasive pattern of disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood. The condition is often associated with lawbreakers and con artists, but can also, experts say, be found among successful mainstream individuals politicians, for example.
Dr. Altschuler and his co-authors determined that, as described in Judges 13-16, Samson's behavior neatly meets the diagnostic criteria for deceitfulness; a failure to conform to social norms, including defiance of the law; impulsivity; irritability and aggressiveness; flagrant disregard for the safety of self and others; and a lack of remorse for his actions. In support of their diagnosis, they point to a long series of questionable incidents, including Samson s torching of the Philistines' fields, lying to his parents (he failed to tell them that he had killed a lion, or that the honey he offered them was taken from a lion's carcass), his repeated involvement in physical fights, and his unabashed gloating after single-handedly killing 1,000 Philistines using only the jawbone of an ass.
As further evidence of his pervasive self-destructiveness, the journal authors point to Samson confiding the secret of his strength his uncut hair to Delilah after thrice deflecting her persistent queries with lies, as well as his violent death by his own hand, in which he took countless Philistines with him.
Samson s Childhood Pathology
Perhaps, suggests Dr. Altschuler and his colleagues, Samson s penchant for fire-setting and his bullying and cruelty to animals is an indication that he'd earlier suffered from conduct disorder, a syndrome that has an onset in childhood and is considered indicative of antisocial personality disorder. However, they add, it is unclear whether Samson displayed these behaviors prior to age 15 as is required for the conduct disorder diagnosis
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