Shrinks Single Out Next PTSD: Bitterness

Over-the-top reactions to being thwarted may signal mental illness

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted May 20, 2009 8:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – Some psychiatrists believe embitterment is so common and so destructive that it should be classed as a mental illness, the Los Angeles Times reports. Sufferers are described as people who have worked hard at something like a job or relationship, only to be transformed into angry, pessimistic, brooding individuals consumed by thoughts of revenge when their efforts fail.

"They feel the world has treated them unfairly. It's one step more complex than anger, " said a German psychiatrist who labels the condition "post-traumatic embitterment disorder." He warns that such individuals are extremely unlikely to seek treatment, and said he believes the condition explains many instances where individuals thought of as normal turn into mass killers.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

'Post-traumatic embitterment disorder' affects around 1% or 2% of the population, psychiatrists believe. (Shutter Stock)

Mental health experts believe psychological disorders associated with embitterment explain many instances where individuals suddenly snap and become mass killers. (©VeryBadLady)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

Embitterment is a violation of basic beliefs. It causes a very severe emotional reaction.We are always coping with negative life events. It's the reaction that varies.
- German psychiatrist Dr. Michael Linden

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

See Something Traumatic? Don't Sleep Right Away

You might lock in those nasty memories: Study

(NEWSER) - Snoozing after experiencing a traumatic event might forge the negative memories and emotions in the brain, a new study suggests. UMass researchers exposed 100 adults to unsettling images and then allowed half to sleep and kept the other half awake. Twelve hours later, the subjects who stayed up displayed a weaker emotional response and weaker memory of the images than the ones who slept, reports ABC News . More»

Without Mental Illness, More People on Antidepressants

Study finds non-psychiatrists are increasingly prescribing antidepressants

(NEWSER) - Last year in the US, antidepressants were the second-most widely prescribed drug—and they are increasingly being used by patients who haven't been diagnosed with a psychiatric condition. A new study finds that in 2007, non-psychiatrists prescribed nearly 75% of antidepressants in the US, up from 60% 10 years prior. Meanwhile, the percentage of those patients being prescribed antidepressants without a mental illness diagnosis jumped from 2.5% to 6.4%. More»

Blame 'Vicarious' PTSD

Trauma is infectious, Essig writes, and therapists can catch it

(NEWSER) - When Todd Essig learned the Fort Hood shooter “was an Army psychiatrist who treats post traumatic stress disorder, himself on the cusp of deployment, I thought, ‘I’m not surprised.’” Why? Because there is a documented transfer of trauma disorders from sufferers to caregivers, dubbed “vicarious traumatization.” For some who provide care to soldiers, “the line between their experience and yours starts to blur until, well, something like what happened at Fort Hood” happens. More»

Electric Therapy Can Relieve Depression

New treatment using currents can help when meds don't

(NEWSER) - People with major depression that doesn't respond to medication may get relief from a therapy that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the cortex, the Wall Street Journal reports. In a clinical trial, transcranial magnetic stimulation worked in about a quarter of patients—about twice the success rate of patients on a placebo. More»

Debate Swirls Over Purple Heart for PTSD

Proponents say honor would reduce stigma; medal devalued, foes counter

(NEWSER) - Members of the US military are debating whether Purple Heart medals should go to troops with post-traumatic stress disorder, the Military Times reports. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said, "It’s clearly something that needs to be looked at,” but foes argue it would devalue the honor for those wounded in battle. Proponents say it would reduce the stigma attached to PTSD. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Shrinks Single Out Next PTSD: Bitterness