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Hello there all,
I'm writing this because some other thoughts occurred to me a while ago, concerning
one Kara Thrace.
And yes, all this probably makes me look rather pathetic as far as having a life is
concerned... What of it? :-D
As an additional note: I'm posting this stuff as an interested non expert. :-)
I'm writing this because some other thoughts occurred to me a while ago, concerning
one Kara Thrace.
And yes, all this probably makes me look rather pathetic as far as having a life is
concerned... What of it? :-D
As an additional note: I'm posting this stuff as an interested non expert. :-)
I've been thinking off and on about this, actually, ever since seeing peoples' reactions to
'Unfinished Business' -very negative reactions to Kara in particular. It's a reaction I don't
share, perhaps because I've been able to account for her behavior.
Of course, I've never been a proponent of the idea that giving someone's bad behavior
a name excuses that behavior, ethically speaking. But to echo a character from another
TV show I love, "I don't condone it but I understand it".(1)
What is Reactive Attachment Disorder? (2)
A. Markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate social relatedness in most contexts,
beginning before age 5, as evidenced by (i) or (ii):
(i) persistent failure to initiate or respond in a developmentally appropriate fashion to most social
interactions, as manifest by excessively inhibited, hypervigilant, or highly ambivalent and contradictory
responses
(ii) diffuse attachments as manifest by indiscriminate sociability with maked inability to exhibit appropriate
selective attachments
B. The disturbance in A is not accounted for by developmental delay or developmental disorder
C. Pathogenic care as evidenced by at least one of the following
(i) persisten disregard of the child's basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation, and affection
(ii) persistent disregard of the child's basic physical needs
(iii) repeated changes of primary caregiver that prevent the formation of stable attachments
D. There is a presumption that the care in criterion C is responsible for the disturbed behavior
in criterion A.
In other words, this disorder has traditionally been a diagnosis applied to young children.
There does seem to be a certain notion however (based on my review of the literature),
of attachment being something which exists later in life. There is also the notion that
early attachment is something which has great influence on the rest of a person's
life. (3-6) Furthermore, there is also a notion in psychiatry and psychology of attachment
disorder being prevalent among older adopted children/adolescents. (13, 14) From what
I read in a very interesting entry on wikipedia, some authors have discussed the similarity
between parent-child relationships and romantic relationships: go here for this entry. (7)
(Also, have a look at the other wikipedia entries on attachment in children here, and on
attachment theory here. There is even the following link: "Readers curious about their
own attachment style can take the questionnaire developed by Shaver and colleagues
at http://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-b
is for educational purposes only as stated by its creators. (8-10))
I have already expanded at length on why I don't think Kara Thrace is a sociopath/psychopath,
and on why I would say she is capable of compassion here.
What I do think she is, is scared and reacting defensively on a great many occasions. She seems to
*want* close relationships, but is utterly incapable of dealing with the closeness they entail. She often
reacts defensively by pushing away those who get close to her. As examples, consider (11):
-Her sleeping with Baltar towards the end of season one, which can be seen as a means of pushing Lee
Adama away.
-Her promiscuousness, which can be interpreted as a way of avoiding close personal relationships.
-Her reaction, after having a falling out with Lee towards the end of season one, to finding out that Commander
Adama had lied about knowing the location of Earth. To anyone else watching, her reaction at the time may
have seemed somewhat irrational. An overreaction, in fact. However to Kara Thrace, who has known little
else *except* betrayal and pain, this lie was simply the confirmation of deeply held fears. It was a confirmation
of a pattern she has experienced throughout her life.
-Her reactions in 'Scar' in season two, when it comes to the idea of caring for someone (i.e Samuel Anders)
-Her reaction in the flashbacks in season three, to the idea of herself and Lee abandoning their respective
spouses (i.e. marrying Anders the very next morning). It has been more or less established, IMHO, that
while she loves Sam Anders she is not *in love* with him. (Which is unfortunate for her since that relationship
is a much healthier one for her than the one she has with Lee.) One can interpret her staying with Sam as another
means of running away from that closeness that she fears. It also bears noting, again IMHO, that Lee has known
Kara for several years and therefore knowns things about her that Sam (probably) does not.
It is also worthwhile to note that Kara comes from a history of abuse. It has been stated in previous episodes
that she was physically abused by her mother. (12)
Another aspect of this question is that there are different styles of attachment: in this case one classification is
secure, anxious-preoccupied,dismissive-a
styles which describe Kara best:
Dismissive-avoidant: "I am comfortable without close emotional relationships. It is very important to
me to feel independent and self-sufficient, and I prefer not to depend on others or have others depend on me." (7)
Fearful-avoidant: "I am somewhat uncomfortable getting close to others. I want emotionally close
relationships, but I find it difficult to trust others completely, or to depend on them. I sometimes worry that
I will be hurt if I allow myself to become too close to others." (7)
In conclusion, Kara Thrace's behavior can be partly explained as a defensive reaction to deep-seated
fears which are a consequence of her formative experiences. IMHO.
But what do you think?
References
1. Synopsis of the Babylon 5 Episode, "Between the Darkness and the Light", on the Lurker's Guide to
Babylon 5. Located at: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/u
2. DSM-IV-TR criteria for reactive attachment disorder. Taken from: Sadock BJ, Alcott Sadock V.
Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry. Ninth edition. Philadelphia, 2003.
3. Fonagy P et al. Attachment and borderline personality disorder. A theory and some evidence. Psychiatr
Clin North Am 23(1):103-122. Mar 2000.
4. Agrawal HR et al. Attachment studies with borderline patients: a review. Harv Rev Psychiatry 12(2): 94-104. Mar 2004.
5. Shore AN. Dysregulation of the right brain: a fundamental mechanism of traumatic attachment and the
psychopathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder. Australian and New Zealand J of Psychiatry 36:9-30. 2002.
6. Rees CA. Thinking about children's attachments. Arch Dis Child 90:1058-1065. 2005.
7. Adult attachment at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
8. Childhood attachment at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
9. Attachment theory at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
10. Questionnaire on attachment styles at: http://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-b
11. Canadian Space Channel's synopses of aired episodes. Located at: http://www.spacecast.com/bsg/episodes.as
12. Battlestar Wiki on Kara Thrace's mother. Located at: http://battlestarwiki.joebeaudoin.net/in
13. Hughes DA. Adopting children with attachment problems. Child Welfare 78(5):541-560.
14. Personal communication.
NB: Reproduction of the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Reactive Attachment disorder here is for the exclusive personal
use of myself and my (online) friends. I am NOT making any profit from this, in any way, shape or form. Rather,
I am including these criteria as part of an intellectual discussion and no copyright infringement is intended.
'Unfinished Business' -very negative reactions to Kara in particular. It's a reaction I don't
share, perhaps because I've been able to account for her behavior.
Of course, I've never been a proponent of the idea that giving someone's bad behavior
a name excuses that behavior, ethically speaking. But to echo a character from another
TV show I love, "I don't condone it but I understand it".(1)
What is Reactive Attachment Disorder? (2)
A. Markedly disturbed and developmentally inappropriate social relatedness in most contexts,
beginning before age 5, as evidenced by (i) or (ii):
(i) persistent failure to initiate or respond in a developmentally appropriate fashion to most social
interactions, as manifest by excessively inhibited, hypervigilant, or highly ambivalent and contradictory
responses
(ii) diffuse attachments as manifest by indiscriminate sociability with maked inability to exhibit appropriate
selective attachments
B. The disturbance in A is not accounted for by developmental delay or developmental disorder
C. Pathogenic care as evidenced by at least one of the following
(i) persisten disregard of the child's basic emotional needs for comfort, stimulation, and affection
(ii) persistent disregard of the child's basic physical needs
(iii) repeated changes of primary caregiver that prevent the formation of stable attachments
D. There is a presumption that the care in criterion C is responsible for the disturbed behavior
in criterion A.
In other words, this disorder has traditionally been a diagnosis applied to young children.
There does seem to be a certain notion however (based on my review of the literature),
of attachment being something which exists later in life. There is also the notion that
early attachment is something which has great influence on the rest of a person's
life. (3-6) Furthermore, there is also a notion in psychiatry and psychology of attachment
disorder being prevalent among older adopted children/adolescents. (13, 14) From what
I read in a very interesting entry on wikipedia, some authors have discussed the similarity
between parent-child relationships and romantic relationships: go here for this entry. (7)
(Also, have a look at the other wikipedia entries on attachment in children here, and on
attachment theory here. There is even the following link: "Readers curious about their
own attachment style can take the questionnaire developed by Shaver and colleagues
at http://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-b
is for educational purposes only as stated by its creators. (8-10))
I have already expanded at length on why I don't think Kara Thrace is a sociopath/psychopath,
and on why I would say she is capable of compassion here.
What I do think she is, is scared and reacting defensively on a great many occasions. She seems to
*want* close relationships, but is utterly incapable of dealing with the closeness they entail. She often
reacts defensively by pushing away those who get close to her. As examples, consider (11):
-Her sleeping with Baltar towards the end of season one, which can be seen as a means of pushing Lee
Adama away.
-Her promiscuousness, which can be interpreted as a way of avoiding close personal relationships.
-Her reaction, after having a falling out with Lee towards the end of season one, to finding out that Commander
Adama had lied about knowing the location of Earth. To anyone else watching, her reaction at the time may
have seemed somewhat irrational. An overreaction, in fact. However to Kara Thrace, who has known little
else *except* betrayal and pain, this lie was simply the confirmation of deeply held fears. It was a confirmation
of a pattern she has experienced throughout her life.
-Her reactions in 'Scar' in season two, when it comes to the idea of caring for someone (i.e Samuel Anders)
-Her reaction in the flashbacks in season three, to the idea of herself and Lee abandoning their respective
spouses (i.e. marrying Anders the very next morning). It has been more or less established, IMHO, that
while she loves Sam Anders she is not *in love* with him. (Which is unfortunate for her since that relationship
is a much healthier one for her than the one she has with Lee.) One can interpret her staying with Sam as another
means of running away from that closeness that she fears. It also bears noting, again IMHO, that Lee has known
Kara for several years and therefore knowns things about her that Sam (probably) does not.
It is also worthwhile to note that Kara comes from a history of abuse. It has been stated in previous episodes
that she was physically abused by her mother. (12)
Another aspect of this question is that there are different styles of attachment: in this case one classification is
secure, anxious-preoccupied,dismissive-a
styles which describe Kara best:
Dismissive-avoidant: "I am comfortable without close emotional relationships. It is very important to
me to feel independent and self-sufficient, and I prefer not to depend on others or have others depend on me." (7)
Fearful-avoidant: "I am somewhat uncomfortable getting close to others. I want emotionally close
relationships, but I find it difficult to trust others completely, or to depend on them. I sometimes worry that
I will be hurt if I allow myself to become too close to others." (7)
In conclusion, Kara Thrace's behavior can be partly explained as a defensive reaction to deep-seated
fears which are a consequence of her formative experiences. IMHO.
But what do you think?
References
1. Synopsis of the Babylon 5 Episode, "Between the Darkness and the Light", on the Lurker's Guide to
Babylon 5. Located at: http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/u
2. DSM-IV-TR criteria for reactive attachment disorder. Taken from: Sadock BJ, Alcott Sadock V.
Kaplan & Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry. Ninth edition. Philadelphia, 2003.
3. Fonagy P et al. Attachment and borderline personality disorder. A theory and some evidence. Psychiatr
Clin North Am 23(1):103-122. Mar 2000.
4. Agrawal HR et al. Attachment studies with borderline patients: a review. Harv Rev Psychiatry 12(2): 94-104. Mar 2004.
5. Shore AN. Dysregulation of the right brain: a fundamental mechanism of traumatic attachment and the
psychopathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder. Australian and New Zealand J of Psychiatry 36:9-30. 2002.
6. Rees CA. Thinking about children's attachments. Arch Dis Child 90:1058-1065. 2005.
7. Adult attachment at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
8. Childhood attachment at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
9. Attachment theory at wikipedia. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attachment_
10. Questionnaire on attachment styles at: http://www.web-research-design.net/cgi-b
11. Canadian Space Channel's synopses of aired episodes. Located at: http://www.spacecast.com/bsg/episodes.as
12. Battlestar Wiki on Kara Thrace's mother. Located at: http://battlestarwiki.joebeaudoin.net/in
13. Hughes DA. Adopting children with attachment problems. Child Welfare 78(5):541-560.
14. Personal communication.
NB: Reproduction of the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Reactive Attachment disorder here is for the exclusive personal
use of myself and my (online) friends. I am NOT making any profit from this, in any way, shape or form. Rather,
I am including these criteria as part of an intellectual discussion and no copyright infringement is intended.
nervous
"Kara is damaged goods that's the reason for her being a bitch to everyone."
Your posts are just a bit more eloquent and researched than mine.
I had an interesting time of it looking into the research
on this topic. I first thought about this though, after a
discussion about attachment disorder I had with someone who
is rather well versed on the subject. :-) I thought it was
fascinating.
Yep, I'm a nerd. Oh well... ;-D
It's an interesting theory and you've given us some good back up. Curious what your friends experience is (LSW or Psychiatrist?).
Really? Very interesting. I've seen a few cases myself that send credence to this idea, which is pretty much what got me thinking about this in the first place.
I'm curious, what kind of work do you do (if you don't mind my asking)?
It's an interesting theory and you've given us some good back up.
Thank you. :-)
Curious what your friends experience is (LSW or Psychiatrist?).
They work in the field of psychiatry.
Just BTW, what does LSW stand for?
I've worked with SED kids in several incarnations.
My degree is in Therapuetic Recreation (minor is Abnormal Psych).
*In college I ran a recreation program for SED teens.
*I was a Big Sister to a pre-teen boy with ADHD and attachment disorder.
*I worked on a locked psych unit for adults with dev. disabilities.
*I volunteered at Napa State hospital on the dual diagnosis teen unit. (working with extremely violent and troubled incarcerated teens)
*I also spent summers working with SED kids as a special education classrom aid/recreation specialist.
I actually don't work in the field anymore because i was attacked by my favorite client and my husband freaked out and forbade me to go back to the field.
Just BTW, what does LSW stand for?
Actually it should have been LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
My degree is in Therapuetic Recreation (minor is Abnormal Psych).
*In college I ran a recreation program for SED teens.
*I was a Big Sister to a pre-teen boy with ADHD and attachment disorder.
*I worked on a locked psych unit for adults with dev. disabilities.
*I volunteered at Napa State hospital on the dual diagnosis teen unit. (working with extremely violent and troubled incarcerated teens)
*I also spent summers working with SED kids as a special education classrom aid/recreation specialist.
Very impressive. :-) And thank you for commenting, BTW. :)
I actually don't work in the field anymore because i was
attacked by my favorite client and my husband freaked out and
forbade me to go back to the field.
I see. I'm sorry you had a difficult experience.
Actually it should have been LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Ah! It must be the cultural and linguistic barrier manifesting
itself again (i.e. I'm used to seeing various terminology
in french). Thank you for explaining.