Casey Anthony: Do her lies reveal her motivations and guilt?

What in the world moves Casey Anthony psychologically? Well, it’s very messy in her mind, so I enter into her psychology, cautiously! Casey’s lies speak to her psychological motivations. The most interesting of which is the lie she told about how Zanny the Nanny took Caylee away from her. Zanny wanted to teach Casey a lesson. What does the Zanny fantasy do for Casey in her dark psychology and web of lies?

We are all essentially pressure cookers, dealing with many tensions throughout the day. The better we cope with whatever is happening outside and inside of us, the lower our pressure. I think it’s fair to say, that Casey had a lot on her mind, especially being regarded as an unfit mother, according to Lee Anthony’s latest testimony. This and perhaps Casey’s difficulty at establishing an independent lifestyle on her own was too much pressure for Casey to bear. The Zanny fantasy then did more for Casey than just hold police at bay for a short while. It allowed her a fantasy outlet for acting out shame, guilt, and deep resentments. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us.


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7 Responses to “Casey Anthony: Do her lies reveal her motivations and guilt?”

  1. Congratulations on the new blog! I am looking forward to more.

  2. Hi Deborah,Yes, I imagine Casey was projecting something into Zanny in fantasy…I'm not sure if it helped her.

  3. Yes Mark, even her fantasy projections don't support her very well emotionally.

  4. avatar Fran says:

    Dr. Deborah, what is your professional opinion as far as Jose Baez's defense strategy? To me, it seems that he is trying to raise just the TINIEST bit of reasonable doubt in the jury's mind, which would probably be enough to dissuade them from issuing the death penalty. Baez's defense is that Casey Anthony was SO traumatized that her daughter "drowned" in the kiddie pool that she created delusions of grandeur that her daughter was still alive? I do not believe that as truth, but in your professional opinion as a psychologist – could it be possible?? Or is it a stretch, 1 in 100000 odds? Would be very interested to know your thoughts on this.

  5. From a psychological perspective Fran, you are right–it's a stretch. In theory as well as in my professional experience, there's no evidence that sexually abused people lie like sociopaths or create delusions of grandeur. It's really insulting to sexually abused victims. How much a trauma impacts a person has much to do with the person's development and coping abilities prior to the event, as well as the extent of the abuse. Fran, I have treated women who have been sexually abused, some of which occurred for years. In contrast to Mr. Baez's theory of it's impact on a person, these individuals emphasize authenticity in themselves and others because of the trauma they've experienced. And, I have experienced them as very sensitive to others' needs and sufferings. I agree with you, I think Baez' strategy is to create reasonable doubt. It seems to me that he should have done more research before he made such claims. Even if she were sexually abused, it doesn't naturally lead to Casey's behaviors in the months following Caylee's death.It's a sad circumstance. My heart goes out to her parents. Whatever the problems were in their home–I can't think of any psychological reasons that could justify a child's death.

  6. avatar deb says:

    Dr. Deb, sorry to hear your response to the CSA question. I have treated CSA victims for years and they act exactly- but a modified version- like Casey; and the families- exactly- but a modified version- like the Anthony's. To me the entire circus has been a profile in CSA. They also have a sociopathy-gene (George and Casey)and OCD (Cindy)- and i'd say aspergers for Lee- but they are a low-IQ bunch- so not sure- of course, their are the low-functioning aspies…he does some hand flapping and has other odd mannerisms. His behavior is right on- and he could have a bit of the sociopath gene as well.Deb

  7. Hi Deb, thank you for your input. I appreciate very much your experience and expertise in treating victims of sexual abuse. Most certainly, the abuse causes much disturbance in the self and in the families of the victims. Casey does exhibit a lot of the symptoms of a sexual abuse victim. Sexualizing relationships, a false self presentation and so much more that she exhibited are signs that this may have occurred in the past.I respond with may and allegedly because although she looks as if, I have treated sexual abuse victims who are quite the opposite of her. This certainly doesn't mean that my group defines everyone. When I say it's a legal stretch to say that George Anthony sexually abused her, it is because I have not interviewed or examined him. So, I don't really know–although I appreciate why it's not a stretch to say that she may have been sexually abused. I also hesitated to characterize most sexual abuse victims with the same pathology as Ms. Anthony. It seemed unfair to them, for me. But, you are right Deb that in general the sexual abuse is so destructive to the victim's psyche that it can produce much disturbance in the self. And, it's not a stretch to see especially for experts that sexual abuse may have occurred in her past. So, thank you for bringing my and the readers attention to this, as it is important also to convey the deep trauma sexual abuse as an act causes people. Thank you for following me. and, I look forward to your input in future postings.

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