I think empathy is a gene in one's body. I'm probably wrong, but this is what I think. I have it, my son does not. He is now a robot in a virtual world. He has explained that empathy is just not what he feels and that is that. Blah blah blah.

I've spent the better part of 6 years, speaking to psychologist after psychiatrist about my son. Everyone said "we've never met a kid like your son". Therapy does not work. Every therapist has given up. He won't go to groups, because he knows everything.

He has been diagnosed with both Narcissistic Personality disorder, as well as Aspergers.

Whatever he has, it stinks, and absolutely can ruin a family dynamics.

How we can reach people like him, well I will never know. I do know I have tried. I've been up till 3 a.m. with suicide hotline people trying to make sure he's allright, only to be told they can't speak to me because after all I might be a hit person. Imagine a kid of 20, letting his parents believe he is suicidal and that he does this just to be picked up and taken to crisis centers where he gets a square meal and a snack and a bed for the night. He has admitted as much to me.

I have been told that "his brain is not wired like other people".

Oh really?? You have no idea how many people email me and describe the same situation in their own household.

This cannot be a coincidence. The rise in personality disorders, and aspergers, well, it's astronomical.

If research doesn't get to he bottom of this, I fear for the future of our world.

All these self centered people are developing personalities totally geared to their own well-being. So what is to become of he parents who raised them, who loved them. Are we going to be warehoused when we hit 80 or so??

I don't know. I find it very strange. I remember the old days, 40 or 50 years ago, when kids respected their moms and dads and didn't expect he mom and dad to support them for the rest of their life. When they went to school to learn, and not to bring guns and shoot up schools and malls.

We never had this in my younger years. Just look what is happening now.

I don't get it!!! I never will.

mel