Clinical Vampirism: Forensic Psychologists’ Ethical Obligations

Christa L. Drakulic and Kristine M. Jacquin

Introduction Background (continued) Characteristics of Clinical Vampirism (continued) Figure 3: Noll’s (1992) Diagnostic Perspective of ! Researching rare syndromes is an ethical obligation for • Cultural vampire myths have led to books (e.g., John • Scholars differ on whether: Clinical Vampirism (Renfield’s Syndrome) psychologists (i.e., Principle A: Beneficence and Non- Polidori’s The Vampyre, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Anne Rice’s (a) the ingestion of blood is a definitive criterion of CV or 1. Renfield’s Syndrome usually occurs in stages: maleficence, Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Interview with a Vampire), films (e.g., Nosferatu, The Lost whether the urge for consuming blood is simply enough (a) Autovampirism - a childhood occurrence/event in which Dignity, 3.04 - Avoiding Harm; American Psychological Boys, Blade, 30 Days of Night, Dracula Untold), and societal (Vanden Bergh & Kelly, 1964). blood is tasted, sparking fascination and excitement, Association, 2010). leading to the habit of drinking one’s own blood or • Although Clinical Vampirism (CV; aka Renfield’s Syndrome) gothic lifestyles (see Ramsland, 1998; Williams, 2016; (b) paraphilic (e.g., necrophilia) elements, sexual Williams & Browning, 2016). intercourse or pleasures, and cannibalistic elements saving it in containers. After puberty, the excitement of is controversial and not recognized in the DSM, research to the blood transforms to sexual arousal followed by determine its legitimacy, understand its etiology and Clinical Vampirism in Scientific Literature should be present (Gubb et al., 2006; Hemphill & Zabow, 1983; comorbidities, and develop treatments is needed. Prins, 1985; Vanden Bergh & Kelly, 1964). masturbation. ! The scarcity of research is harmful, isolating, and • CV is linked to psychopathology (impairment) and violence • To provide a more concrete construct, different scholars (b) Zoophagia - may occur prior to autovampirism or after alienating, because individuals are not receiving the help (obsessive or violent vampire-related behavior), which some developed the triad of vampirism (see Figure 1), four types and involves eating or drinking the blood of other needed to relieve their symptoms. contest due to the stigmatization inflicted on law-abiding of clinical vampirism (see Figure 2), and the progressive path animals or beings. Sexual activity may or may not occur. ! If substantiated or classified by the psychological “real” vampires (RVs; Williams, 2009, 2016; Williams & Browning, termed as Renfield’s Syndrome (see Figure 3). (c) Vampirism – obtaining and ingesting the blood of others, community, then courts are more likely to accept rare 2016). • Although there is no definitive treatment, integrative often during consensual sexual intercourse, lust syndromes’ legitimacy when they appear in the legal forum. • RVs use willing blood donors, do not harm others, and do not psychoanalytical techniques have been used as well as CBT murders, and other violent crimes. suffer from impairments. (Oppawasky, 2010; Suibhne & Kelly, 2010). 2. The urge to ingest blood is usually linked to sexual The Constructs of Vampire and Vampirism • Vampire-related articles were found in psychiatric journals elements. in the 1960s and 1970s (Suibhne & Kelly, 2010) and then resurged 3. Blood may be viewed as empowering or symbolizing life. • No universal definitions of ‘vampire’ or ‘vampirism’ exist Conclusion in the 1990s despite still being sparse (Gubb et al., 2006). 4. Experienced primarily by males. (Gubb, Segal, Khota, & Dicks, 2006). 5. The urge to drink blood is the main component of Renfield’s • Vampire: (1) “the reanimated body of a dead person • Some scholars (e.g., Prins, 1985; Williams, 2009; Williams & Prior, • Reported cases of CV may not be taken seriously due to the believed to come from the grave at night and suck the blood 2015) attribute the scarcity of literature and cases to the mythical or folkloric descriptions of vampires. Syndrome. of persons asleep, (2a) one who lives by preying on others, reluctance of individuals to come forward. • These cases do not differ from rare medical cases. (2b) a woman who exploits and ruins her lover” (Merriam • An exploratory study by Williams & Prior (2015) insinuated • Not only would the fields of psychology and psychiatry Webster, n.d.). RVs were unwilling to seek assistance from mental health benefit from more research in this area, but they would be Figure 4: Case Highlight – James Riva, II. • Vampirism: (1) “in folk belief and literature, the practices professionals for common issues for fear of being culturally living up to their ethical obligations to provide treatment associated with vampires. In the portrayal of vampirism in judged, mislabeled as psychopathic, or being perceived in and do no harm. Psychological Background: Mr. Riva had a remarkable mental literature, sexual pleasure is often associated with sucking association with “vampires” who show psychological • Research could yield effective treatment methods, which health history with numerous hospitalizations. In kindergarten, blood from another person;(2) a paraphilia whereby the impairment or engage in predatory behaviors. could decrease the number of vampirism cases that enter he would draw graphic pictures of individuals bleeding. He drinking of blood elicits sexual arousal or pleasure, (3) a rare later began drawing pictures of vampires; consuming food symptom of schizophrenia, characterized by vampiric • The shift from psychodynamic perspectives (i.e., examining the legal realm. the actual meanings of delusions and hallucinations) to the • Greater recognition and acceptance of the legitimacy of CV resembling blood; going long periods without sleep; running delusions and the drinking of blood” (APA Dictionary of away; having legal difficulties (e.g., assaulting a correctional DSM medical model (i.e., dimensionalized and focused on may provide comfort to those living under the shadows of Psychology, 2015, p. 1130). officer due to a delusion that the CO was draining fluid from his whether psychosis is present; Suibhne & Kelly, 2010), is another clinical vampirism and allow them to seek the help they spine); threatened to kill his father; decapitated a cat, Background obstacle to understanding vampirism. need. removed its brain, and drank its blood; had a preoccupation • Discovering and implementing effective treatments should with cannibalism and sadism; suffered from hallucinations and • Stemming as far back as 4000 B.C., with alleged outbreaks Characteristics of Clinical Vampirism prevent attacks and deaths, and decrease vampire-related suicidal ideation. He claimed to be a vampire for years and throughout the Age of Enlightenment, vampirism is steeped recalled the murderous events on April 10, 1980, proclaiming • Reported cases of CV have been found in the U.S., Asia, crimes. in many cultures (e.g., Serbian, Romanian, Transylvanian, that a voice compelled him to kill his grandmother and drink Hungarian, Balkan, Mesopotamia, India, Tibet, Africa, and Australia, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (Kelly, Figure 1: her blood, or he would die. Abood, & Shanley, 1999; News Corp Australia, 2015; Phang, 2013; Vanden Greece; Rothe, 2013; Suibhne & Kelly, 2010; Taylor, 2007; Tiziani, Hemphill & Zabow’s (1983) Triad of Vampirism Bergh & Kelly, 1964). 2009). Crime Details: Mr. Riva was charged with murder and arson due • Scholars have consulted cultural and mythical beliefs to aid • Famous alleged vampires: Triad of Vampirism: to giving way to his delusions by killing his wheelchair-bound in the recognition and comprehension of vampiristic (a) Countess Elizabeth Bathory tortured and killed young (1) consumption of blood grandmother. Prior to carrying her to her bedroom, pouring dry behaviors and characteristics of psychological cases (Tiziani, (2) a lack of identity gas on her, and setting her ablaze, he shot her with gold- maidens, and allegedly drank and bathed in their blood to 2009). (3) an uncharacteristic curiosity of death painted bullets and stabbed her. remain youthful (Tiziani, 2009). • A general profile of CV: (b) The son of Vlad Dracul, Vlad Tepes, came to be known as (a) mostly male Court Details: After initially being found incompetent to stand Vlad the Impaler and Dracula due to his cruel and Figure 2: (b) propensity for violence (i.e., attacking others for blood) trial, four expert psychiatrists for the defense testified that Mr. torturous nature of impaling his enemies (Rothe, 2013). Prin’s (1985) Classification on Clinical Vampirism Riva was not criminally accountable. One expert diagnosed (c) demonstrating antisocial and primitive behavior • Average citizens who may have been buried prematurely or 1. First class (Complete Vampirism) involves ingesting blood, him with schizophrenia, chronic; two others diagnosed him with (d) having an increased likelihood of incarceration died from diseases (e.g., the plague, pellagra, porphyria, or blood lust, necro-sadism, and necrophilia. schizophrenia, paranoid; and another deemed he was manic (e) partaking in self-harm to imbibe blood (Hemphill & Zabow, tuberculosis) contributed to widespread panic about the 2. Second class lacks blood consumption and cannibalism, but depressive with influential delusions and hallucinations. The 1983; Kelly et al., 1999; Oppawasky, 2010; Phang, 2013; Suibhne & undead (Barber, 1987; Kord, 2009; Prins, 1985; Suibhne & Kelly, 2010; consists of paraphilias (e.g., necrophilia). prosecution’s expert contended Mr. Riva was criminally Kelly, 2010; White, Omar, & Merrick, 2010) responsible and diagnosed him with borderline personality Tiziani, 2009). 3. Third class lacks death. • Most psychiatric literature has mentioned the predatory disorder. Although he pled not guilty by reason of insanity • Physical or blood-related properties of somatic disorders compulsions and behaviors may be the result of trauma and 4. Fourth class (Auto-Vampirism) consists of being sated by (NGRI), he was found guilty of second degree murder and linked them to vampirism and resulted in precautionary may be comorbid with other psychological disorders and blood consumption and has three subtypes: arson, as well as assault and battery for his attack on the measures of the deceased being beheaded, staking their symptomatology including schizophrenia, dissociative (a) self-induced bleeding and consumption, correction officer. Despite filing several motions and appeals hearts, removing their hearts, or burning the hearts to ashes identity disorder, hysteria, psychopathy, antisocial (b) voluntary bleeding and consumption, and that were struck down by the court, Mr. Riva is serving a life (Kord, 2009; Taylor, 2007; Tiziani, 2009). personality disorder, intellectual disability, and paraphilias (c) auto-haemofetishism, in which blood is administered sentence (Commonwealth v. Riva, 1984; Riva v. Ficco, 2014, • Vampires were investigated as far back as the 1700s by (Kelly, et al., 1999; Phang, 2013; Prins, 1985; Sakarya, Gunes, Ozturk & intravenously, resulting in sexual pleasure and 2015). physicians and theologians (Kord, 2009; Suibhne & Kelly, 2010). Sar, 2012). gratification

American College of Forensic Psychology Symposium 2018