Betty Broderick Murder Case | Mental Health & Personality

In the DSM we see that Histrionic Personality Disorder has eight symptom criteria, five or more are required for diagnosis
1. is uncomfortable when not the center of attention
2. interactions with other people are characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
3. rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
4. using physical appearance to draw attention to yourself
5. style speech that is excessively impressionistic
6. is self-dramatizing and theatrical, exaggerated expression of emotion
7. suggestible
8. evaluates relationships as more intimate than they actually are

Narcissistic personality disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. It has nine symptom criteria, five of which are required for a diagnosis.

1. Grandiose sense of self-importance
2. Fantasies
3. Special or unique
4. Requires excessive admiration
5. Sense of entitlement
6. Manipulative
7. Lacks empathy for others
8. Often envious
9. Arrogant attitudes or behaviors

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a Cluster B personality disorder that has nine symptom criteria, five of which are required for a diagnosis:
1. frantic efforts to avoid abandonment
2. unstable relationship pattern
3. identity disturbance
4. impulsivity in two areas that are potentially self-damaging
5. suicidal behavior
6. affective instability
7. chronic feelings of emptiness
8. inappropriate or intense anger or difficulty controlling anger
9. paranoid ideation or severe dissociation

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.

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[sandranorman]

Have seen a lot of Betty Broderick’s in my profession. (Lab technologist at a local hospital). I can count past my ten fingers and ten toes that it has happened to acquaintances and friends. They are all in love when they are putting their husbands or wives through med school. But it seems like when the Docs go into private practice they look for something new. And does it always seem to be the secretary? I know after my ex husband bashed my face in and I got out of the hospital, I made up my mind that I was never going to be dependent on another man for my existence. I am 72 and retired. This happened to me when I was 25.

[hippiedachshunds]

One of the aggravating factors that enraged Betty the most was that she worked her tail off during the first 8 to 10 years of the marriage. She was their sole support the entire time Dan was in med and law school. She often held down multiple jobs, all while having and rearing their family, doing all the housework and all the cooking.
Betty felt she was entitled to the good life Dan's success had bought because in her eyes (and the eyes of millions of other women looking on) she had worked every bit as hard for Dan's success as he had. To have her reward ripped out from under her and handed to a younger, prettier version of herself (in her eyes) was just too much to take.

[yv]

My father taught us when young to never depend on a man for money, to be independent, go to school. He would repeat it over and over again, you need to be financially independent. Especially in the case any of his daughters ended up with an abusive man, ended up a widow, etc. I think he saw his sisters go through a lot and wanted to prepare us for reality.

[JohnSmith-jixt]

I can relate to Betty in some ways. My husband had an affair, gaslighted me to death, and then divorced me right after his mother died to be with the much younger other woman. His mother was a devout Christian who had been left for the other woman, as well. She would have disowned him financially if she had known about the affair. She didn't know about the affair: I thought at the time of the divorce he was having an affair, but when I confronted him about it he would call me crazy, evil, etc. I finally learned there had been an affair, and the reason he wanted a divorce was to be with the other woman. The timing of the divorce was so that he could keep his inheritance. Again, his mother would have been extremely upset with her son if she had known the truth. My ex-husband inherited millions of dollars; inheritance is not joint property, so he got to keep it. I was extremely angry; felt used. After our divorce, I know he took the other woman on lavish trips, bought her cars, etc, and I lived paycheck to paycheck. I work in education, so I was not living the high life. But unlike Betty, I had to accept what happened and move on. It was not easy and cried myself to sleep many nights. My ex is a covert narcissist, so learning about the disorder has helped me gain some clarity. The worst part about all this was not the affair, but the parental alienation that followed the divorce. He has tried to drive a wedge between me and my daughter. Parental alienation makes adultery look like child's play. My daughter is a young adult now and our relationship is still not the best, but, again, there is not much I can do, but try to be the bigger person.

[marytheresel]

Your analysis is thoughtful and fair. Everyone always seems to talk about what a monster Betty was without recognizing that Dan’s behavior was cruel. I agree that Dan was a grandiose narcissist. Excellent video as always!

[lg]

At 47 husband discarded me for a 22 year old. Not saying I'd do what Betty did, but I get it. I so get it. Fortunately, I found my own groove but it took a few years.

[SCAScienceLab]

I'll be honest - thank GOD I had watched the Betty Broderick Story several times before my ex-husband did the exact same thing to me. Unless you have given up your youth, been gaslighted for years, been replaced, been humiliated in your social circle, had your wealthy ripped away, had your retirement stolen (to buy his girlfriend a pet store because she always wanted one), and been controlled by your ex-husband financially control you post-divorce (e.g. refusing to pay alimony or arrears, constant threats of withholding support or taking you back to court, taking another job without informing you, gone hungry, had to sell your clothes and jewelry to buy gasoline/food, had your car repossessed because he won't pay the note, have your houses foreclosed because he needs his money for his new house, seen your kids not attend college because he needs his money to send her kids to college) - there is no way you can find fault in Betty. I was on the brink of insanity a million times for 8 years and Betty's story kept me from snapping too.

[mightyea]

As an ex wife I can say that one can go crazy when you give your life to someone and they replace you for the new model. You are left older, with kids and now without a life. She needed lots of therapy to work through her place in the world after her marriage ending.

[benjaminperez]

You know, I visit Greenwood Cemetery on a regular basis and I often pass by the Broderick Kolkena grave. It’s a monument style and very hard to miss. Nobody ever visits or places flowers there. The house is also in my neighborhood and it didn’t sell for many years. Kolkena often pursued married men. She lost an airline job because of her inappropriate behavior. Just some additional information.

[Muffynbear-bsfh]

Never depend on a man for your happiness and always have a backup plan if the relationship doesn't work out.

[kathyvalois]

She didn’t stay at home, she worked while he went to school.she stayed home after he graduated.

[africanawang]

it's better to just invest in yourself so that when things turn sour, you just walk away without an ounce of bitterness. Protect yourselves guys

[PR-ywjt]

It should be noted that $16, 000 a month seems like a lot of money but she was living in a house in his name with a very high mortgage and she had to pay the lease on two cars that were both in his name. She was obligated to do those things and it didn't actually leave her very much money left.

[nettiea]

Its a cautionary true life story! A woman shd never make a man her everything. Sad sad tale

[shariberry]

Betty Broderick's parents were very unloving and uncaring toward her growing up. She was denied love and acceptance from them. I have read her case history in depth. I am not excusing what she did at all. I am just very aware of the horrific psychological damage parents and early caregivers can cause to children by not providing love, compassion, empathy and nurturing.

[socalindi]

The one big mistake Betty made was physically dumping the children at Dan's doorstep during the divorce. She thought she was going to "get him" but ended up losing her children because she didn't show that she wanted custody. Then complained about it. She never should have given them up willingly.

[fairenough]

I remember when this happened. He tormented her relentlessly. I don't condone murder, but by the same token, he should have been stopped. She was treated poorly by the system because he was a part of the system. In some sense, I believe he got his just reward.

[Doris]

Actually she did work while Dan was going to school by babysitting, selling Avon and Tupperware door to door and teaching school plus taking care of the kids.

[Mrs.Banerji]

Her husband broke her emotionally, financially and joked about her in front of their own kids. Made her look like crazy when all he had to do was come clean and acknowledge her sacrifices and expectations and go for a sensible solution that was best for the kids as well. He just did not want to share wealth and kids with her anymore. All this time she is thinking their marriage still has hope. It's so traumatic to just learn abut this story I can't even imagine how people maintain their mental stability while actually going through it. My heart goes out to her. She deserved a better life and a fair treatment from her husband when he was alive. So, so unfair and brutal.

[amandacharlebois]

Betty was a little unstable and reactive, but Dan pushed her to such a point that it’s like, what did he expect? How did he think this was going to end? Did he think he could just hurt, manipulate, abuse, gaslight, use her kids, and keep her kids away from her as punishment, and nothing would happen??? It doesn’t work like that, he took everything from her. She had nothing to lose.