Posted by ThumpyG:
ODD is basically defensive, defiant behavior that one exhibits to authority, mostly but could be to others as well. Deliberately not doing something that they are told to do. He could have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder too, but I digress.
I didn't get the feeling he was being defiant just for the sake of being defiant. I think he honestly believed he was right in "C&M" to pursue the case, and in "On the Job" all I saw was fear. Despite the fact that everyone was supporting him, verbally and in action by working on the case round the clock, Danny kept insisting he was alone in this. It was a traumatic situation sure, and for him to be upset was totally understandable, but he showed no faith or trust in his colleagues. To me, that suggests he's had enough bad experiences that showed him that the people he should have been able to trust weren't in fact trustworthy. The depth of his distrust suggests a childhood trauma/experience to me because of how irrational and instinctual it seemed to be.
I have clients on my caseload who exhibit some of the same personality issues that Danny has. Those individuals have experienced some form of trauma in their life that have made some of those same issues manifest. Abuse, and neglect are two large ones.
I wonder if the writers have consulted any psych professionals or textbooks in writing the character. Like I said, it's been a while since I had the classes, but Danny seems like a classic example in many ways.
From what I have seen from Danny, it is very obvious that whatever his ISSUES are, they have not been adequately addressed, and I am sure that Danny hasn't taken any inititive to address them either. He probably doesn't even think that he has anything wrong with him. Aiden had to coax him into getting the evaluation done and when she asked him how it went he clammed up, refused to take. Another survival mechanism that he has had to use to many times before, thinking that it has helped him, when in reality it is only making things worse.
It seems that many of Danny's actions are survival mechanisms he probably learned at a young age. Keeping people at a distance, not trusting people, lashing out--it all seems to be designed to keep people from getting close to him.
We see that now in his work environment, with his co-workers, offenders, victims, and just random people on the street (remember the kid who Danny ruffed up when he and Aiden were investigating his father's death (Gypsy cab driver)? Danny went balistic on that kid. For whatever reasons, Danny hasn't ever in the past been held accountable for his actions. His past, whatever it may be is slowly bringing him down.
Mac is really the only one holding him accountable at this point. Aiden should have had him pulled from the case when he started going off on that kid. As much as she helps him, Aiden also kind of covers for him, letting him get away with the bad behavior.
Mac's reply to him when Danny asked about the evaluation was good. He isn't ready to talk to him about it yet and there is so much unfinished business that Danny hasn't taken care of.
I thought that was good, too. Danny needs to learn to be more patient.
The writers haven't even scratched the surface on what Danny's issues are. In order to help him, he needs to be willing to accept help, realize that he needs help and be a willing participant in that help. He needs to be torn down completely, in order to be built back up. With him being older, good luck! His behaviors and personality as it is, have been set, he has gotten by for so long, I am surprised that it took this long for something to happen for Danny to have to face up to his problems and deal with them. At that, I don't even think that he is. Aiden had to pretty much TELL him to get his evaluation done.
That's the thing--how does one "fix" Danny? I mean, is there any way to get him to trust people, or is he just completely incapable of it?
Posted by csifeline:
Do you think it's a case of him actually not wanting to help himself or more maybe not really knowing what help he does need and how to accept help when it's offered. He's pushing people away because he's scared and doesn't know how to handle it. They say the first step is the hardest and even before you do that you have to be honest with yourself. Perhaps Danny has just been so busy trying to get through life he hasn't really looked at his life.
I think that's completely true. I just wonder what the approach would be at this point. The guy has so many defenses in some ways--the distance he puts between himself and others for example. But in other ways, he's completely vulnerable: he clearly has no control over his emotions. Even when he left Mac's office at the end of "What You See...," it was evident from the expression on his face, the tone of his voice, and his posture that he was really upset. It's like he doesn't the filter most people do for knowing when to show emotion and when to keep it in and be professional and collected.
Well if they don't give us details we'll just have to make it up ourselves. :lol:
OK, well here's a theory, his mother died from a long drawn out disease, so he watched her slowly die and the adults didn't handle him very well i.e didn't explain what was going on or give comfort. Sounds rather lame and I actually go more with the child abuse, but it's another idea. Or you could have both, his mother died and his father took his grieve out on Danny.
If it happened at a young age, that could explain some of his problems. Fear of abandonment? Not trusting others to not leave him alone/without any help? I think maybe that could explain it somewhat, but I'm not sure it would explain everything.
so, I don't want to rewrite it. I do work with that population of kids, so I have seen lots in that area.
