Christopher Phillips: Did a Grief Disorder lead to a Prison Sentence?
About this episode
The episode discusses Christopher Phillips's case of prolonged grief and its implications on mental health and crime.
60-year-old Christopher Phillips kept his mother’s body in a freezer for almost three years, talking to her about her favourite television programmes and holding her hand as if she were still alive. A court heard that he was suffering from a little-known mental health condition called Prolonged Grief Disorder. But he also kept collecting her pension money - and he's now been sent to prison. In this episode, Liz speaks to Dr Michael Duffy, a psychotherapist and specialist in trauma therapy, about what happens when grief becomes prolonged and overwhelming. They discuss Christopher Phillips’s unusual case, how the condition differs from normal grief and depression, why it can be missed by doctors, and whether a better understanding of Prolonged Grief Disorder could have prevented his grief from spiralling into crime. Subscribe via https://plus.thecrimedesk.com Follow us on TikTok @DailyMailCrime Email us thetrial@dailymail.com WhatsApp us +447796657512 (start your message with ‘Trial’) Presenter: Liz Hull Guest: Dr Michael Duffy Editor: Chelsey Ranore Creative Director: Caroline Cheetham Assistant Producer: Harriet Muckle Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini A…
People in this episode
Host: Liz Hull
Guest: Dr Michael Duffy
Topics covered
- Prolonged Grief Disorder
- mental health
- crime
- grief
- psychotherapy
Keywords
- grief disorder
- mental health condition
- prison sentence
- psychotherapy
- trauma therapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Crime Desk, Daily Mail
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