Ex with childhood psychiatric issues

[rainbowbee]

Name changed as outing. I recently saw an ex from ten years ago and it brought up some old questions.

Back story- we had dated for four years and were living together for about half that. One day he dumped me out of nowhere. Later, it transpired that there had been a whole affair (in my house and bed too). That was bad enough, but he then facilitated (for the OW) and participated in a vicious campaign against me of stalking and harassment. It spanned two years, endangered me, and the police and his mother were eventually involved. It was the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me. I haven’t seen him since. It was like a sudden complete and utter personality change to something evil.

I knew from when we were dating that when he was 11 he spent some time in a residential psychiatric hospital. He said it was because of his parents’ divorce. Naively, I didn’t overthink this until how he behaved after our break up.
I’m questioning what could really have been the cause.

Why would a boy of 11 be committed to a psychiatric unit for a whole year?

This sounds familiar. My violent psychopath ex spent time in psychiatric hospital when he was similar age. I tried to ask why but never got answer. I am not anymore sure if he lied to me about that because it seems he lied about loads of stuff.

I don't think any of us could give an exact reason, but I feel it's safe to say it was due to very serious circumstances, perhaps in the areas of him self-harming or harming others. That's very sad, and I'm so sorry for the hell you endured.

A friend at the time said psychopathy actually. However he was never physically violent (to me or to my knowledge). No substance abuse. Lovely family. I'm just so curious about what went on at 11 that may have repeated at 31, like a split personality or something.