Sociopathy Articles
A sociopath is someone who is antisocial in nature and has tremendous difficulty relating to other human beings. They don’t understand emotions and have can often be narcissistic. Sociopaths have behavior that is influenced by their environments. Psychopaths have behavior that is determined by their brains and their disorder can be traced to genetics. However, just because their brains are abnormal, that isn’t the only thing that causes psychopathy. They are influenced by a traumatic violent childhood.
The articles seen here will examine how to know if you’ve interacted with a sociopath and what to do if that happens. Sociopathy is complex in nature and often misunderstood. These articles are designed to give you insight into the mind of this fascinating but disturbed personality type.
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Sociopathy
Sociopathy is an informal term for Antisocial Personality Disorder or ASPD. People with this diagnosis are sometimes called “sociopaths.” Sociopaths lack empathy and often have trouble caring for others. They’re likely to have little regard for right or wrong, and some are highly manipulative individuals. They can be harsh when antagonizing other individuals and may use other people to get what they want. However, sociopathy is a spectrum. Not everyone with ASPD is violent, and in fact, many aren’t. On the other side of the spectrum, people with ASPD can be abusive and relentless.
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Symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Disregarding right and wrong
- Impulsive behavior
- Manipulation or manipulating others for personal gain
- Frequent lying
- Getting in trouble with the law
- Violating the rights of others
- Arrogance
- Abusive in interpersonal relationships
- Being irresponsible with financial obligations
- Disregard for safety
Adults with Antisocial Personality Disorder typically show signs of conduct disorder as teenagers, which are:
- Aggression towards people or animals
- Destroying property
- Being deceitful
- Stealing
- Violating rules
People with Antisocial Personality Disorder often have trouble maintaining relationships, and many abuse drugs and alcohol.
Getting Treatment
It’s imperative to seek treatment if you believe that you may have Antisocial Personality Disorder to address your symptoms. You want to prevent yourself from getting in trouble with the law. You want to be able to live with a high quality of life, but if you don’t know that you're hurting other people, it’s difficult to do so. You need to learn about empathy and how to regard others, rather than manipulate them. If you have ASPD, you may not even realize that you’re hurting others. You may be engaging in behaviors due to ASPD that you haven’t yet identified and could be hurting others unintentionally, so seeking help is crucial. People that have Antisocial Personality Disorder may tend to be depressed and isolate themselves. They may feel that they don’t need to be around other people.
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Loneliness and Antisocial Personality Disorder
Individuals who have Antisocial Personality Disorder tend to isolate, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t lonely sometimes. They don’t understand the feelings of others, a bit that can make them feel like outcasts from society. People with Antisocial Personality Disorder may be lonely because they don’t feel the need to be around others, but they do notice the absence of other human beings. They might move toward a criminal lifestyle to get away from those lonely feelings, so they’re connecting with society in some way.
Getting the Right Diagnosis
To get diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder, a person needs to have a psych evaluation, and personal history will be considered during that evaluation. The professional diagnosing that individual will cite statistics from the DSM 5. Typically Antisocial Personality Disorder isn’t diagnosed before the age of 18.
What Causes Antisocial Personality Disorder?
Unlike psychopathy, Antisocial Personality Disorder is often caused by childhood neglect or abuse. The person develops this condition because they weren't shown how to interact with others, but it doesn’t mean there’s no hope. Treatment is available, and you can get help. If you’ve been diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder, your life isn’t over. You can get help, and find out how to hope with your mental illness. You’re not a bad person, you have a personality disorder, and you’re seeking treatment. When you find a mental health provider who understands your diagnosis, they can guide you through ways to cope. There are so many misconceptions about people with Antisocial Personality Disorder. Yes, they can be manipulative, but it’s not always intentional. Working with a seasoned mental health provider will help you understand your illness, and judge yourself less.
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Online Counseling
Online therapy is an excellent place to find out whether or not you have Antisocial Personality Disorder. If you’re in a relationship with someone who is a sociopath, it’s important to get that help as well. Search the network of therapists at BetterHelp and find out what you need. You will find a provider who works for you and gives you the support you need. Living with Antisocial Personality Disorder isn’t easy, but knowing your diagnosis is better than living in the dark. Once you know what you’re dealing with, a mental health professional is there to guide you so you can live a healthy life.
