Exploring The Link Between Sociopathy And Criminal Behavior

The minds of people with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), also called known as sociopathy, are reported to work differently than those without the condition. People with ASPD can reduce or eliminate empathy and remorse when they hurting others, making it possible for them to commit crimes without guilt. Read on to learn more about Based on this, thea connection between sociopathy ASPD and criminal behavior has been traced. and how online tTherapy can be vital component of to a comprehensive successful mental health treatment plan for ASPD which may reduce the adverse behaviors. 

What is antisocial personality disorder?

According to the mental health experts at the American Psychiatric Association, antisocial personality disorder is a diagnosable condition involving emotions, interpersonal interactions, thoughts, and behaviors. To be diagnosed with ASPD, someone must show a continuing pattern of disregarding others’ feelings and rights and failing to conform to society's moral and legal expectations from the age of 15 (with evidence of a conduct disorder), along with three or more qualifying symptoms. Diagnosis is generally not made before age 18.

Updating the language

The mental health field is constantly changing, and as it evolves, so does the language used. Specific terms used in the original and early research are no longer included among the descriptions in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

Terms such as “sociopath, sociopathic, psychopath,” and “psychopathic" function as clinical descriptors, describing specific objectional behaviors or symptoms of certain mental health conditions like personality disorders. However, they terms can be seen perceived as offensive when referencing a person. The DSM-5 includes both sociopathic and psychopathic traits under the behavioral criteria for ASPD. Additionally, the term “substance abuse” is no longer used, with the medical community instead calling patterns involving alcohol or drugs a “substance use disorder”. 

Signs and symptoms of sociopathic behavior

• Recklessness or acting with disregard for their own and others’ safety
• Challenges in maintaining meaningful, long-term, close relationships
• Refusal to accept responsibility when things go wrong and a tendency to blame others
• Arrogant personality, often believing themselves better or above others
• Aggressive behaviors on a spectrum from rude to violent crimes
• Angry outbursts
• Disregard for the law or conventional sense of “right and wrong”
• Criminal behavior and frequent interactions with law enforcement
• Lack of respect for other people’s property
• Willingness to lie, deceive, or manipulate others for personal gain or enjoyment
• Lack of remorse for speech or behavior that hurts others
• Dismissal of others’ thoughts, ideas, or rights as inconsequential
• Ability to mimic feelings or appropriate behavior to seem witty and charming
• Decreased or absent emotional empathy makes it difficult to understand how others feel and how their actions may affect others.
• Higher risk for comorbid alcohol and substance use disorders
• Irresponsible and impulsive behaviors

What is the link between ASPD and criminal behavior?

Because there is no definitive cure for ASPD, it is considered a lifelong condition characterized by chronic refusal to conform to standards set by society for acceptable behavior. This tendency often leads to people with ASPD finding themselves on the wrong side of the law through what may be deemed delinquent behavior. In the media and public knowledge, the term “sociopath” is often synonymous with a dangerous, criminal type of behavior. 

“Sociopaths are apparently incapable of experiencing guilt, remorse, or moral sensitivities, but are able to portray these feelings to suit their purposes. Sociopaths commit a wide range of crimes but are difficult to catch because of their intelligence and ability to deceive.” — Sociopath: A Criminal Enigma, U.S. Department of Justice

What percentage of the prison population has ASPD?

According to researchers at the Cleveland Clinic, ASPD affects approximately 1-4% of adults in the U.S. However, recent data suggests that between 40% and 70% of American prisoners live with antisocial personality disorder. 

They See Themselves As Living Outside The Rules

People diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder may lack a conventional sense of right and wrong, leaving their moral compass to point them in whatever direction achieves their current desires. ASPD may make someone believe the "normal" rules don't apply to them because they are extraordinary. 

“They don’t follow socially accepted norms or rules. People with ASPD may break the law or cause physical or emotional harm to the people around them. They may disregard consequences or refuse to take responsibility for their actions.” — Cleveland Clinic

They may believe they are smart enough to get away with it

Many people with ASPD may break the law because they believe they are more intelligent than the police and won't get caught. They tend to disregard any authority that conflicts with what they want. People with ASPD may commit crimes because they can or because it is the fastest or most effortless way to get what they want. 

Diminished sense of empathy and conscience

Because many people with ASPD have a diminished or absent sense of empathy and right and wrong, they may not see many illegal actions as crimes because they don’t deem the law worthy of obeying. A lack of empathy makes it difficult for them to understand how their actions affect other people or how others may feel when being manipulated or having their things stolen. Without a conventional conscience, many people with ASPD apply different moral values to actions or shape their morality to fit their own worldview. 

Exploring how benefits of online therapy treats for ASPD

While aAntisocial personality disorder is a condition that typically requires ongoing, dedicated treatment for long-term management., oOnline therapy can be an affordable, convenient way to work with a licensed therapist from the comfortable, familiar surroundings of home. 

Develop healthy emotional intelligence, awareness, and literacy

Working with an online therapist can help you build your ability to recognize, understand, and appropriately respond to other people’s emotions.

Identify and reshape maladaptive thought and behavior patterns

Psychotherapy can help you explore the connection between how you think and feel, allowing you to recognize and reform harmful patterns in your thinking and behavior.

Establish practical coping skills

Therapy can help you develop a repertoire of practical coping skills to manage your ASPD symptoms and minimize their impact on your life. Learning healthy ways to deal with stressors and your feelings can lessen the effects of mental health symptoms. 

Flexible treatment options

Teletherapy platforms like BetterHelp offer convenient, versatile, practical, and supportive treatment options to ensure your through online therapy sessions are practical and supportive. You may sSpeak with a counselor through video call or over the phone and. Bbetween sessions, you have the option to message your therapist, and they will respond when they can.

Learn functional communication and conflict resolution for relationships

Many people believe that someone with ASPD cannot have a loving, functional relationship, however, it is sometimes possible. However, that isn't true. While relationships with someone with ASPD are likely to be more transactional than anything that would conventionally be called loving, they people with ASPD can care for others in their unique way. People with ASPD are often gifted mimics and can be exceptionally skilled at seeming to be in love when it suits their purposes. 

What causes antisocial personality disorder?

Psychological researchers haven’t identified a single cause for antisocial personality disorder. Instead, the mental health condition is believed to be caused by a complex interaction of multiple risk factor categories. 

• Biologic—Physical brain differences, such as brain shape and neurochemical balance
• Environmental—Childhood experiences, trauma or abuse at an early age, unstable family life, and other factors.
• Genetic—Some researchers believe ASPD has a genetic component, but no single gene marker is associated with its occurrence. 
• Lifestyle—Approximately 50% of those with ASPD have a comorbid alcohol or substance use disorder. 
• Gender—Males are more likely to develop ASPD than females. 

How effectiveness of online therapy can help treat antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

Research shows that the most effective treatments for ASPD involve regular psychotherapy. If you or someone you love is showing signs of sociopathic behavior, consider working with a licensed therapist online through a virtual therapy platform like BetterHelp to benefit from the support and guidance of a mental health professional from the comfort and convenience of your own home. Therapy can help you develop practical coping skills as you work to better understand how others feel and how to communicate effectively to maintain relationships. 

ASPD is a mental health condition with onset during late adolescence and young adulthood. If you are a parent or guardian concerned about the symptoms in your child, consider online therapy for kids from 12 to 19 at Teen Counseling. 

Many therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help patients reshape dangerous or unhealthy patterns in their actions or thinking. According to studies by the American Psychological Association, there’s no substantial difference between online and face-to-face CBT treatment results. Many patients reported more cost-effective programs, shorter waits for treatment, and a more comprehensive selection of providers with teletherapy.