Willem H. Martens argues in his infamous article "The Hidden Suffering of the Psychopath" that psychopaths do at times suffer from emotional pain and loneliness. Most have lead hurt-filled lives and have an inability to trust people, but like every human being on the planet, they, too, want to be loved and accepted. However, their own behavior makes this extremely difficult, if not impossible, and most are aware of this.
Some feel saddened by the actions they are unable to control because they know it isolates them from others even more. While it's common to think of sociopaths and psychopaths as being inherently dangerous, this is more a construct of a TV drama than a true reflection of the disorder. Violence, while certainly possible, is not an inherent characteristic of either sociopathy or psychopathy. With that being said, people with APD will often go to extraordinary lengths to manipulate others, whether it be to charm, disarm, or frighten them, in order to get what they want.
When psychopaths do become violent , as in the case of Jeffrey Dahmer, they're just as likely to hurt themselves as others. There are some who say that "sociopaths are made and psychopaths are born," but this characterization may be too far broad. While it is true that psychopathy is believed to have genetic components perhaps caused by the underdevelopment of the parts of the brain that regulate emotion and impulsiveness , there are clearly other factors that contribute to the behavioral disorder.
Many have had parents who were substance abusers and who failed to provide parental guidance or attention. This typically translates to unstable and failed relationships in adulthood and a fixated sense that you have been "robbed" of opportunities and advantages afforded to everyone else.
Sociopathy also tends to be associated with harmful childhood experiences , including sexual abuse , physical violence, or parental instability. Sociopaths have a conscience, albeit a weak one, and will often justify something they know to be wrong. By contrast, psychopaths will believe that their actions are justified and feel no remorse for any harm done. This differentiation may suggest that nature plays more of a role in the creation of a psychopath than a sociopath. This is supported in part by a review of studies in which as many as a third of people diagnosed with sociopathy essentially "give up" their antisocial behavior in later life and develop well-adjusted relationships.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM classifies APD by a range of personality and behavioral traits that describe how a person functions, how he or she relates to others, and how those beliefs express themselves by actions.
Self-functioning characteristics are those that reflect what a person is like and how that person views his or her actions or goals. In order to be diagnosed with APD, you must exhibit all of the following characteristics:. Interpersonal characteristics are those that describe how a person interacts with others in general. You must also exhibit these traits to be diagnosed with APD:. Behavioral characteristics complete the clinical diagnosis by describing the route a person will take to either control, coerce, or deceive, such as:.
Ever wonder what your personality type means? Sign up to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter. Washington, DC. Barbour, P. Criminal Thinking: A cognitive- behavioral therapy approach.
De Brito, S. Meffert, Harma, Gazzola, Valeria, den Boer, Johan, Bartels, Arnold, and Keysershttp, Christian Reduced spontaneous but relatively normal deliberate vicarious representations in psychopathy. Goldstein, R. Acta Psychiatria Scandinavia 2 : Tang, Y. Plos One. Turvey, B. Knowledge Solutions. Poe, E. The Cask of Amontillado. Powell, T. Confessions of a Christian Psychopath.
Did you find an inaccuracy? We work hard to provide accurate and scientifically reliable information. If you have found an error of any kind, please let us know by sending an email to contact theravive. Our purpose is to help people everywhere find great counselors and psychologists. Everyone can have a new start in life. Read here for more info. Theravive does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. An Expert Weighs In. If you have the misfortune of crossing paths with a high-functioning sociopath, though, you could be in trouble.
Other traits of someone with ASPD also get in the way of living stable lives, starting with irresponsibility. In general, sociopaths are rule breakers.
High-functioning sociopaths often lie—about something as significant as their identity or as seemingly trivial as where they spent the afternoon.
They also tend to exaggerate to make themselves look better and to deflect blame onto others.
0コメント