Month: September 2019

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Last week, a brief overview of a sociopath was revealed. This week, more information about Antisocial Personality Disorder will be discussed.

Categories For Sociopathy

James Fallon of The Psychopath Inside categorizes sociopathy in four different states:

1. Interpersonal or interactions with people. A sociopath is insincere and can’t get into serious relationships with other people. They can easily charm others and get attached or be caring; however, all these are untrue. Known as pathological liars, they use dishonesty to get what they want.
2. Affective or their feelings. A person considered to be a sociopath does not recognize compassion. According to Liana Georgoulis, PsyD  “People considered sociopaths are classified as having antisocial personality disorder (APD). Although individuals with this condition can be dangerous, be aware that many are not violent or “bad people”, but simply do not feel the guilt or sense of compassion that most of us have.” They can’t view things like other people can or pay attention to how other people can be sensitive.
3. Behavioral or having unpredictable behavior. These kinds of people are usually considered unreliable and cannot be trusted at all, unable to set targets or comprehend the responsibility of the actions they have committed.
4. Antisocial, which is the most crucial fact that identifies a sociopath. “Sociopaths are people with antisocial personality disorder. The essential features of a personality disorder are impairments in interpersonal and self functioning along with the presence of pathological personality traits,” according to Sharie Stines, Psy.D. A sociopath seems to be alone in this world, distant from community and any interactive relation. The rule of society means nothing. Therefore, they have juvenile criminal behavior and criminal details, just like a psychopath.

Sociopath Versus Psychopath

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Many people have been mixing and interchanging the word sociopath and psychopath. They are both mentally unstable, to put it in “good words,” but these two mental health illnesses have their differences. They are just like twins, with connections and ties, but are also different and distinct in some characteristics and indicators.

While psychopaths are also sociopaths, sociopaths are not psychopaths because sociopaths show fewer and more terrifying indicators than a psychopath.

Psychopaths are fearless (a psychopath may start a fistfight and may sound like a drunken man who is looking for someone to beat). A sociopath can be cautious and will protect himself if he feels that it can be dangerous for him.

A psychopath can be hasty, having no concern for the consequences of his actions. But a person with sociopathic tendencies will form a scheme and make a bond with family and friends. Of course, this is all a plan to manipulate other people. This idea is even made more true with Kelly McAleer, Psy.D.’s statement “He or she will con and manipulate others with charisma and intimidation and can effectively mimic feelings to present as “normal” to society.”

Imagine a sociopath and a psychopath together? Sounds like a horror movie!

Is There Treatment For A Person With Sociopathy?

It is not very obvious for a person to display his indicators of antisocial personality disorder in the first instance. With that, people can be fooled by someone with ASPD, which is why they must also be aware of the signs. Usually, you will find people with this disorder in courts due to a crime that they did. As a result, the judge will issue them a psychological treatment.

They can improve, but it will be a tedious process because people with ASPD are not aware of their issue. Even if there are therapy programs, with their in denial state, treatment can be slow.

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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on modifying behavioral techniques. It is not a cure for ASDP but can manage its harsh indicators. There are also other types of therapy, such as psychotherapy, talk therapy, and group therapy catered for people with sociopathic tendencies.

Superficially, narcissistic sociopaths seem normal – they act and do things that people usually do. More so, they are friendly, cheerful, and are engaging in most occasions. For this reason, identifying and dealing with sociopaths who have a strong regard for themselves can be quite tricky. But, are you aware that there are more than one ways to know that you currently face-to-face with a narcissistic sociopath?

 

Continue reading “Discovering and Handling Narcissistic Sociopaths as They Lurk Among Us”

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When you hear the word sociopath, the first thing that comes to your mind is the word crazy.

To define the word sociopath, the term “socio” comes from a Latin word “socius” meaning “comrade, friend or ally.” While in the modern world, we define “socio” as “society or social.” Setting the word “path” from sociopath or any path is the “path” that is not the word that we understand as “the way.” It is a Greek root word for “path,” meaning “feeling or disease.”

Many people get crazy at times, but at least those people are not a person with a social disease. People love people, and they like to talk and bond together, but what if you encounter one without knowing it? Let us define, describe, and understand what a real sociopath can do. Are they just fine to be our brother, sister, mother, father, cousin, aunt, uncle, or friend? Is their disorder manageable? Are they dangerous to themselves and others?

What Is A Sociopath?

People who are sociopaths can be considered antisocial. Psychologically speaking, it is a term to describe somebody who has ASPD or Antisocial Personality Disorder. “He doesn’t want to conform to social norms and willfully destroys property, steals or manipulates others for personal profit, or overindulges in pleasure-seeking behavior. For example, he speeds, drives while drunk, engages in risky sex, or uses drugs,” according to Donald Black, MD.

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How can they be so harmful if they are antisocial anyway? These people with ASPD do not understand other peoples feelings and being selfish to the point where they use mind games to control people, break the rules, being manipulative and being manipulative includes being charming as well. Being charming is like the web of a spider, and people fall for that.

Sociopaths can be dangerous to the people around them because they break the rules without thinking of others, as long as their wants and desires are achieved. There is no empathy. As Bill Eddy LCSW, JD said, “sociopaths can have some hidden and dangerous personality features.” They also make impulsive decisions as if it’s their usual way of living, and their actions are hasty too, without feeling some sympathy or feeling guilty for the harm they may cause as they want to satisfy themselves. As the reason why they are antisocial is that they are selfish to the point that they could hurt people feelings.

How Can We Recognize If A Person Has Antisocial Personality Disorder?

People with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) don’t see themselves as someone who has this disorder. In fact, they feel invincible and dominant. There is nothing wrong with them, or so they think. They will never realize that they have a problem until others intervene for them.

A person’s behavior must show at least three of the following seven traits for being a person with antisocial personality disorder:

• They do not respect social norms or laws. People with ASPD consistently break the law or overstep social boundaries.
• They lie, cheat, deceive others, use false identities, and use people, even their family, for personal gain.
• They do not make long-term plans. People with ASPD also act impulsively without thinking of the result of the effect of such action.
• They also have aggressive behavior. These people get into fights.
• They do not consider their safety and the safety of others.
• They don’t follow up on responsibilities. This may include being late to work or not paying the bills on time.
• They don’t feel remorse or guilt for harming and mistreating others. “The sociopath will still lack empathy and attachment toward the greater society and will not feel guilt in harming a stranger, or rebelling against laws, ” said Kelly McAleer, Psy.D. in her online article titled ‘Sociopathy vs. Psychopathy’.

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Next week, another blog about the topic of sociopathy will be discussed. The categories of sociopathy, the difference between Sociopath and Psychopath, will also be touched. Plus, the treatment for such disorder will also be tackled.

Until then, have a great week!

Feeding my curiosity in sociopathy leads me to study more in-depth on what and who these sociopaths are.   In most readings and videos, even movies about sociopathy

According to Daniel J Winarick Ph.D., “Antisocial does not mean shy, withdrawn, detached, loner, or quiet. The “social” in antisocial refers to social norms and rules. Individuals with ASPD have no regard for the rules, norms, and laws of society.”

Continue reading “The Fears Of A Sociopath”

Have you met someone or have fallen for someone who is diagnosed with a disorder? Did you ever ask yourself if your soul mate, the person you adore, desire, love, and maybe can live without is a sociopath? If you have been reading or watching criminal documentaries and series, sociopaths are the serial killers, not psychopaths. These people have no remorse when they kill, unlike psychopaths who have that realization moment after they have done the deed.

Sociopaths usually act like they are such caring people. They “show” that they can provide warmth, kindness, joy, and even affection. To others, this seems like they are in love. But if you take a closer look, a sociopath is defined as the person who has an antisocial personality disorder. An individual with that disorder is characterized by lacking in empathy. “A sociopath is not trustworthy or dependable and has few friends and hollow relationships.  Sociopaths can be incredibly deceptive and have the tendency to be disloyal to their mates.” said  Tracy Smith LPC, NCC, ACS. With their sociopathic characteristics, it’s very unnerving that someone like this can look very similar to a person indeed in love. This is very baffling, so, ask yourself, “Are they capable of loving?”

Are They Capable Of Loving, Or Being In A State Of “Falling In Love?”

To answer that question, we have to make the meaning of love suitable as to the way sociopaths understand it. How? Well, for them, love is like controlling and manipulating people. With that distorted thinking, we can claim that sociopaths are capable of loving and being in love.

Sociopaths are capable of loving when:

• Love is an instrument used to trick and dominate someone.
• Love is more feigned than experienced and serves as an ulterior motive.
• Love is like a letter written in water rather than emotions felt by the heart.
• Love is a feeling of entitlement and authority rather than sentiment and endearment.
• Love is a promise told for gain rather than an expression of commitment and security.
• Love is equal with sex as a mere brief and insincere sexual pleasure, and not the lovemaking of two sacred people being as one.
• Love involves seeing others only as targets and opportunities.

To a sociopath, real love is a love of himself, supremacy, and the game of life. When love is a deep feeling of affection, sensitivity, closeness, and connection between people, then, sociopaths are not capable of that. The real essence of love is impossible for a sociopath.

What Is it Like Falling In Love With Or Loving A Sociopath?

A sociopath is a predator, who charms his victim with great motive because he senses the chance for his advancement. To win a person’s trust, he will start with the courtship and shapes her identity to match that of her victim, a perfect fit, like finding a soul mate.

But as soon as he gets bored and gets what he wants, the thrill is gone, and he moves on. It can be abrupt, leaving the victim confused and hurt. “A sociopath can be really good at faking feelings of love,” Darrel Turner, PhD , a forensic psychologist from Louisiana said, “It’s common when a sociopath enters into a relationship to behave very lovingly or otherwise affectionately toward their partner—at least at the beginning.”

It is possible to be in love with a sociopath. But can they love back? Yes, but only by his definition of love, a cunning, heartless, and detached kind of love. “Some people seem to have no regard for others and can cause harm to them without any regret or feelings of guilt. When this behavior is pervasive, a person may have a chronic mental health condition known as antisocial personality disorder. Sometimes people with antisocial personality disorder are called “sociopaths,” said Kathleen Smith, PhD, LPC.

So, if someone tells you that sociopaths can love or is capable of falling in love, DO NOT BELIEVE THIS PERSON. Sociopaths do not understand the real meaning of love, for they are selfish and think only of themselves.

 

There was never sociopathology in the eyes of some sociopaths, and others try to expand their understanding of themselves.   Self-mastery is their craft.

Battlefield Is In Us

We have come to the era where the battle of the minds and hearts reveal that it was never the battle of arms.  It is the battle in your mind, and that it is vicious.   It is intense, unrelenting, and it is unfair because Satan never plays fair.  And the reason why it is so fierce is that your greatest asset is your mind.  The Invisible War (1965), Donald Grey Barnhouse.

 

Impulsive Antisociality

A sociopathic person’s real deal was to redefine and unfollow the set of standards, rules that bend you to follow.

The mind of a sociopath cannot entirely be understood, the mere fact that they are classed as anti-social in our society is just one of the reasons why they don’t want you to subject them. According to Daniel J Winarick Ph.D., “Antisocial does not mean shy, withdrawn, detached, loner, or quiet. The “social” in antisocial refers to social norms and rules. Individuals with ASPD have no regard for the rules, norms, and laws of society.”

Studies show that in every 100 adults, three are sociopaths. Different factors characterize sociopathic behavior, and there are reasons why they act the way they do.

Sociopaths tend to violate the rights of others without feeling guilty about it because the disorder makes them lose their moral ground to subject what is good and what is just.  They have a sense of deceitfulness, and they love manipulating others to get their wants or desires.  Sheri Jacobson, Ph.D  said in an online article that, “Sociopaths are willing to sacrifice other people’s comfort in order to pursue their selfish goals. They may use manipulation or aggression as a means to get what they want. Simply put, they put themselves above anything else, and they are not afraid to use whatever means necessary to satisfy their own needs.” They are incredibly charming at convincing you to have what they want, disregarding what is right to others, intentionally breaking the laws without reason or the mere fact that this gives them a sense of satisfaction.  A sociopathic person is incapable of understanding what others might feel. The inability to empathize makes it easy for them to manipulate and deceive you.

 

Not All Are A Nuisance To The Society

Sociopaths have two sides, the well-functioning and the less. The well-functioned sociopaths have a ground in society.  They manage to contribute something new to the world whether it is bad or good.  Sociopaths who are also community members encourage the nation to bring the best out of them continually. By doing so, they give immoral acts or unorthodox ones. To test how far the community can go, they either cause pandemonium and wrongdoings and the fact that chaos breeds order is always in their mind. “It is true that there are high functioning sociopaths,” said Kathleen Smith, PhD, LPC. “But they are not the norm.”

The Brain Is A Mysterious Puzzle

We cannot say that sociopaths are incapable of achieving what an average person can do, but some can and they will. The mind of a sociopath is exceptionally complicated. You might wonder, “What could be the thoughts of a person who is without moral ground?” They never base their survival on moral acts; it’s always about the survival of the fittest.  The greatest enemy is the human mind, the complications it has, and the rationality of our beings depends on how we see and perceive what reality to us is.

The judging eyes of others are enough to create a sociopathic behavior in any person. The truth that we are just another brick in the wall by the so-called “elites” is enough cause to have a sociopathic behavior. The real question, therefore, is, “How well can we manage to bend at ease with sociopaths around us?”

A sociopath doesn’t always look like the main character from “Dexter.” Just like any other disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder takes place on the scale. Sociopathy is a real condition. Sociopaths don’t always equate to serial killers. Study shows that 3.8% of people from the US are diagnosed with ASP. And it is very unlikely not to be friends with one having this condition.

This well-known psychiatry professor at the University Of Iowa Carver, says, “It’s a syndrome characterized by lifelong misbehavior.” He also added that people suffering from ASP have a habit of being impulsive and deceitful and at the same time does not have a conscience.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, below are the signs that signify Sociopathy.

Relationship Struggle

People are suffering from Antisocial Personality Disorder struggle with forming emotional bonds, which makes their relationships unstable. They would rather exploit people around them for their advantage, instead of creating a more profound link with them. A person with ASP may want to connect with others, but he has one thing in mind – he will form a superficial relationship and use that person for something. According to Preston Ni M.S.B.A., “In personal relationships, sociopaths  often initially entice with their superficial charisma and calculated charm, before revealing their cruel and uncaring nature over time (i.e., after a committed relationship is established or an important agreement is made). They deceive, manipulate, and abuse in relationships without remorse, leaving their victims wounded and traumatized by their utter lack of decency and empathy.”

Less Empathy

Those people experiencing ASP are well-known for their lack of empathy. A deep-seated rage is at their core and mostly are not able to feel any guilt for their actions. Black mentioned that when a person doesn’t feel remorse, they are freed to doing anything unpleasant that may take place in their minds.

Being Manipulative

They may appear very charming yet secretly aggressive and domineering. They see people as tools that they can use for their advantage, and they are not remorseful of it.

Aggression

Sociopaths are aggressive because they interpret the behavior of others as such, which makes them want to get vengeance. It is their thinking, and most of the time, it is not correct that other people are showing aggression towards them. “The driving force with sociopaths (and they have lots of energy) is to dominate others. This may or may not involve breaking the law. They want to dominate people in order to get things from them, such as their possessions, money, sex, business partners, homes, cars, investments, reputation and so forth,” said Bill Eddy LCSW, JD.

Insensitivity

People with Antisocial Personality Disorder shows no concern about the results of their actions and how it would be of effect to others. They are that insensitive, as long as they are getting what they want, and when they want it.

Impulsivity

Every individual has that “impulse” decision at times, but for sociopaths, it is normal to be unreasonably impulsive and spontaneous. As Kathleen Smith, PhD, LPC said,  sociopath “..are at high risk of incarceration due to impulsive behaviors. They’re also likely to have a shorter life expectancy due to impulsive behaviors like substance abuse and criminal activity.”

Being Deceitful

Those who are affected by Antisocial Personality Disorder have no problem lying calmly and easily. They often exaggerate things when it is beneficial for them. Being truthful is impossible for them.

Being Irresponsible

Sociopathic patients are usually indifferent to responsibilities, and they are ignoring normal obligations as they pile up. They don’t care about it.

Having Risky Behavior

Sociopaths often find themselves being involved in risky behaviors- not concerned about the devastation they cause to others nor themselves. Promiscuity, alcoholism, compulsive gambling, drug abuse is familiar to them. This study will reveal that your ex may have a psychopath condition on the loose.

The disorder may be considered mild. People with the said are telling lies or trouble with their partners. But still, it is not a surprise if someone has the said condition are robbers or even murderers.