How do you know if your friend is a sociopath?

Answer 1

Are you involved with a psychopath (extreme sociopath)? You may not know because they can be very charming and friendly and can appear to be altruistic, until you get close and inevitably they do something threatening or immoral and then you must set limits that disappoint them. The near-constant state of frustration and dissatisfaction felt by a true psychopath is the source of not only their rages but those eerie, on-and-off-like-a-faucet tears. (Yes, tears are seen even in some men, though of course still more common in children and women.)

But, don't assume anyone is a psychopath based only on the person's apparent attitude and behavior. It is far more complex than that, including factors in the pattern of the person's life and many other characteristics. Please don't go around assuming or calling someone a psychopath just because he/she may have some of the warning signs. Get a professional opinion from a qualified mental health professional if you think you are involved with a psychopath. And then ask what to do, not only for the psychopath but for yourself, because being involved with a psychopath is risky.

ALSO:

Bizarre brain waves from some parts of the brain and none from some other parts; epileptic seizures (usually grand mal); speech impediments caused by a chaotic way of storing information in the brain; low blood-pressure (hypotension); bradycardia (low heart rate); pseudoneurolepsy (falling asleep suddenly); a type of night-blindness caused by constriction of the pupils; sleep apnea; sleepwalking (somnambulism); other sleep disturbances; migraine or cluster-headaches with visual 'auras'; varying degrees of incontinence; lethargy OR wild excitement; unexpected sexual arousal; loss of sense of taste or smell; trouble with depth perception; inability to recognize facial expressions; inability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time; occasional inability to concentrate on anything at all; certain types of muscle spasticity or nonresponsive reflexes associated with a peripheral neuropathy if present.

Many people without ASPD can have any of these problems; without the key psychiatric markers for ASPD, these physical manifestations alone CANNOT be used as evidence of the diagnosis. (For example, Borderline Personality Disorder, which is in most ways the opposite of ASPD, can cause hyperalertness and very fast talking, behavior that also resembles that of a sociopath in a temporary state of excitement.)

The general rule is that the autonomic nervous system of people with some Axis II personality disorders does not respond normally; in BPD the sympathetic nervous system (Fight-or-Flight) is overreactive; in ASPD it is usually (though not always) underreactive.

Most of the physical problems a sociopath exhibits are neurologically based.

They do not have the ability to change the way they are. They may "mellow" as they age, or burn out, but their need to have control over others, the need to be impulsive, their feelings that, even in lying, they never do anything wrong, and their ability to charm everyone they think they need to charm, does not leave them as they age. It's also very hard for someone involved with a sociopath to be able to see what they know is happening, even after catching the sociopath in the lies and manipulation. It's incredibly hard to decide to leave a sociopath, as well as stay away from that sociopath.

One of the reasons for the above is that people can sense that the sociopath needs something, and they keep trying to give it and the sociopath/psychopath keeps trying to take it. But the sociopath cannot truly take in that healing energy of human contact. So, the sociopath becomes frustrated and instead looks to take unfair advantage. And the caregiver may give until it does him/her damage. This won't help anyone: leave therapy to the professionals.

And, as for EVIL...

Mentally ill people, no matter how much troublethey cause, are sick, not possessed. And, yes, some psychopaths do terrible things, forfeiting their lives in the process. But most of them do not kill.

They are, however, bitter and rageful, and often cause deep emotional suffering for others.

Isn't this EVIL? The BEHAVIOR is, yes. But the PEOPLE just are what they are.

Some say psychopaths are damned. Some psychopaths say they're already living in Hell! It can feel that way.

Psychopaths -- Sociopaths -- are the way they are because, from birth onward, the brain of a sociopath stores learning information in a random, chaotic way instead of in the usual designated places in the cerebral cortex.

Part of this involves lack of crucial neurotransmitters, but as of yet no one knows whether this lack is caused BY the brain abnormality or is the cause OF it. It's probably the former.

Another probable cause is the chronic underarousal of the cerebral cortex of a true psychopath.

Since their information -- including emotional information -- is scattered all over both brain hemispheres, it takes too long for the brain to retrieve and process information, and the entire process of socialization becomes so ponderous that ultimately it fails. (See the book "Without Conscience" by Robert Hare, PhD.)

Since the entire cerebral cortex of a sociopath is almost never at a normal level of alertness (their waking brain waves resemble the waves of a normal person in a light sleep, alpha waves), this may be the crucial deficiency that cripples the developing child's ability to develop many aspects of the human mind. As the child grows, some of the basic mental and emotional skills the rest of the world takes so for granted never develop, and crucial among these is the thing called conscience. That one never develops at all.

Some people may envy the apparent calm of a sociopath, but their existence is misery. They cannot connect with other human beings, and as babies they are so uncomfortable being held that they fight to wriggle free of all but the most basic necessary contact. Their heartbroken parents often blame themselves or the child, never knowing that what is really wrong with the child is in his or her brain.

Under the almost somnolent calm sociopaths project is a constant sense of restlessness and lack of crucial fulfillment that is in truth nothing other than the basic need all people have to receive stimulation and support from others.

But a sociopath has no way of receiving this even if it's offered. The endless frustration of this, and a discomfort that they are utterly incapable of articulating or even really understanding, is the source of much of their chronic anger and aggression.

Plus, since they grow up in constant conflict with authority, they are most often bitterly angry and sometimes violent adults, brittle and combatative under a thin veneer of charm.

Offered friendship, they appear to respond, but quickly discover that they can get nothing from it; they see the obvious pleasure of other people in such contact with each other, and they often seek to "even it up" by stealing what they can -- material goods, or even human lives.

They are constantly told how "bad" they are, and by adulthood, most of them believe it. And behave accordingly.

Sociopaths rarely feel true happiness. If they do, it is usually in the condition that some kind of intervention -- such as one of the small number of medications made for other conditions that may also help somewhat with theirs -- has taken place, and it will be fleeting.

For all their frantic racing around, they are really very dead inside, and this is tragic beyond description.

Imagine spending your entire life trying to get your brain to wake up! And failing. Thousands of times.

There are stories of people diagnosed as sociopaths who did improve to some degree, with the most ceaseless and diligent help. But since the vast majority of this huge body of people (there are more than three hundred million sociopaths on Earth) cannot get that kind of attention, they turn to abusing those they envy, and often to crime. It is certainly vengeance: "If I can't have any of this, why should you?" This is the real reason sociopaths lash out at strong and kind people. No matter what they say, they know that inside, they are always empty and damaged beyond repair.

Only in neuroscience is there true hope for these incomplete people. The key lies in awakening the cerebral cortex of the brain, which is risky because sociopaths are much more prone to seizures than the rest of the population, and that -- an uncontrolled blast of electrical discharge spreading through the brain and causing violent convulsions -- is likely to be the first response from brain pathways that, after years or even decades of silence, are suddenly flooded with impulses.

But if the devices of neurosurgeons can be tweaked to avoid this shock, and all else related to this idea is workable, it's feasible that small electronic devices planted in the brain (these already exist, but are not yet being used for mental illness) could open up a closed connection.

That leaves us with the problem of whether a lifetime of scattered information can ever be set into order. Probably the best that could be hoped for would be a kind of retraining -- like what is now done with stroke survivors and head injury patients -- that would be both intensive and compensatory.

One of the things that would be necessary would be to try to socialize the person whose congenital birth defect made such a thing completely impossible before.

Whatever intervention is used, be it drugs or computer chips or what have you, it would probably -- I'd say certainly -- be excruciating for the patient at first.

With no knowledge of how to cope with the emotions the rest of the world has been dealing with all their lives, the recovering sociopath would be rendered as vulnerable as a baby.

Which makes sense, because some of the most basic aspects of the human mind would be developing from the primordial stasis in which they had remained since birth!

A person thus treated would never be fully normal, but the human brain is amazing in the way it adapts and continues to develop all through life.

And given the utterly joyless and meaningless existence a sociopath leads, any improvement is better than none.

The matter of missing neurotransmitters in a sociopath is, of course, another problem. Would "waking up" the cerebral cortex eventually stimulate production of these? Or would they have to be synthesized?

Only time will tell.

SabrinaSingularity with a couple of paragraphs from several other writers (gleaned from several other answers).

Suggestion: Better to sign in; better to be a name rather than a number.

Answer 2

Is he scatterbrained and flighty? Does he have trouble in concentrating on more than one thing at a time, to the point that he can endanger his safety or that of others? Does he fly into a rage at the slightest thing? Is he controlling and manipulative? Does he "have to" get rough to have sex? Does he lie a lot, or, if not, at least does he twist and slant the truth and leave out crucial details?

Even if it's "yes" to most of these things, it could be something else.

But it is best to find out.

Numerous websites on the internet will tell you that research using brain scanning technology has recently revealed that the brain of a psychopath functions and processes information differently.

Are you involved with a psychopath? You may not know because they can be very charming and friendly and can appear to be altruistic, until you get close and inevitably they do something threatening or immoral and then you must set limits that disappoint them. The near-constant state of frustration and dissatisfaction felt by a true psychopath is the source of not only their rages but those eerie, on-and-off-like-a-faucet tears. (Yes, tears are seen even in some men, though of course still more common in children and women.)

But, don't assume anyone is a psychopath based only on the person's apparent attitude and behavior. It is far more complex than that, including factors in the pattern of the person's life and many other characteristics. Please don't go around assuming or calling someone a psychopath just because he/she may have some of the warning signs. Get a professional opinion from a qualified mental health professional if you think you are involved with a psychopath. And then ask what to do, not only for the psychopath but for yourself, because being involved with a psychopath is risky.

Are you involved with a psychopath (extreme sociopath)? You may not know because theycan be very charming and friendly and can appear to be altruistic,until you get close and inevitably they do something threatening orimmoral and then you must set limits that disappoint them. Thenear-constant state of frustration and dissatisfaction felt by a truepsychopath is the source of not only their rages but those eerie,on-and-off-like-a-faucet tears. (Yes, tears are seen even in some men,though of course still more common in children and women.)

But, don't assume anyone is a psychopath based only on the person'sapparent attitude and behavior. It is far more complex than that,including factors in the pattern of the person's life and many othercharacteristics. Please don't go around assuming or calling someone apsychopath just because he/she may have some of the warning signs. Geta professional opinion from a qualified mental health professional ifyou think you are involved with a psychopath. And then ask what to do,not only for the psychopath but for yourself, because being involvedwith a psychopath is risky.

ALSO:

There are possible physical manifestations of ASPD:

Bizarre brain waves from some parts of the brain and none from someother parts; epileptic seizures (usually grand mal); speech impedimentscaused by a chaotic way of storing information in the brain; lowblood-pressure (hypotension); bradycardia (low heart rate);pseudoneurolepsy (falling asleep suddenly); a type of night-blindnesscaused by constriction of the pupils; sleep apnea; sleepwalking(somnambulism); other sleep disturbances; migraine or cluster-headacheswith visual 'auras'; varying degrees of incontinence; lethargy OR wildexcitement; unexpected sexual arousal; loss of sense of taste or smell;trouble with depth perception; inability to recognize facialexpressions; inability to concentrate on more than one thing at a time;occasional inability to concentrate on anything at all; certain typesof muscle spasticity or nonresponsive reflexes associated with aperipheral neuropathy if present.

Many people without ASPD can have any of these problems; without thekey psychiatric markers for ASPD, these physical manifestations aloneCANNOT be used as evidence of the diagnosis. (For example, BorderlinePersonality Disorder, which is in most ways the opposite of ASPD, cancause hyperalertness and very fast talking, behavior that alsoresembles that of a sociopath in a temporary state of excitement.)

The general rule is that the autonomic nervous system of people withsome Axis II personality disorders does not respond normally; in BPDthe sympathetic nervous system (Fight-or-Flight) is overreactive; inASPD it is usually (though not always) underreactive.

Most of thephysical problems a sociopath exhibits are neurologically based.

They do not have the ability to change the way they are. They may"mellow" as they age, or burn out, but their need to have control overothers, the need to be impulsive, their feelings that, even in lying,they never do anything wrong, and their ability to charm everyone theythink they need to charm, does not leave them as they age. It's also very hard for someone involved with a sociopath to be able tosee what they know is happening, even after catching the sociopath inthe lies and manipulation. It's incredibly hard to decide to leave asociopath, as well as stay away from that sociopath.

One of the reasons for the above is that people can sense thatthe sociopath needs something, and they keep trying to give it and thesociopath/psychopath keeps trying to take it. But the sociopath cannottruly take in that healing energy of human contact. So, the sociopath becomes frustrated and instead looks to take unfair advantage. And the caregiver may give until it does him/her damage. This won't help anyone: leave therapy to the professionals.

And, as for EVIL...

Mentally ill people, no matter how much troublethey cause, are sick,not possessed. And, yes, some psychopaths do terrible things,forfeiting their lives in the process. But most of them do not kill.

They are, however, bitter and rageful, and often cause deep emotional suffering for others.

Isn't this EVIL? The BEHAVIOR is, yes. But the PEOPLE just are what they are.

Some say psychopaths are damned. Some psychopaths say they're already living in Hell! It can feel that way.

Psychopaths -- Sociopaths -- are the way they are because, from birth onward, thebrain of a sociopath stores learning information in a random, chaoticway instead of in the usual designated places in the cerebral cortex.

Part of this involves lack of crucial neurotransmitters, but as of yetno one knows whether this lack is caused BY the brain abnormality or is the cause OF it. It's probably the former.

Another probable cause is the chronic underarousal of the cerebral cortex of a true psychopath.

Since their information -- including emotional information -- isscattered all over both brain hemispheres, it takes too long for thebrain to retrieve and process information, and the entire process ofsocialization becomes so ponderous that ultimately it fails. (See thebook "Without Conscience" by Robert Hare, PhD.)

Since the entire cerebral cortex of a sociopath is almost never ata normal level of alertness (their waking brain waves resemble thewaves of a normal person in a light sleep, alpha waves), this may bethe crucial deficiency that cripples the developing child's ability todevelop many aspects of the human mind. As the child grows, some of thebasic mental and emotional skills the rest of the world takes so forgranted never develop, and crucial among these is the thing calledconscience. That one never develops at all.

Some people may envy the apparent calm of a sociopath, but theirexistence is misery. They cannot connect with other human beings, andas babies they are so uncomfortable being held that they fight towriggle free of all but the most basic necessary contact. Theirheartbroken parents often blame themselves or the child, never knowingthat what is really wrong with the child is in his or her brain.

Under the almost somnolent calm sociopaths project is a constantsense of restlessness and lack of crucial fulfillment that is in truth nothing other than thebasic need all people have to receive stimulation and support fromothers.

But a sociopath has no way of receiving this even if it'soffered. The endless frustration of this, and a discomfort that theyare utterly incapable of articulating or even really understanding, is the source of much of their chronic anger and aggression.

Plus, since they grow up in constant conflict with authority, theyare most often bitterly angry and sometimes violent adults, brittle andcombatative under a thin veneer of charm.

Offered friendship, theyappear to respond, but quickly discover that they can get nothing fromit; they see the obvious pleasure of other people in such contact witheach other, and they often seek to "even it up" by stealing what theycan -- material goods, or even human lives.

They are constantly toldhow "bad" they are, and by adulthood, most of them believe it. Andbehave accordingly.

Sociopaths rarely feel true happiness. If they do, it is usually inthe condition that some kind of intervention -- such as one of thesmall number of medications made for other conditions that may alsohelp somewhat with theirs -- has taken place, and it will be fleeting.

For all their frantic racing around, they are really very dead inside,and this is tragic beyond description.

Imagine spending your entirelife trying to get your brain to wake up! And failing. Thousands oftimes.

There are stories of people diagnosed as sociopaths who did improveto some degree, with the most ceaseless and diligent help. But sincethe vast majority of this huge body of people (there are more thanthree hundred million sociopaths on Earth) cannot get that kind ofattention, they turn to abusing those they envy, and often to crime. Itis certainly vengeance: "If I can't have any of this, why should you?"This is the real reason sociopaths lash out at strong and kind people.No matter what they say, they know that inside, they are always emptyand damaged beyond repair.

Only in neuroscience is there true hope for these incomplete people. Thekey lies in awakening the cerebral cortex of the brain, which is risky because sociopaths aremuch more prone to seizures than the rest of the population, and that-- an uncontrolled blast of electrical discharge spreading through thebrain and causing violent convulsions -- is likely to be the firstresponse from brain pathways that, after years or even decades ofsilence, are suddenly flooded with impulses.

But if the devices ofneurosurgeons can be tweaked to avoid this shock, and all else relatedto this idea is workable, it's feasible that small electronic devicesplanted in the brain (these already exist, but are not yet being usedfor mental illness) could open up a closed connection.

That leaves us with the problem of whether a lifetime of scatteredinformation can ever be set into order. Probably the best that could behoped for would be a kind of retraining -- like what is now done withstroke survivors and head injury patients -- that would be bothintensive and compensatory.

One of the things that would be necessary would be to try tosocialize the person whose congenital birth defect made such a thingcompletely impossible before.

Whatever intervention is used, be itdrugs or computer chips or what have you, it would probably -- I'd saycertainly -- be excruciating for the patient at first.

With noknowledge of how to cope with the emotions the rest of the world hasbeen dealing with all their lives, the recovering sociopath would berendered as vulnerable as a baby.

Which makes sense, because some ofthe most basic aspects of the human mind would be developing from theprimordial stasis in which they had remained since birth!

A person thus treated would never be fully normal, but the humanbrain is amazing in the way it adapts and continues to develop allthrough life.

And given the utterly joyless and meaningless existence asociopath leads, any improvement is better than none.

The matter of missing neurotransmitters in a sociopath is, ofcourse, another problem. Would "waking up" the cerebral cortexeventually stimulate production of these? Or would they have to besynthesized?

Only time will tell.

SabrinaSingularity with a couple of paragraphs from several other writers (gleaned from several other answers).

Suggestion: Better to sign in; better to be a name rather than a number.

Answer 3

A lot of people in positions of leadership are sociopaths. Traits of a sociopath are the fact that he can easily influence others, very charming, shows lack of interest in others emotions, very strong mentally, takes a lot of risks, manipulative, extremely self confidant, very positive even in the face of disaster, hates weakness. Contrary to popular opinion the sociopath isn't Michael Myers or some malignant figure lurking in the shadows. Most people find us amazing.

Answer 4

if he's acting psyco if he's acting psyco If he/she seems superficial, unusually charming, and lacks remorse. If you seem to be missing something from your wallet often (regardless if you gave it to him/her willingly or not...). If he/she is generally untruthful or gives vague references to his/her past. Sociopaths are outstanding actors (they kind of have to be to blend in with society...), so they don't act like psychos.

Answer 5

Sociopaths have no emotional regard for others. The main symptom is an inability to form real emotional connections with others. They can pretend (which makes it hard to see through) but in reality this pretending is self-motivated, a means to an end, and is never for the sole benefit of another. Consider the things your boyfriend and his son has done--any red flags that signal he(they) may not care about others? Additionally, if there already is concern that he is a psychopath, whether or not he is, he still is very likely a dangerous person. For your safety, you should probably not continue dating this person.

Answer 6

You cant unless you have the instruments. Sociopaths are exelent lieers sO you cant just walk up to them and ask HEY ARE YOU A SOCIOPATH!