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Sociopathy (Psychopathy)

A mental disorder characterized by Antisocial Personality Disorder, lack of empathy and the concern for self.

535 Questions

I am emotionally numb even when I'm with my girlfriend whom i love more than anything the only emotions i feel are anger and confusion how do i stop this?

You have some serious issues regarding relationships -- and perhaps regarding your girlfriend. We suggest that you talk this over with a professional. We understand that you may feel this is inappropriate, but we believe that it will be of great benefit both to your relationship and to your future life.

You may be able to find a counselor at little or no cost through your local mental health association. Please consult a lay professional rather than a clergyman. They are rarely well-trained in those areas.

Do you believe that a sociopath can be truly helped by a nonprofessional?

Most professionals are of the opinion that sociopaths (antisocial personalities) cannot be helped appreciably by professionals.

How do you tell someone they are a sociopath?

"You are a sociopath." However, if they truly are, it won't matter to that person.

Can two sociopaths live together?

Yes, but both would not like it, and it would probably not last. Living with a sociopath is awful for anybody, and the main reason that people stay is because they don't want to hurt the sociopath. As a sociopath is egocentric, the sociopaths would not care about each other's feelings, and would leave each other.

Should you be afraid of a sociopath when they are caught in a lie?

My dad is a Sociopath. I will continue to believe that until his dying breath he can be helped. Perhaps I'm delusional, but I have to believe that he can be helped. I'm not afraid of him. Even when he gets violent and abusive. I rather get angry because he thinks he has the right to hit my brothers, my mom and sometimes me whenever he desires. This is not right. The Sociopath thrives on the fear that others feel. They get some kind of satisfaction from the fear shown by others. My dad seems to feel some kind of pleasure at the suffering of others. I don't think one should reveal their fear to the Sociopath, but it's naturally human to be scared of such a person. Dayle



Comment: Dayle, above, should seek help from social services or her doctor or someone to connect up with support for victims of abuse.

That said: Sociopaths who lie and are caught at it usually surprise people observing them by NOT responding very strongly -- this is part of how they fool so-called lie-detector tests (which are horribly inaccurate anyway!) -- but here and there, one might fly into a rage if punishment of some kind is imposed along with the exposure of the fraud. In that case, stay safe, stay away.

What mental illnesses display sociopath tendencies?

* Antisocial personality disorder - Psychopaths/sociopaths

* Narcissistic personality disorder

* Histrionic personality disorder * Schizoid personality disorder * Borderline personality disorder These all have some of the symptoms of sociopaths, there may be more but these are the ones that I currently know of.

This is a good reference site:

http://www.crescentlife.com/disorders/personality_disorders.htm

In a family with a history of schizophrenia would an abused child be more likely than average to become sociopathic?

Yes, as a child, my brother was diagnosed with minor schizophrenia. Our parents abused us constantly, and my brother has become a sociopath. He's almost eighteen, and he hates everyone he ever sees. For some reason, he doesn't hate me. It could be because I'm the only person who stood by him through his childhood.

Is a 5year old child of a sociopath mother likely to be in any danger?

Maybe. Sociopaths think of most people as objects, and in that case, yes. But some think of their family as extentions of themselves and therefor do not intentionally abuse them. But yes, there is a good chance the 5 year old (I hope it's a hypothetical situation and not a real one) could be in for a rough time.

Should you marry a sociopath?

No, one should never marry a sociopath. Marriage involves trust, and a sociopath by his very nature cannot ever be trusted completely.

How am I enabling my sociopathic partner?

You might be letting him or her manipulate you (i.e. believing everything he or she says or letting him or her "mooch" off of you).

What is a sociopath with narcissistic characteristics?

A sociopath is somone who has anti-social tendencies, or, to put it smply, doesn't wnt to communicate with anyone very much and has little interest in relationships, long-term or short-term.

DF04/09 Wrong. Antisocial tendencies are defined as disruptive and criminal behaviour adverse to society and social cohesion. Not a lack of interest in communication; the latter would be schizoid personality disorder.

A narcissist is someone who obsess over themselves. The word "narcissistic" is derived from the "Narcissus" a boy with the same condition.

Classic Greek story, that was. People fall in love with self-obsessed boy, boy sees his reflection, boy falls in love with reflection, boy falls in water and dies.

A sociopath with narcissistic tendencies is not "TROUBLE!" as the last user decided to say, but they could be a problem in the future, as their refusal to communicate much would be a major roadblock.

Wrong again. A sociopath with narcissitic characteristics would be cold, callous, unempathic, unremorseful AND full of themselves. They would be manipulative, needy for narcissistic feedback and in addition have no remorse for any of their actions.

Can bipolar 2 turn into bipolar 1?

Yes. If left untreated, bipolar 2 can easily turn into bipolar 1 or possibly even rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

(Second User)

Yes, even with treatment (although it is much less likely in such a case) bipolar two disorder can become bipolar one disorder. This would happen when the hypomanic episodes of Bipolar 2 become more severe and harmful manic episodes. This change has been known to most often happen after somebody has had the disorder for some time.

To clarify the first answer: Rapid cycling can occur in any type of bipolar disorder. It is not really its own type of bipolar disorder, rather, it is a condition that can occur with a bipolar disorder. It refers to a person who experiences four or more bipolar mood swings in a year. This can also develop over time or be a part of the disorder from the start.

Does a sociopath need to go to a mental institution?

Well, if they have been a danger to themselves or the ones around them. Yes, that would be a good idea. If they can be managed with medication and monitored daily then that would be o.k. but that's a lot to ask. Maybe they have an institution that they can get monitored by. Good luck.

Due to extreme financial burdens, inpatient unitstypically do not keep patients long, and actual therapy is notperformed while a person is in an inpatient unit anymore. It's only amatter of getting the patient under control enough to be released andcontinue outpatient therapy.

Only private inpatient units differ on this -- and they can charge as much as $100,000 for a month's intensive treatment!

In any case, 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.

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 unfulfillment that is 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 hope for these incomplete people. The key lies in awakening 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.

Just as science understands that epilepsy is not demonic possession, that people with dissociative conditions are not harboring ghosts or devils in their bodies, and that depression is not a "deadly sin," it would and will be able to prove that sociopathy happens for a reason and that it can be dealt with. Sociopaths do very bad things. But branding them all "pure evil" isn't going to help anyone. It's just more hate.

I have commented elsewhere that the human brain is the greatest new frontier in many ways. (Although I certainly have no lack of interest in space.) Sociopaths, along with other "hopeless cases" like people with Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, Asperger's, ADD, ADHD, autism, and the schizophrenias, along with more common disorders such as depression and addiction, and so on, are a mystery, but scientists have a way of hammering away at mysteries until they unravel them, and, be assured, they are well on their way to the core of this one.

NEW INFORMATION:

See a Neurologist too.

It is now known that it can be diagnosed in childhood, since the underlying brain dysfunction is present at birth.

It was up until very recently believed that children cannot be diagnosed as psychopaths; the newest research, recently published, says that it starts in the womb. The condition is inborn and, so far, incurable. But neuroscience will almost certainly be able to develop some way of compensating for and even partially correcting this terrible condition with the use of computer chips and other artificial implants in the brain, and as well a certain type of specialized inpatient therapy geared to awakening as much as is possible in the person as soon as the condition is diagnosed.

One of the problems with anything wrong with one's central nervous system is that if it's severe and pervasive enough, it can interfere with the autonomic and peripheral nervous systems as well. In psychopaths, such maladies as what was once called neurasthenia (a state of unnatural sedation) or epilepsy (seizure disorders) are far more frequent than in the general population. Many people who are not psychopaths have some of the more than 100 forms of peripheral neuropathy, but some of these may be more common in psychopaths.

The autonomic nervous system, which prepares the body for emergencies (fight-or-flight) is erratic and inefficient in a psychopath, which can, in some situations, lead to fatal accidents; human beings have adrenaline for a reason, and the sympathetic nervous system of a true psychopath is sluggish and cannot sustain arousal for long. (In Borderline Personality Disorder, the problem is the opposite: the sympathetic nervous system responds too easily, too strongly, and way too often!)

Aside from this is the fact that a true psychopath has an extremely peculiar brainwave pattern: while awake, their brain waves most resemble a hybrid of normal waking brain waves and alpha-level sleep waves. And they often tend to sleep deeply.

Emotionally, they are cold, detached, distant, and yet deeply resentful of normal people. They know they're missing something, and often spend most of their typically short, tragic lives avenging themselves on others for what they cannot ever enjoy. So they are not truly emotionless, but they do not love, do not know true joy, and are hostile and destructive.

This ISN'T the work of the Devil; it's Nature gone horribly awry. ANYTHING THAT CAN DAMAGE THE DEVELOPING NERVOUS-SYSTEM IN A FETUS OR VERY YOUNG CHILD CAN CAUSE OR SEVERELY EXACERBATE THIS CONDITION.

THAT INCLUDES STREET DRUGS, ALCOHOL, and even SMOKING!!!

It also includes some medications; check with your obstetrician before taking anything at all during your pregnancy!

During delivery, using a forceps to grasp the baby's head should be avoided if at all possible. Any touching of the area over the FONTANEL (soft spot on top of the baby's head) must be done with caution until the fontanel has closed.

Any head injury that causes dizziness -- even without loss of consciousness -- should be treated as a medical emergency.

And another thing: NEVER SHAKE YOUR BABY!!! NO MATTER WHAT!

ALSO:

By the way, due to extreme financial burdens, inpatient unitstypically do not keep patients long, and actual therapy is notperformed while a person is in an inpatient unit anymore. It's only amatter of getting the patient under control enough to be released andcontinue outpatient therapy.

Only private inpatient units differ on this -- and they can charge as much as $100,000 for a month's intensive treatment!

ALSO:

I was diagnosed a a primary psychopath in 1992, by a clinical psychologist.

And, I was committed this Spring for five days and it was horrible.

Iended up with food poisoning and throwing up, and a nasty nurse accusedme of lying about it because of my diagnosis! Also because she probablyfeared I'd launch a lawsuit or something, which I don't do.

I wasattacked by another patient who tried to beat me with her Bible.

On topof it all, the signs of near-bankruptcy common to so many hospitals ofall kinds were rampant; and the place was crowded as a New Yorksubway!! I am NOT going back there again!!

Yes, I have currently suspended most of my social lifeuntil I am in a betterposition to handle it, but I have agreed upon some carefully-chosenvenues such as this one as means of making contact with the world.

Although I am also physically disabled, I am still ambulatoryand enjoy walking and being outdoors as much as possible -- that is,when I'm not on the Internet! All of this is far better than being "put away"!

If the new, more open attitude in the free world today aboutmental and physical disability and illness does not backpedal intosomething more repressive, I think a time will soon come when many ofthese seemingly insurmountable problems that people have will be farless isolating and debilitating.

Lately, I have been surprised to see people here on WikiAnswers responding positivelytoward me. I'm always surprised when people seem to like me. I can beone scary lady!

So, I mention this now: most people have a colorful Aura.

But, me? What I have is an EVENT HORIZON!

A singularity, you see, is the core center of a Black Hole in space.

A near-perfect metaphor for the psychopath.

What types of life experiences does one go through that could cause them to become a sociopath?

The possible causes that I have read up about are:

* It is there from birth, it is a problem of the brain where the neurological pathways do not form properly, signals have to pass through a different route which means that the brain is less effective in processing information. * It is caused due to environmental factors. The amount of things they have been given as a child does not matter, I myself am a sociopath and I have been given plenty of 'love' and material items. Try looking at their social skills when they were younger, look at how they compared to other children, did they fit in well? were they bullied?

What is a good sociopath?

YES THERE ARE GOOD SOCIOPATHS THEY CHOOSE TO WORK BEHIND THE CURTAINS AND CHOOSE NOT BREAK CERTAIN RULES TO PROTECT THEM SELFS.YOU DONT HERE ABOUT GOOD SOCIOPATH BECAUSE THERE ETHIER NEVER DIAGNOSED BECAUSE THEY HIDE THERE TRUE SELVES FROM ANYONE THATS A THREAT TO THEM LOSING CONTROL OR THEY MANIPULATE THEM SELFS INTO SOMETHING THATS BETTER FIGHTING TO THE PEOPLE THEY ARE IN CONTACT WITH.SOCIOPATHS ARE SMART,FAST THINKERS, AND ARE GOOD AT MAKING YOU LOOK ONE WAY WHEN THERE DOING SOMETHING THE OTHER WAY.(LOL WATCH THE SHOW DEXTER THATS A GOOD POSSIBLE EXAMPLE.

DONT AWAYS BELEAV WHAT YOU READ IN A BOOK DO YOUR REASEARCH AND KNOW FOR YOUR SELVES WHAT THE ANSWER IS.

THERE IS AWAYS GOOD AND BAD OF JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING MAINLY PEOPLE

THANKS. A SOCIOPATH

Albert Einstein

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.

What can you legally do if a sociopath practices black magick against you and doctors won't believe you because they think you have schizophrenia?

You can get a temporary restraining order from your local police department. That can be made a permanent restraining order after a judge hears both sides. The judge can decide to extend the temp. order or make it a permanent order. If you feel threatened or are fearful, a judge will more than likely grant the order. Answer: If you can't get the police department or a judge to do anything, or if the person is practicing his/her magick from a distance, you can also go to a local witch or to a pagan supply shop, and ask for help. These people are not permitted to ask for more money than their supplies and overhead cost, and they can reverse spells.

How can you tell whether your boyfriend is a Slime ball liar or a pathological liar?

whats the difference.? once they give you two lies. dump him .don't let him get to 3. I was with a pathological liar and a scum bag. they never stop lying . I wasted my life for 6 years.

Do sociopaths have revenge on people who stop helping them?

Firstly, let me assure you that a Sociopath, Psychopath and Narcissist are very similar in character and it may be difficult for you to distinguish between the three if not educated about the sicknesses.

All three are surprisingly stubborn and vengeful because they always see themselves as getting less than what they deserve even though they may not deserve anything. Often they believe that people owe them when no one owes them anything, warning, this is apart of their ill mentality.

They are pathological liars, thieves, delusional, self centered, false pride, unsympathetic, fault finding, egotistical, bullies, very low esteem, hypocrites, unfaithful, extremely manipulative, shallow emotions, false charm, stalkers, love to keep drama going, love to see others suffer, love to point out others flaws to make themselves look good, Love To Turn People Against One Another, very immature, sadistic, hates criticism upon themselves but loves to criticize others and the list goes on of their traits. There is nothing positive of these types of people, what you see of good from them is false charm they use to manipulate their way into your mind and eventually to your heart, where the esteem lies. They want to attack you where they think your weak at because their cowards.

-Sociopaths and Psychopaths are the same difference actually, they carry two distinct names but both are similar. Narcissist carry many similar traits of a Sociopath and Psychopath but they are not the same, equally dangerous, yes, but not the same.

-Sociopaths don't have any type of sympathy what-so-ever they are at an animal state already, whereas a Narcissist has emotions BUT only for themselves and for people that they "believe" are an extended part of themselves, such as: family, friends, people they are obsessed with and ect. They may not know they are sick unless someone brings it to their attention but they will most likely deny it and keep up with their heinous acts. Psychopathy and Narcissism is difficult to treat because they really think nothing is wrong with them, it's other people's fault not theirs. Most end up in mental facilities for the insane and in prison because they refuse to back down and change, they say they will or did to fool people but again this is only false charm. If a person truly changes within they will forgive and try to start over in some different manner, not continue on with the same acts over and over again, it proves they really don't care and wont change no matter what. Which is exactly why Sociopaths and Narcissist always end up in the hot spots that they do, stubbornness, guiltless, and have absolutely no remorse. Everything is Me, Me, Me and more Me.

So to answer your question, Yes, yes Sociopaths are extremely Vengeful and are really skilled at it because their weak and cant let go of the past. Only the strong truly forgive and move on, the weak stays behind and seeks to find a way of getting vengeance because deep down their miserable and sad with a big smile on their face to cover up their wicked intentions. Everyone gets mistreated from time to time and we learn to let go, that's the difference between a Mentally stable person and a Mentally unstable person. Mentally stable does let go not just for the say so, a Mentally unstable person holds on and refuses to let go. Its not that they don't know how to, they just don't want to. They want someone to blame so they keep up with negativity to build themselves up.

Sociopaths, Psychopaths and Narcissist are mentally unstable in humans who are in fact aware that they are different than most but don't necessarily know just how sick they are, so they deny it and the sickness grows instead of being acknowledged and helped.

Be Alert of them because they always notice you before you notice them.

How many people have ESP?

If you mean Extra Sensory Perception, then the answer is none at all. It has never been tested positively in a laboratory setting, despite any number of attempts.

What is a rageaholic?

A rageaholic (patterned after "alcoholic" or "workaholic") is a person who is addicted to fits of rage, and might become mentally abusive, or controlling, towards other people. Unlike a typically predictable alcoholic, who might need to drink Scotch or Tequila to cross-over and become vicious, a rageaholic might explode in anger at any time, with no warning at all for the poor victims in the vicinity. Rageaholics have been known to pull down curtains, ripping curtain rods out of the wall, stomp on property for-sale signs, and pull TV satellite-dishes off the roof.

Rageaholics Anonymous (with a Los Angeles chapter) recommends that a rageaholic must avoid taking the first rage fit, coping one day at a time, because any encouraged fit of anger could escalate beyond the control of a recovering rageaholic. As is said of cocaine use: 1 is too many, and 10,000 is never enough. Once a rageaholic begins the first tantrum of the day, there is no set limit to how much continued anger can be sustained throughout the day. After a pleasant rest of extended sleep, a rageaholic might explode into even greater anger, powered by the extra sleep, feeding the addiction with intense outbursts. A rageaholic might feel, during an intense fit of anger, that any judgment or reaction is totally justified, before God and everybody, in order to correct the situation causing the anger. Sometimes the reaction is simply to hit or smash things that are self-righteously judged as "wrong" (or just "irritating"). A rageaholic fit of mental abuse could become physical abuse, from the mindset that the physical abuse will correct the situation.

Related terms: anger management, uncontrolled anger.