0
Sociopathy (Psychopathy)
A mental disorder characterized by Antisocial Personality Disorder, lack of empathy and the concern for self.
535 Questions
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.
It certainly sounds like it. We'll go so far as to bet that he was a real charmer until he got into a position of control, which is exactly the way many sociopaths operate.
We suggest that you explore ways to get out of the situation. It will not get any better, although he may make all sorts of promises. You have no reason to trust him, and no reason to believe anything he says. However, if he threatens you, take that seriously.
Why isn't there treatment for sociopaths?
Sociopaths (psychopaths) are people who are incapable of experiencing compassion; they never feel shame, guilt, or remorse. Harming a friend, a lover, a parent would have no emotional effect upon a psychopath. Psychopaths regard other people as tools, as resources to exploit. Some are incredible mimics and will go to great lengths to appear "normal", in order to game the system for their own benefit.
There is no known treatment which can change psychopaths. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) has no beneficial effect whatsoever upon psychopaths. There are no medications, surgical techniques, or any other methods which have the slightest effect. Extensive clinical literature from such prominent researchers as Dr. Robert Hare makes this fact clear. Psychopathy is completely untreatable.
Furthermore, psychopaths see nothing wrong with the way they are. They feel no incentive to change. Their own wrongdoing does not cause them the slightest worry.
There are different kinds of people - not all sociopaths are the same and therefore the possibility that some may be willing to change is apparent. Also, the way in which they act and are acted upon by others has more to do with their decisions. Therefore, if they are given a tolerant opportunity, change is possible. A cure may not be.
Incidentally, "sociopath" is a catch-all term, not a condition. The presenting conditions are narcissistic, antisocial and/or dissocial personality disorders.
Sociopaths do self harm. But it's more like an internal need for relief that cracks them. Sociopaths or psychopaths have violent urges, and if these can't be vented on others they are vented on themselves.
Sociopaths don't love in the traditional sense. What most people consider the sort of "final stage" of love is feeling that the other person's needs are above theirs. Sociopaths don't feel that. How ever, they can and do love certain select people to the point of obsession. They become such a part of their live, so important that the idea of not having them can be quite painful.
Because sociopaths for the most part are emotionally unattatched, the shock of loosing an emotional attachment that would be painful, but not unbearable for a normal person, is magnified for a sociopath because it is so different.
As a teacher how do I deal with a sociopath in my classroom?
Let them stay in the classroom.... They would observe there classmates, everyday.. They hate talking mostly at this age because they don't feel like a god yet. They are shy and really lonely.. So if that continues on they would start aching to hurt there classmates, because would be annoyed at them for not playing with them... Don't treat them like special needs kids!! They would then start playing a game with you were they rec your career.(depending if there 11 OR older)
If there are more than one sociopath in one school you must make them avoid eachother. Or else they would start playing there game and each day the game gets more Deadly.( 11 OR Older ) Ask them on what's bothering them, because they are holding all of there sadness inside them. But don't get personal. They would also not seek love but instead souls. They love the smell of Blood.. And the hear of crys.
I know this because I am one. ); It's hard being a sociopath, everyone hates you.. And you become alone.. But all you want to do is play some games.. We're like kids that grow up into adults.. We just want To have Fun.
What if you killed a sociopath and they ended up in hell?
By definition, a sociopath lacks a sense of moral responsibility. Those who lack a sense of moral responsibility automatically wind up in a hellish dimension after physical death. They have no choice. The non-living higher power on the Other Side known as The Light judges all regardless of belief system; this is confirmed by near-death experience and inter-life regression research. Regardless, I strongly suggest letting the police handle such matters and not doing said individual in on your own. With one rare exception: if you were to transition and were spiritually advanced enough to expand your consciousness into a Godhead in The Light. In which case, if you were to investigate - as people and events on the physical plane are much more obvious to those on the Other Side - and said individual is indeed confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt to be a sociopath, then, as a Judge in The Light you would only be serving "that which is good and true" by ousting his or her soul from corporeal life and letting The Light indirectly force him or her to reside in an appropriate hellish dimension. (A sociopath who happened to murder an innocent who expanded into a Godhead on the Other Side would not live for very long.) But for the vast majority who read this: best to just let the police handle crimes committed by a sociopath.
Should you forgive a sociopath mother?
Yes, you should forgive a sociopath mother, since she was the one who gave you life.
What mental condition causes fits of rage?
narcissistic rage
That is one but there are others. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Mania, Depression, there are many. I would recommend a professional looking at the pattern in the instances of rage before anyone is hurt.
Can a sociopath be detected by brain scan?
Although i haven't seen it done, i'm sure it could be. All that would need to be done is to watch the brain of a person who is, and one who isn't a sociopath, in a social environment. any differences would be tell tail signs
What are the symptoms of sociopathy?
Sociopathy is the common term for Antisocial Personality Disorder. This disorder is charecterized by having atleast three of the following.
- failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
- deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
- impulsiveness or failure to plan ahead;
- irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
- reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
- consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
- lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to orrationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another;
How do you deal with a sociopath ex boyfriend whom you have a child with?
talk to a lawyer to legally arrange you and his visiting time with your child and if you think he is dangerous file separately(or have the lawyer do it for you) a restraining order
"Crazy and unpredictable," most people say. But there's more to it.
Psychopaths are people who suffer from a brain abnormality that causes them to grow up without developing a conscience or any capacity to connect with their fellow human beings. Most of the time, a psychopath feels bored and restless, craving stimulation. This is partly because they have the need for the benefits of human contact WITHOUT the ability to make or to receive such contact, and partly because the cerebral cortex of a psychopath is rarely fully aroused to normal consciousness (not to be confused with "conscience"), instead hovering at what EEGs show to be a hybrid of alertness and alpha-sleep waves. This may also account to some degree for the psychopath's ability to lie and also to their sometimes amazingly illogical grasp of reality.
Psychopaths make life hell for many people around them, but their existence is hell too. Therapy can sometimes help some, as can some medications, but until neurosurgeons can do something about the brain abnormalities that cause psychopathy, the condition, which afflicts four out of every hundred people, cannot be cured.
REMEMBER AS WELL THAT PSYCHOPATHS ARE IN FACT LIVING MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RACE. Defending yourself against a psychopath is one thing; attacking someone just for being one is quite another. I do not need to have a conscience to see that!
Meaning that certain health-care givers who smiled grimly and knowingly when looking at my file, and who then have roughed me up or verbally battered me or even hit me, in clinical settings, plus all those so very pious folks who constantly preach that scum like me ought to be lined up and shot, are WRONG.
How can people know I'm "totally hopeless" if they never give me a chance? The therapist I see now is doing just that, and this, in combination with medications that change the ways my nervous system functions, seems to be helping me. Which, of course, is supposedly impossible. Well. It's happening anyway, and I know there are other ones out there too!
One very important point, therefore, is that, most certainly, no one helps sociopaths by repeatedly calling them 'evil'! That kind of response cannot possibly help anyone. A sociopath before treatment cannot trust anyone and must learn the fundaments of trust and interaction between people. No one who is persuaded to believe that he or she is just plain bad can sustain any hope for change. It becomes a vicious cycle: the sociopath, being told he or she is evil and cannot be helped, gives up, and in frustration and anger lashes out again at people, and in response to that, people say that their original point is proven.
The main reason sociopaths don't usually seek help is that they can't trust, rather than that they like being as they are. Plus, they can often sense exactly what sort of a response any call for help on their part is most likely to elicit from professionals and lay folk alike. Sociopaths are not breezing along in paradise. It isn't all a game. It's a truly miserable existence. And it can be made better. It may not be "curable" yet, but it most certainly isn't as hopeless as so many people say. There is therefore nothing to be gained and much to be lost when therapists and lay folk try to ostracize sociopaths from the human race entirely! Sensationalism and superstition will only prevent progress.
This was written on another question on the same essential topic as this one, by a self-confessed sociopath (other than me!) --
- Sociopaths, though born that way, are people too. To avoid an entire group of people is absurd. That's like saying, "Since these people have dark skin, everyone should completely avert themselves from them." I am a moderate sociopath, and though part of me doesn't want to change, another does. Many times it is really entertaining to see how stupid people can be, especially when they're so gullible as to believe every word that mellifluously flows from my lips. Yes, I am parasitic, but even so, there are some people I would like to stop hurting. I can't find any websites that can provide a way to help my sociopathy. Maybe people like you should stop your self-victimisation and start trying to actually help people like me! I knew I was a sociopath before the age of ten but have only recently had it officially diagnosed. I am eighteen years old now, and I have been lying and destroying others' sanity for a long time. So, please post some helpful tidbits that might help sociopaths resist the sweet urges we get when we encounter weak human beings. When you cut us, do we not bleed? When you kill us, do we not die? Do you honestly think that you're being lied to and manipulated when we sincerely ask for help. Listen to yourselves! This is the internet; ergo, you're safe from our fortified mental grasp.
The essay that follows was written in another answer by another self-admitted sociopath, who actually might not be a sociopath. Still another person added the brief comment to that effect after her tragic essay.
- umm... i kindof am one... just so y'all know, it's not so much fun being one either. i read that sentence up there, "Incapable of real human attachment to another." i don't even know what that is, i see it, i approximate it... it's like being outside a door looking through a dirty window and watching re-runs of people I've seen in love or with children or with friends, and scratching, sometimes banging at the glass to get in and... nothing. I'm fond of people in every sense of the word, their little quirks and habits, the way they see life, except if they went away it wouldn't bother me much other than finding someone else to be fond of. i don't have friends, i only date military men because they're ok with only having a girlfriend for a couple months and i tell them in advance i won't wait for them... i don't know what else to do to limit the damage i inflict on others just as a result of them knowing me, short of moving to the mountains... but i still move between 2-5 times a year :( it's kindof hard walking around knowing I'll never have what i see making other people so happy and running when i can tell someone is getting close just because i don't want to hurt them more later down the road... i'd like it alot to settle down, i WANT to be able to feel more with people, but it's hard to miss what you never had. i want what i THINK it would feel like... it'd be easy to give in and let someone stay because I'm so lonely... but hey, I've written enough, just know i try to be a responsible little sociopath, i won't ever get married or have kids, i practice safe sex, i won't stay in one city for long... everything you all take for granted i will never let myself have just because i WANT to take it for granted. being like this won't go away so hopefully i can limit the amount of hate thrown my way by limiting my interaction with people, i don't know what else to do. and you all might not belive this, but i am sorry, hopefully i can speak for the other people who have damaged your lives.
- I've seen the 2nd-3rd anwers on a few questions dealing with psychopaths and I would like to say that a sociopath and a psychopath are very different. Much as a house cat and a wild tiger differ.
- Comment: The above testimony is clearly not indicative of a sociopath because they seem to make efforts to keep from harming others, even if it doesn't benefit themselves.
Are there more gay sociopaths that straight sociopaths?
No, in fact, it's the opposite. There are many more straight sociopaths than gay ones.
Are sociopaths hypochondriacs?
Sociopaths are not necessarily hypochondriacs. Hypochondria is a completely different mental disorder from antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy/psychopathy). Those with hypochondria excessively worry about having serious illnesses, often jumping from doctor to doctor to check for their diagnoses. On the other hand, despite the name, those with antisocial personality disorder are not always antisocial; they can actually be rather talkative people. Those with antisocial personality disorder often lack empathy for others and may participate in stealing or lying. Although hypochondria and antisocial personality disorder are different, it doesn't mean that someone can't be both a hypochondriac and a sociopath. Thus, the question you posed is not impossible, but sociopathy is not classified under hypochondria.
Is a person who does not visit a dying relative a sociopath?
not exactly. it is possible, but it is also possible that the person didn't care about the relative or it was impossible to get there.
It depends, and without knowing the individual nobody can give you a rock solid guarantee of what they will do. Generally sociopaths and manipulative narcissists are kindred, but in this regard they may not be. Sociopaths are not emotionally attached to anyone or anything but themselves, so if you dump them then they'll probably be moving swiftly on to their next partner/victim. There will be no hard feelings because there never were any feelings.
Narcissists may consider your act of dumping them as effrontery and an insult to their (perceived) greatness, possibly they will defame you to others or seek revenge. Whether that revenge is violent or not will depend upon the particular narcissist.
The best way to deal with them is to let people who you trust know the circumstances of the break-up, and if you feel it's necessary let the police know. Involving the police is usually enough to keep sociopaths/narcissists at bay-they don't like the idea of prison and losing their liberty and chance to scam people.
Can a sociopath admit their illness to themselves?
Sure! And they're most likely not going to care whether they are or not.
Sociopaths and feelings
- Sociopaths have NO conscience, though they know the difference between right and wrong. So they don't experience remorse or a sense of guilt. Usually they even have great difficulty owning their actions. In other words, they often can't even bring themselves to say, "Yes, I did this" if it's something society disapprove of.
- Another key characteristic of sociopaths is callousness and lack of empathy, so genuine sadness for others is something they aren't capable of.
- Many sociopaths are quite good actors. They know how to pretend to show sympathy and so on. Sometimes they give themselves away by displaying exaggerated or even melodramatic sympathy that doesn't ring true. Always look out for uncalled for drama.
- As for 'feeling bad for themselves', it usually takes the form of aggressive self-pity. As they can't accept responsibility for their own actions, they blame their misfortunes on others.
- Sociopaths are sharks in deep water. Sociopaths absolutely have no conscience and that also includes the law. To them laws are to be broken and they do not adhere to the regular social lives of others. Sociopaths don't even have pity for themselves because they have no conscience. They are callous, unforgiving, cruel and get great pleasure out of demeaning, harming another human being (even in some cases animals.) When looking into a Sociopath's eyes it's like looking at "shark eyes" ... dark, unmoving and dangerous!
- That "eye thing" has to do with a number of factors -- a sociopath will stare almost unblinkingly into another person's eyes because they watch people's reactions far more closely than most people. Why? Most other people are much better at reading each others' emotions, and at hearing what emotion is present in other people's voices. Thus, when a sociopath is "acting" and displaying tears, or some such, it is considered excessive or unreal because the tone of voice may be incongruous or the chosen words may not fit the emotion being synthesized.
- The state that a sociopath is in during a display of emotion such as weeping is simply like mental "static" -- a generalized discomfort that is almost impossible to differentiate and is then focused on getting some kind of substitute gratification. Without a conscience, it isn't possible to influence other people the way most people do, so sociopaths do it by manipulation, although sometimes what they display comes pretty close to what they'd be feeling in a given situation if they were instead normal.
- As for the eyes and emotion, many sociopaths display a sadistic glint of glee as they abandon themselves to depraved behavior and subject their victims to excruciating pain. At such moments they experience intense pleasure and may even laugh excitedly with joy.
What are the characteristics of emotional and behavior disorder?
The most common behavior pattern of emotional and behavioral disorders consists of antisocial, or externalizing behaviors.
What horoscope signs correspond to sociopathic behavior?
basially I'm a Pisces and I have alot of other friends that are Pisces and we r very mellow but I guess that all I can say cause I don't know any other signs. But on the bright side u don't have to worry about Pisces.
When your are born has no effect on your later behaviour. sociopath traits are a mental health issue-many factors in life can promote this-genetics, envirement are the basics The mind is so complex that no one head dr can explain Though certain signs have negative behavoirs it doesnt mean theyll be crazy However with the rite stimulus from internal or out criminal or perverted actions can start
Should sociopaths be euthanized since they have no true human traits?
no because we are your superiors. not bound by your morality
Loss of power would cause them to explode or 'ignite' as you phrased the question. Sociopaths have very little real emotion, with the exception of rage. This happens when they have a feeling of lack of control. They feel that the people around them belong to them, like a possession which is a part of them. Therefore, losing control is the equivalent of the average person losing control of an arm of a leg.
Is a Spiritual hustler a sociopath?
Maybe. However, if he or she cares about other people with the exception of his or her line of work, then the diagnosis would not be sociopath.
How to handle a sociopath in the workplace?
Ask for a transfer away from that person. Or leave the job, which is usually the only way to deal with it. Complaining to superiors about the problem will rarely get you anywhere, because after all, the sociopath has them wrapped around their little finger.
