Who is a sociopath: 10 signs of the disorder

Sociopathy (dissocial disorder or antisocial psychopathy) is a mental pathology of behavioral reactions. A person suffering from this syndrome is unable to form harmonious relationships with others. He does not distinguish between normal and illegal behavior, and does not adhere to the rules of decency accepted in society.

Who are sociopaths, people completely devoid of conscience, shame and guilt, constantly demonstrating aggressiveness and viciousness? This disorder is common in modern society. Sociopathy affects about 3% of women and 5% of men. The vast majority of them (80-85%) become criminals.

A sociopath is a potential criminal

History of antisocial psychopathy

Considering the phenomenon of sociopathy, scientists adopt the dogma according to which it is believed that every born personality initially has two categories of existence:

1. Biological. Man is the most intellectually advanced biological creature.
2. Social. The human personality lives in society from birth. By constantly communicating and contacting with their own kind, humanity has created writing, customs and culture.

For thousands of years, such a property as humanity has been formed and strengthened in the human gene pool. Modern man is a creature with initially formed habits of socialization, which include the perception of upbringing, moral norms, culture, and ethics.

A sociopath is a person who is unable to become a full-fledged member of society . According to psychiatrists, disturbances are noted already from conception. Due to an error in the formation of the gene system, hereditary memory does not “awaken”, the makings of social norms are not formed in the individual.

In simple words, a sociopath is a person who is sick at the genetic level and, due to a congenital disorder, is unable to socialize and adapt to the realities of everyday life.

Mature age

A sociopath is a person who, as an adult, has a completely irresistible charm and can win people over. They may well adhere to social rules, become a simple and ordinary person in the eyes of others . If this, of course, is necessary to create an image.

Selfishness, frequent lies and the use of acquaintances to achieve selfish goals lead to a manipulative form of behavior. Therefore, deep relationships are almost impossible.

People with dissocial mental disorder want to get more pleasure out of life. If there are obstacles, they may go against the law or social norms.

Life of a Sociopath

If we consider any mental disorder, we can see that disorders manifest themselves at different levels, depending on the age and living conditions of the patient. As for sociopathy, medium and high levels of pathology stand out more clearly. They are detected in a person from early childhood.

Child with dissocial disorder

A small sociopath is characterized by an increased level of aggression and self-esteem, bordering on powerful egocentrism. Aggression affects everyone. Such a child can calmly deliberately throw a stone at a baby, kick a dog/cat, steal money from his mother’s wallet, or try to steal something from a store.

To understand what a sociopath is, the definition of the disorder can be obtained by observing such a child. The first signs of sociopathy appear at different times:

1. Boys. The onset of the disease can be noticed in them already in preschool age.
2. Girls. But among representatives of the fairer sex, sociopathy begins to manifest itself during the transitional period of adolescence.

Little sociopaths actively oppose parents and family members and are deliberately disdainful of family values. Such children do not experience any remorse at all; they have no sense of shame. They do not feel guilty, even if they are caught stealing.

A sociopathic child is unfamiliar with shame, conscience and guilt.

Often, sociopathic children justify their misdeeds with contrived outside influence, carefully abdicating responsibility. Everyone is to blame, but not them. When observing aggressive children, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between genetic sociopathy and pedagogical neglect .

The manifestation of both directions is very similar. But the behavior of a pedagogically neglected child can be corrected with the help of experienced psychologists, teachers and parents. But a genetic disorder requires regular corrective sessions with child psychotherapists and the use of medications.

How is pathology diagnosed?

The diagnosis of “sociopathy” is made according to a number of basic criteria identified in the child:

1. Explaining committed illegal actions by the mistakes of others.
2. Complete denial of socially accepted rules of etiquette, laws, behavior and decency.
3. Inability to build and maintain friendly relationships with peers.
4. Ignoring other people's opinions, showing complete indifference to the feelings of other people.
5. Manifestation of sudden, uncontrollable aggression when it is impossible to get what you want and satisfy your own needs.
6. Complete absence of feelings of guilt and shame. A sociopathic child cannot evaluate his own behavior and give an adequate assessment of his misdeeds.

If at least three signs are present, doctors diagnose “dissocial disorder.” Such symptoms are constant; for sociopaths, antisocial behavior is the everyday norm. This poses a threat to the safety of not only the patient himself, but also those close to him.

If a disorder is detected, it is necessary to monitor the child for a long time. After all, innate traits of nature can be mistaken for sociopathy: impulsiveness, cruelty, irritability, selfishness.

Sociopathy very often occurs against the background of additional mental illnesses or becomes a consequence of more severe personality disorders (psychosis, schizophrenia).

Growing Up Sociopath

The older such a child becomes, the more sophisticated and thoughtful the disease manifests itself. The patient absolutely does not perceive attempts to reach his conscience. The only thing that can slow down an aggressor is fear of severe and severe punishment .

The patient acts according to the law of the animal pack: he did something bad, he earned pain (punishment). To avoid further pain, you need to refuse such an act in the future. These are conditioned reflexes characteristic of wild animals (trainers are guided by such reflexes).

A sociopath lives by the laws of an animal pack

How to recognize an adult sociopath

To understand that a sociopathic personality has crept into the ranks of friends or colleagues, pay attention to the characteristic signs of a sociopath:

Lack of morality . This sign manifests itself in a love of violence, torture, and bullying. When a sociopath witnesses a tragedy happening to his loved ones, he does not feel compassion or pity. Such a person cannot sympathize and never admits guilt.

Irresponsibility . Vividly manifested in teamwork. A sick person always thinks only about himself. In achieving his goal, he will resort to lying, stealing and other recklessness. It is impossible to come to an agreement with him and there is no need to count on a responsible approach to work.

Tendency to lie . Sociopathic individuals are distinguished by highly developed intelligence. The older sociopaths become, the more subtle and sophisticated their lies become. To realize his plans, the patient uses all his innate ability to charm and charm. And he's no stranger to acting.

A sociopath, if desired, is able to win over any person and instill in him the desired thought.

High level of narcissism . For someone with antisocial disorder, self-enjoyment is very important. Such people do not perceive and react aggressively to any (even mild and unobtrusive) criticism. They demand constant praise and admiration, causing such a reaction by any means.

Desire to take risks . Sociopaths have an uncontrollable appetite for risk. They love dangerous, life-threatening actions and behaviors. A simple peaceful life for such a person is boring and uninteresting. Adult sociopaths use sexual overtones to create risky situations. They will try to get the thrill by any means.

Who is a male sociopath?

Who is a sociopath: 10 signs of the disorder Photo: Depositphotos
When first communicating with male sociopaths, it is impossible to suspect mental abnormalities. They are charismatic, courageous, willing to take risks - these are the qualities that attract many women. A sociopathic man is a subtle psychologist, he feels people and says exactly what his interlocutor wants to hear.

In fact, courtesy and sweet manners are just a way to win over a person and then use them to your advantage. Sociopaths evaluate all people from a “profitable or disadvantageous” position.

Male sociopaths have similar traits:

• They consistently violate generally accepted social norms;
• Prone to promiscuity;
• Experience teaches them nothing - they live here and now;
• They cannot cope with impulse - they do not control their impulses;
• They can morally and physically hurt their neighbors - they have no boundaries;
• Prone to crime;
• They love simple pleasures: sex, food, shows;
• These are people who are destroyers;
• A close relationship with a sociopath is fraught with serious consequences: humiliation, low self-esteem, depression, insomnia and even physical injury.

Many politicians and oligarchs suffer from antisocial personality disorder. An example of severe pathology is murderers, maniacs, drug dealers, and pimps.

Causes of male sociopathy

Male sociopaths are conventionally divided into three groups, depending on the cause of the disorder.

1. Nuclear psychopaths are those to whom the disorder is passed on genetically
2. Extreme psychopaths - acquired this condition as a result of a traumatic situation. For example, if parents humiliate a child in any way, a sociopath will grow up. Children raised on the street also often become antisocial individuals.
3. Organic psychopathy is associated with brain disorders.

Typically, such people do not consider themselves sick and do not turn to specialists. But in some countries treatment is prescribed compulsorily.

Psychologists work with sociopaths. Psychotherapy is aimed at teaching a person to control impulses, trust, and establish interpersonal connections. And most importantly, they are taught to plan and make long-term decisions.

The dangers of sociopathy

Dissocial disorder is not always the cause of a person’s withdrawal from society. On the contrary, sociopaths, striving for worship and adoration, become excellent manipulators. They are seductive, cunning and intelligent.

In the process of long-term communication, a sociopathic personality identifies the vulnerabilities of the interlocutor and subsequently uses them for his own benefit. Many famous serial killers are representatives of the class of sociopaths:

• Chikatilo (one of the most famous sadistic maniacs of the 20th century has more than 60 victims);
• Jeffrey Dahmer (US serial killer responsible for the deaths of more than 20 people, killed with extreme brutality);
• John Gacy (the famous American “killer clown” who took the lives of more than 30 young men and teenagers).

They successfully charmed future victims and gained their trust. They were then lured into traps and killed mercilessly. Famous historical figures-tyrants are also classified as sociopaths: Caligula, Hitler, Stalin.

People with sociopathic disorder can often be found among:

Religious fanatics . Sociopaths, with their inherent egocentrism and addiction to violence, often create sects and teachings. Guided by their own ego, such “gurus” reshape accepted religious teachings, creating their own philosophical concepts. Violence, murder, and sadism often flourish in these sects.

Perfectly mastering eloquence, sociopathic sectarians, by the power of their persuasion, subjugate the masses of people, forcing them to carry out their plans.

Lovelace scammers . The ability to charm any person plays into the hands of sociopaths who want to live at the expense of others. Such people quickly fall in love with women, potential victims. Having robbed her dry, the sociopaths abandon her in pursuit of their next passion. The pain and confusion of an abandoned and betrayed lover gives sociopaths incredible pleasure.

Sociopaths can pretend to be anyone to achieve their goal.

How to distinguish sociopathy from social phobia

The meaning of the word sociopath is often confused with social phobia. Social phobia also refers to psychoneurological diseases. But the behavior patterns of a sociopath and a social phobe are diametrically opposed. Social phobes are distinguished by the following characteristics:

1. They are afraid to speak in front of large numbers of people.
2. They are not at all prone to displays of aggression and are able to sympathize with the people around them.
3. They can get rid of their phobias on their own by training willpower and cultivating the missing qualities.
4. They are prone to panic attacks, which can be dealt with by experienced psychologists (a psychiatrist and psychotherapist work with sociopaths).
5. They are afraid to start conversations with strangers (in a store, at work). They are even afraid to make an important call. Social phobes simply don't know how to start a conversation.

Signs of sociopathy

Pathology manifests itself differently in everyone, however, there are common signs of sociopathy by which you can recognize a person with deviations:

1. Ignoring social principles and rules . A person does what he wants, regardless of the law and moral principles, while considering himself right, and is completely confident that he can do so.
2. A feeling of complete impunity . As an example, dangerous driving of a car, when a person is overcome by the illusion that he will have time to “slip through”, overtake other road users, but they are simply obliged to let him pass.
3. Lack of guilt and remorse . A person believes that he has the right to insult and humiliate others, that they are to blame for bringing him to this point. The danger is that over time, the risk of constantly looking for justification for one’s negative actions increases and objective assessment is completely lost.
4. Lack of responsibility for one's actions . A person does not keep promises, does not repay debts, does not help loved ones.
5. Lack of compassion . A sociopath is indifferent to the people around him, both strangers and family. He will not ask about your well-being, will not offer help, will not call in difficult times when a loved one is feeling unwell, even if he knows about it.
6. Impulsivity, irritability, aggressiveness . These traits haunt almost all sociopaths (especially active ones).
7. Inability to maintain a daily routine , lack of concentration, difficulty concentrating.
8. Communication difficulties : inability to make friends and form relationships.
9. The desire to destroy values ​​belonging to others.
10. The desire to intimidate people by showing one's superiority.

Indifference to norms and responsibilities is often perceived as a complete lack of conscience, and in principle this is so. A sociopath will never show pangs of conscience; on the contrary, he will turn everything around in such a way that his victims will experience them.

See also : Who is a misanthrope and how is he different from a sociopath?

What to do if you are surrounded by a sociopath

Child . If a child suffers from sociopathic disorder, parents should immediately seek help from a child psychotherapist. A little sociopath requires careful diagnosis and long-term correctional work to normalize behavior. Correction is carried out with the direct participation of teachers and parents.

Acquaintance (colleague) . If you are “lucky enough” to encounter a sick person in your immediate environment, you should distance yourself from such a person. Keep all contact and communication to a minimum . Remember that it is impossible to appeal to his conscience and try to re-educate him. This is a sick man.

Boss . The best solution would be to change jobs. If it is impossible and unprofitable to change services, make adjustments to your communication with such management. Don’t say anything personal or unnecessary, don’t give in to his emotions and desire to subjugate.

Diagnostics

Sociopaths rarely seek help from psychologists or psychiatrists because they do not feel sick. But there are exceptions when a person, compared to others, considers himself inferior and needs help. In all other cases, they are brought by relatives in adolescence or youth.

Based on a conversation and anamnesis, both from the words of the patient and the parents, a diagnosis of dissocial personality disorder is made. Additional methods include testing intelligence, emotional-volitional sphere, thinking, and memory. They help differentiate with the following mental illnesses:

1. schizophrenia;
2. chronic mania;
3. personality changes due to alcohol or drug use.

Sociopathy from a medical point of view

Sociopathy is a mental illness of a genetic nature. Dangerous and serious personality disorder. To understand how to treat a patient, it is necessary to assess the depth of the disorder and identify the cause of the disease.

There are many opinions about the causes of sociopathy.

How do people become sociopaths?

Psychiatrists, studying the origins of the disease, are inclined to conclude that the following situations become the trigger in the development of sociopathy:

• criminal environment;
• congenital gene mutation;
• excessive parental care;
• physical brain injuries;
• drug addiction and alcoholism of parents;
• lack of education and proper attention;
• traumatic childhood events of a social nature (loss of loved ones, ending up in an orphanage);
• hereditary factors (in the presence of blood relatives with severe mental disorders).

Types of antisocial psychopathy

Sociopathy is a serious disease that accompanies a person throughout his life . The quality of the patient’s existence and the perception of him by those around him directly depends on the category of mental pathology. Sociopathy is divided into two types:

Active . This type of mental disorder is characterized by the absence of any kind of restrictions in the actions of a sociopath. Such patients live guided only by their own desires, not paying attention to the needs of others.

A highly active or domineering sociopath is particularly cunning and thoughtful. He may not break laws if he feels some benefit from this, and even demonstrates obedient and responsible behavior.

Patients with an active form of sociopathy have a tendency towards crime and complete social disorientation. Cinematographers have created images of active sociopaths: remember Dr. House, Sherlock Holmes (played by Benedict Cumberbatch). These heroes are active sociopaths.

Passive . A passive sociopath is a more hidden personality in the manifestation of mental illness. Such a patient is characterized by manipulation, thoughtful steps in communicating with people without violating accepted laws. They tend to create their own traditions and restrictions.

Despite the lack of conscience, compassion and feelings of guilt, these individuals can get along in society, partially following generally accepted rules.

Twelve Signs of a Sociopath

Like any other disorder, sociopathy has characteristics that matter; they can manifest themselves immediately or over time, it all depends on the person. The main thing is not to think that this is a temporary phenomenon and everything will pass. You need to be attentive to people, and if any of the signs arise and recur, it is better to protect yourself and exclude such a person from your social circle. Due to his tendency to behave aggressively, this must be done very carefully, especially in the case of too close relationships.

Inappropriate actions

A person is aware of existing rules and laws, but does not accept them. He goes beyond limits constantly, acting either planned or in a fit of emotion, depending on the situation and goals. The antisociopath considers his inadequate decisions to be normal, and if you tell him that this is not so, he may completely agree, but his conscience will definitely not torment him.

Deceit

Constantly lying, even in situations where it is not necessary, is a common state for a sociopath. It turns out that he is believable, despite the improbability of the stories, it is quite difficult to catch him lying. And sometimes it is fraught with bad consequences. To deceive for the sake of profit in order to gain trust is completely consistent with their worldview. This is typical for “intelligent” sociopaths who, from early childhood, had good grades at school, read books, etc.

Criminal behavior

Often sociopaths become thieves, swindlers or even murderers in adulthood. Any disagreement with their opinions, desires or demands can lead to disastrous consequences. To get out of a difficult situation, such a person may commit illegal actions.

Lack of conscience

A sociopath never feels guilty, even for terrible, immoral acts. One of the points of view of psychologists is that they lack conscience at the genetic level.

Manipulation

Many sociopaths are highly intelligent, creating the image of a smart, intelligent person without studying. Their special thinking gives them the opportunity to manipulate people, to cause pain for profit. They know how to calculate the actions of others several steps ahead and hide their true goals. Some of the famous killers had a high IQ level, this helped them deceive and evade the police for a long time.

Sociopaths easily find weak points in a person and put pressure on them. Gloomy people searching for the meaning of life are excellent targets for them. They will slowly and quietly take over a person without his participation. But strong people are avoided, they are uncomfortable in this situation, it is important for them to control the situation.

It is worth taking a closer look at the people around you who, without the slightest hesitation, deceive others to achieve what they want.

Indifference

A sociopath cannot have close relationships because pity, love, and respect are alien to him. He never feels compassion for anyone. He doesn’t care what consequences his actions cause, even the most terrible ones.

High pride

Sociopaths are narcissists and are only interested in talking about them and not about anyone else. Often their opinion of themselves is inflated to incredible proportions. Moreover, there may be no reason for this. Sociopaths do not want to hear the opinions of other people, they do not perceive it, there is no attachment to others. They are capable of looking at themselves in the mirror for hours, fixing their gaze, and completely not noticing what is happening around them. Such people need universal admiration and react sharply negatively to criticism. The opposite of narcissists are empaths.

Unjustified risk

A sociopath loves risky situations, and it doesn’t matter whether the risk is justified or not. Adrenaline gives them great pleasure. Sociopaths don’t care about their own safety, much less those around them. Often, in order to obtain emotional satisfaction, many mentally ill people resort to sexual violence.

Aggression

Cruelty and anger towards other people, girls, and defenseless animals are normal behavior for sociopaths. In a fit of aggression, such a person pounds the wall and throws things. The peak of behavior is physical violence against weak people. A sociopath understands that he cannot cope with a crowd alone, so he will never go against a group of people.

Intimidation

A person with dissocial disorder needs self-affirmation at the expense of others like air. If he cannot prove his superiority morally, then he turns to physical force. When a sociopath does decide to enter into a relationship, it is important for him to feel total control and superiority over his partner. Any rejection of the situation causes aggression and inappropriate actions.

Failure to learn from mistakes

Inflated self-esteem explains the inability to adequately accept criticism. Even having made a serious mistake, he will not change his actions, and, after a while, he will make it again. Because of this, their level of self-development lags behind other people, and their behavior cannot be called mature.

Damage to someone else's property

A kind of challenge to social rules of behavior. When parting with a “close” person, the sociopath tries to take as much property as possible, and what he couldn’t take away, he destroys.

To correlate sociopathy with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), it must have at least three of the listed signs.

A sociopath is a person who has not found a place for himself among the ethical consumer goods called the social environment.

Andrey Betsenny

Treatment of sociopathy

Treatment of sociopathic mental disorder is a complex and difficult task. The difficulty lies in the fact that a sociopath does not see any problems at all, and considers his antisocial behavior to be completely normal.

But even if such a person asks for help, the psychotherapist has difficulties in establishing a trusting relationship with the patient . They are necessary for a successful adjustment. It is difficult for a sociopath to maintain a routine and obey recommendations. When carrying out corrective treatment, doctors apply two main rules:

1. The presence of an experienced psychiatrist is mandatory.
2. Initiation into the results of therapy of a minimal amount of the patient’s environment. This is done to strengthen the patient’s trust in the treating specialist.

When treating a sociopath, doctors also resort to medication. The patient is prescribed antidepressants, sedatives and hormonal drugs. All aggressive medications are prescribed in small doses so as not to cause addiction in a person.

Causes

Scientists are asking the question: who is a sociopath? A person who has inherited the genes of mental illness, or was raised incorrectly?

Regarding the first statement, statistics speak. In male relatives, dissocial personality disorder is 5 times more common. If one of the spouses has this disease, they often have children with hysteria.

It was also noted that a sociopath grows up in a family where he was overly supervised or was not involved with the child at all (pedagogical neglect). Relatives who are drug addicts or alcoholics, poor living conditions, and frequent changes of residence are factors that can also cause mental disorders. These include head trauma, the presence of schizophrenia, mental retardation (how is that?).

Modern psychological theory claims that most mental disorders are a combination of inherited genes that manifest themselves in unfavorable conditions and under the influence of negative factors.