This semester I taught both Forensic Psychology and Abnormal Psychology at the University of Bridgeport. The students there are an ethnically diverse group and I think are fairly representative of America’s young adult population. In both classes we discussed those individuals who have a “a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.” I wrote antisocial personality disorder, sociopathy and psychopathy on the blackboard before we began our discussion. I then asked the students if they had heard of these terms and if they could tell me the definitions.
Only a small percentage had heard the term antisocial personality disorder, nearly everyone had heard the word sociopath, about a third had heard the word psychopath.
The next question to the students was, “What do all these terms mean?” Someone asked if antisocial personality referred to a person that didn’t like to be around others. Someone else said that psychopaths are “out of touch with reality, psychotic.” Most who heard the word sociopath associated it with criminality.
The students were shocked to discover that all three terms basically refer to the same disorder.
That same week, I spoke with an internet search expert. He told me that the term antisocial personality disorder is searched through Google about 5,000 times per day. The term psychopath is searched 60,000 times per day and the term sociopath is searched 110,000 times per day. These numbers are consistent with my survey of university students. My findings indicate that the American Psychiatric Association has done the public a great disservice with their boggled naming of the disorder.
An interesting historical fact is that this disorder used to be called “moral insanity.” Insanity is a legal term that indicates that due to mental defect a person is not responsible for his/her actions. Although many people believe that the morally insane have a mental (brain)defect there is considerable resistance to saying this absolves them of responsibility for their criminal acts.
This week we discussed the case of John W. Hinckley, Jr. the man who shot President Reagan and Mr. Brady, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a mental hospital. A psychiatrist for the prosecution, Dietz testified that Hinckley viewed his actions on March 30 as successful. “It worked,” Hinckley told Dietz in an interview. “You know, actually, I accomplished everything I was going for there. Actually, I should feel good because I accomplished everything on a grand scale….I didn’t get any big thrill out of killing–I mean shooting–him. I did it for her sake….The movie isn’t over yet.” In short, Deitz saw Hinckley as a sociopath who was grandiose and trying to impress Jody Foster with his actions, though I believe he actually diagnosed him with borderline personality.
I reflected to the class that it seems that individuals like Hinckley and Dahmer (the serial killer) should be considered special cases of sociopathy and not lumped with the rest. There are sociopaths who are so grandiose and obsessed with power that they seem to lose touch with reality. Not that they are schizophrenic and have delusions or hallucinations, but their interpretations of the world cannot be construed as “normal.”
This is actually where the term “borderline” came from, as is used today to refer to “borderline personality.” The borderline is some point between neurotic and psychotic-borderline psychotic actually. So perhaps we could consider psychopaths those sociopaths who are so afflicted that their thinking and behavior indicate they have lost their grip on reality. Some psychiatrists do think of psychopaths as the worst sociopaths.
Should those with moral insanity who commit crimes be treated differently than others? Should John Hinckley be released now that he has been judged not psychotic? These are questions for another week.
See also:
https://lovefraud.com/blog/2006/07/30/confusion-about-sociopaths-pyschopaths-and-antisocials/
If you have a personal example of a sociopath’s “loose grip on reality” please share it with us in a comment.
Literally Sleeping With Mr. Wrong
There he was stunning and charming as ever. He swept me off my feet upon our first meeting. It was on the line of a New York City cruise where we first laid eyes on each other. He had all white on and was very neat. He had a bald head and a goatee. He smiled a lot and had very intelligent conversations. He told me that he had written a book and that he was in law enforcement. He had been working for Sing Sing Prison as a Corrections Officer (at least that is what he said). He also told me that he had three beautiful daughters.
We started dating slowly but continuously. First there were flowers, cards and then the chocolates. We dined at very nice restaurants in Brooklyn (where he was from). This man knew how to treat a woman. I felt special because I was treated like a queen from a handsome, smart and professional man.
We started to get in a serious relationship. He asked for my hand in marriage. I was so happy that with all the bad happening in my life that I had someone good who was by my side. We got pregnant and we were excited. We decided to combine our lives and children and get a new home to support our upcoming union.
Well we found a beautiful condominium that was perfect for us. Mr. Wrong asked my mom for my hand in marriage and my mom happily told him yes.
We moved in together and things were fine for the first four months. He went to all prenatal visits with me and still paid a lot of attention to me. It was great, so I thought.
Tragedy struck
I had four children of my own. Life was routine up until one day I had a family tragedy. One of my children did the unthinkable, took the life of their partner. The charge was manslaughter. I felt like my life was in a world wind. I was about to lose my child to the system and I lost their partner to death. Could life have gotten any worse? Well that wonderful man who was in law enforcement came to my rescue. He came with me to court, jail to visit my child and even helped in choosing a lawyer for my case. He was my media spokesperson. I was indebted to this person. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I was now vulnerable.
I was in the media a lot because of my child and circumstances surrounding the case. I started getting threatening phone calls from people I didn’t know. How did they get my number? To make a long story short I received a phone call from someone I didn’t know. They were asking me to come to a hotel room; they claimed to be an attorney and said they could help my child. I immediately told Mr. Wrong what happened and he asked me to find out the information of the hotel room and such from the caller. I gave it to him. Well, Mr. Wrong claims he went there in stead of me and he told a chilling story to me that included kidnapping and murder. He claims that in order to protect me and him he would not give me specifics on who these people were or where the bodies were to be hidden. I wanted to go to law enforcement but with what evidence. Was this even true? They would laugh me right out of the police station.
Blessing & Curse
As you would expect the fun didn’t last long. I had spent all my savings on our condo. I was pregnant and I found out that Mr. Wrong had two more children whom he didn’t have anything to do with, four girlfriends and a mentally ill mother in which he collected her social security benefits for himself. He fathered 5 children 3 of which were 2 years old. When I asked him why he didn’t tell me about them he said because it was before me and none of my business. I soon found out that he had four residences prior to living with me in one year.
I was 7 months pregnant and Mr. Wrong left me. No explanations just left. My son is 2 months now and I have not seen Mr. Wrong. I went to court to seek child support and was told that if I can not get him served (process service) that they would have to dismiss my case. I eventually found out that Mr. Wrong left and ended up living with a woman (supposed wife of 15 years) and took his two daughters who he told me about in the beginning there to live with him. These were not her children and to top it off she introduced herself to his daughters as there step mom of 15 years. His daughters knew me because they lived with us in the condo for 6 months. To get them to dislike me, he told them that I killed there hamster and stole money out of their room. Now technically he has 6 children by 5 different women but only cares for 2. Not surprisingly he receives social security benefits for those two daughters. They are an additional source of income for him.
My blessing was giving birth to a 7lb 9oz beautiful baby boy and the curse was having a sociopath as a father.
Please visit me at my personal website: http://www.whenyoucryicry.com
Elizabeth Conley, you heard me and you know. Where do i go, how do i get away. thank god there is a real person out there.
as long as i stay and be “good” he will not hurt me. my time is coming and i will have enough confidence to get a job to support myself and go.
thank you elizabeth conley
“as long as i stay and be “good” he will not hurt me. ”
Having “enough conficence to get a job to support yourself and go” is unlikely to be defined as “good” by your abuser.
Take the clothes on your back and head straight for the nearest women’s shelter. Hit the streets and start running. When you get tired walk. Head for a church if you can. Find a group of women and ask them for help finding the shelter. They’ll come get you when necessary, but try not to use your home phone or a cell phone registered to the abuser. Use a kindly stranger’s phone. Head for a church if you can. Find a group of women and ask them for help finding the shelter. Rebuild your life and never look back.
You might think you can’t get help because you’re not black and blue and missing a few teeth yet. Trust me, you can. The people at the shelter will be glad you asked for help before things escalated. They know the pattern intimately.
PS Badkarma2,
I think you’re at the stage were the abuser is still chipping away at your self confidence, so you won’t have the strength to run when the abuse escalates.
Just the name “Badkarma” suggests to me that you think you must have done something to deserve abuse. You didn’t. You don’t. Get out.
…and you use very, very few capital letters. This suggests serious disturbance in self-image. Run while you still can!
To Oxdrover and Elizabeth Conley:
I can’t believe that you are still spreading these lies about Bill Clinton. Try getting some facts for a change. I’ve read several books about him, yes, even the “ghost written” book by Gennifer Flowers. The worst thing you can say about him is that he was willing to take whatever a woman was wiling to give. He divided the female population into two camps, the bimbos and the smart girls. He bedded the bimbos, but married the smart girl. Intelligent voters care who the President is in bed with politically, not physically. We’d rather have a President who screws one woman, than one like Bush who screws the entire nation. To insinuate that Clinton has any psychopathic tendencies is not only nonsense, it is libelous, and you owe him, and all of the rest of us bloggers, an apology.
Cheryl,
You willnotice that I said that is my OPINION. It is based on what I consider FACTS, not just random hate. A libelous statement is one that is intended to harm and is untrue.
Since Clinton is a “public figure” me stating my opinion of him (even if it was in no way true) is not illegal. Opinions are like noses, we all have them.
I don’t intend to get into an argument with you over your opinion. You have a perfect right to state your opinion, just as I have a right to state mine. I take no offense at it, even though you have accused me of “telling lies” As for your comment of “WE’D rather have a President who screws one woman than one like Bush who screws the entire nation.” Doesn’t include me. The hyperbole of Bush “screwing the entire nation” is opinion, not objective fact. It IS objective fact that Clinton had many sexual relationships while Governor and president, AND I firmly belive that some of those “relationships” were rape. MY OPINION.
So how about it, Cheryl, why don’t we just agree to disagree. My comments here have not harmed clinton any more than the comments here that I think OJ Simpson murdered his wife and Goldman. He was legally “not guilty” but that doesn’t make him innocent IN MY OPINION.
I actually agree with some of the political things Clinton accomplished, and disagree with some that Bush has done. Personally I THINK ALL POLITICIANS have at some point sold their souls to the devil to acheive power and status. Some more than others, but all of them on the bottom line. I’m not “pro” Bush and “anti Clinton” or Republican or Democrat. I’m an equal opportunity distruster of politicians. LOL Peace?
Splitting hairs . . . Being that so many people (as Lianne pointed out) don’t even know that basics of what Psychopathy/ASPD/NPD/Soiopathy/Narcissism are . . . and being that even the experts (who do know what they are and have experienced them) don’t agree as to the definitions . . and being that there is so much similarity anyway . . . (which is the cause of the confusion) . . I think it is almost irrelevant what you call them . . . We can all agree . . that no-matter “name” we’re using . . they are 1) liars, 2) have no conscience 3) have an extreme sense of entitlement 4) have inappropriate rage outbursts 5) blame others (for well . . . everything!) 6) usually are very charming and glib 6) seek prey (nice, compliant, successful, honest) individuals to attach to in order to advance their agendas.
I think we also can agree . . they will not/can not change
So I think it is important to learn how to recognize them, and stay away. That is the only thing we have in our power. (I am also of the belief that this is inherited . . and if we do stay away . . . through time (but not in our lifetime) evolution will prevail and there will be fewer and fewer. I am scared . . . that since they are so POWERFUL . . . and we as weak or won’t acknowledge the TRUTH . . . they they in the future may become the NORM. And Psychopath may be the NORMAL person.
Ms Cheryl,
I apologize for offending you, but I’m not apologizing for calling Mr. Clinton on his behavior. Mr. Clinton has committed violent rapes and groped ladies who were in no way prepared for the degradation. Then his handlers and the DNC spin machine covered for him, abusing his victims over and over again in the process. It was a textbook case of a Sociopath and his enablers running amok.
If I pretend Mr. Clinton didn’t do these things, or that these things were OK, I’m abusing his victims too. These ladies really suffered. They did not deserve what he put them through.
If you read more carefully, you’d have noted that I approved of the effect of his presidency. His administration was relatively competent. That’s the credit he is due, for what it’s worth.
God help us if we choose to label everyone who falls afoul of prominent and powerful sociopaths “nuts and sluts”. That’s really depraved. Cheryl, I think you need to think long and hard about whether you really believe that women who aren’t smart by your standards deserve to be reviled as bimbos. I don’t care if you apologize. I’m just asking you to have a heart.
I always thought maybe Bill Clinton was a bit passive-aggressive.. because he cheated on his wife a lot. Obviously he had resentment towards her. But I used to think .. what man wouldn’t be a bit resentful and intimidated around her.. she’s so ballsy.. they used to call them “The President and her husband”.
I think they had the misfortune of having a bad marriage dragged into the spotlight, really.