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.
Sarah,
I am with you. There are so many people uneducated about any of the disorders you named….(all related in my opinion) and labeling in itself is dangerous when we are not qualified to diagnose. The reality is that they are BAD people and many of us have had bad experiences with them that may leave us scarred for the rest of our lives, regardless of how violent those experieces may have been.
What we need to remember is that we have to protect ourselves and we are more educated and informed than most and hopefully can help someone else identify these individuals before it’s too late…… We can’t tell from appearances who or what these people are. Remeber, they are good at targeting the vulnerable and are chameleons in terms of making themselves look like whatever they want and whatever we want to believe them to be.
I feel very strongly that recognizing and understanding Psychopathy/NPD/ASPD/Sociopathy etc is a “grass roots movement”. Usually they won’t go to a psychiatrists or psychologists. It is the people whose lives are effected by their lying/raging/charm/manipulation/blaming/no conscience/extreme sense of entitlement etc etc etc that KNOW them best and EXPERIENCE them. Often the psychiatric profession, when they see them for an hour, once is week, are totally taken in by their charm,manipulation & lies. So in my humble opinion . . . we, the NON-PROFESSIONALS, effected by their horrific abuse are THE MOST qualified to LABEL them. And people telling us we shouldn’t label them is taking away our power. I personally resent it! It is the the most important POWER we have to eliminate these people from our lives.
First we have to be sure that they are what we think they are, based on their extreme demented actions, then if we give it a name . . . Psychopath/Sociopath/ . . . we can get them out of our lives. We don’t have to talk (or explain) about the million and one unconscionable demented things they did to us. . . before giving ourselves permission to have NO CONTACT. We can just say “That is a PSYCHOPATH”. They will not change and I refuse any further contact.
So, in my humble opinion . . . don’t let anyone tell you . . . you can’t label them because you are not a professional. “This is taking away your power”. I say . . . YOU are the best person to name them . . . because you have experienced their demented behavior. I would sooner say. . . The professionals cannot name them . . because usually, they only experience the charm, lies and manipulation.
Yes is is a grassroots movement, one that has long been needed and I hope it will take root strongly.
So how would you catergorize the individual in this article?
http://www.lovefraud.com/blog/2008/11/12/letters-to-lovefraud-not-one-thing-about-him-was-real/
He hasn’t been arrested for anything truly criminal but hurts people just the same. It seems to be insignifacant when you tell people it has affected you emotionally. Most can’t relate unless you tell them you were bilked out of your life savings or someone was physically hurt.
I think there is potential here for any one of these people to be dangerous in terms of breaking the law. This guy has all the stereotypical issues relative to narcissistic personality disorder, sociopathy, psychopathy, borderline…..even his family issues and behavior of his offspring. Maybe he’s just a jerk.
Just because a man doesn’t wear torn clothing, isn’t dirty and talking to himself while walking the streets, doesn’t mean he isn’t a homeless schizophrenic. And just because he may walk around like that, doesn’t mean he is. We seem to categorize based on appearances or proven acts of violence. It doesn’t make people any less dangerous potentially.
They cause a lot of psychological pain. I spoke to a dr and researcher recenty who also said that research has shown that many psychopaths studied have been found to have lied about their childhood, stating they were physically and emotionally abused, when they were not.
Maybe that’s why there are no definitive answers…..they lie about everything and it’s difficult to study them.
Elizabeth Conley: I know what you are saying about banning children to play with your children. Many people hide behind religion and quote it according to their selfish agendas. I believe God has it built in to all his children to naturally know what is right and what is wrong. He also asks that we stay humble so that we follow his directives and not deviate. Deviation of any of his written directives is EGO taking over the individual and wanting their own way. Wanting anything your own way is selfish, greed. What we have seen over the last 40 years is putting spins on these words so that selfish greedy behaviors are accepted by society because selfish, greedy people have made so many excuses for their behavior and conveniently call them by different titles so they can continue their behavior. After many years of throwing all the crazy spins to selfish behavior, the American public has been confused by said definitions and that there are too many of them to remember any more which is why the spin is put on the behaviors in the first place … keeping everyone confused, telling people it isn’t politically correct to say this or that … taboo subjects … don’t walk that topic, fine line here, do not cross over! Give me a break with all the nonsense thrown out there, call a selfish person a selfish person no matter what facade they are hiding behind!
The mother to those two children was and probably is still concerned about her needs and wants instead of forgetting that she no longer comes first, the teaching of wisdom, love and attention to her children is her first priority … never to have herself (solo) as a priority again (with in reason of course … and I don’t want to get going on abuse by spouse or any of that issue) … I’m talking basic priority that your children come first before you (the parent) anymore. It’s called growing up and stop acting like a spoiled child. You wanted children, now take care of your children. Period.
Peace. Elizabeth, good thing you confused Oxy and me in that post … it was a good post and I probably would have missed it if my handle wasn’t thrown in there by accident. You’re sweet.
Sarah999: Good post… but, there is nothing wrong with labeling them selfish, self centered, self absorbed.
I know in my life, anyone, normal or not, when they act selfish in any way shape or form, I’m history … as I back out of their lives not to have them inter mingle with mine. I’ve had many friends and co-workers tell me, I had it all wrong … so and so is really a nice person, I just read them wrong. Read what wrong? That the person was in everyone’s face spinning the poor me tale … and sucking everyone in to it. I would tell these friends or co-workers … do what you want, befriend that person, I don’t have time.
As time went on, the person they befriended screwed them over in more ways than I care to remember … those friends and co-workers had to learn on their own and came up to me admitting that I was right. It has nothing to do with right or wrong, it has to do with recognizing someone/anyone is being selfish. Why are they being selfish? I don’t know and frankly, I don’t care.
Now, if I only knew that about my EX, I’d be all set. But, just goes to prove how sneaky they can be perfecting their manipulation techniques, smiling to your face, talking and acting normal … not having red flags trip off. What amazes me the most is how creative and talented my EX truly is. Too bad he’s lazy, lazy, lazy and selfish to boot. The way I look at him, it’s his loss. I may have lost financially, but he looses when it comes down to real reasons we are here on earth.
Peace.
Wini,
“I’m history ” as I back out of their lives not to have them inter mingle with mine. I’ve had many friends and co-workers tell me, I had it all wrong ” so and so is really a nice person…”
It’s smart to identify an N, S, or P and take appropriate evasive action. It’s counter productive to share your assessment with others.
I hate watching people get in deep with an N, S, or P. I know they’re going to get messed over, and I know the eventual casualty count will be high. Still, my policy is silent distance. I tried to warn people of a narcissist before, when he and his wife swiped money from their church. Nobody wanted to hear it, least of all their church. My reputation took far more hits than theirs did. I learned my lesson. People who can see Ns, Ps or Ss don’t need warnings, people who can’t will turn on anyone who assails their illusions. That’s what we do, when we warn people there’s an N, S or P leading them around by the nose. We attack their fondest held illusions, and no one likes that.
Most people won’t get as badly burned as those of us who fit the personality profile of a typical target. We shouldn’t wring our hands overly long. When we do we’re just giving the S, P or N more rent free space in our head.
Elizabeth Conley: True what you wrote.
I noticed that these friends and co-workers have their own issues with being selfish too. Not overtly, but selfish just the same.
My mistake was telling a friend/co-worker that I purposely did show at the social location the anti-social co-workers asked me to. I kept saying, yeah, yeah, yeah … I’ll be there … I just have to stop here before I show up in the designated location. Of course, I never showed … but these co-workers were too stoned to notice. Monday morning they’d tell me what a great time they had the previous Friday happy hour, who they met etc. … and sorry that you never made it. I’d lie and say, Oh, I got caught up in what I was doing … I meant to be there … blah, blah, blah.
Then the co-worker I confided in telling her I would never associate with the others again … that they were going down a dead end street in their lives … told them “Wini, purposely tells you that she’ll show and doesn’t … you guys don’t even know that she doesn’t want anything to do with you”. It was that co-workers selfishness and power play that blew my cover with those that were out of control in work.
I want to help people by giving them a heads up that the person and situation are no good … but every time I help another, I get screwed over by the person I helped.
Go figure.
Peace.
“I want to help people by giving them a heads up that the person and situation are no good ” but every time I help another, I get screwed over by the person I helped.”
I dunno Wini, I think it’s safe to help people. I just don’t think that telling them they’re dealing with an S, N or P is a good idea.
If someone needs a jump, whip out your cables. If someone needs directions, go right ahead. If a neighbor needs a meal, provide. If an injured animal needs a bit of help to get back on its feet or wings, do what you can.
Just don’t tell people who the Ss, Ns and Ps are. Bugging out is warning enough. Now that I look back, I realize that a lot of people recognized the Ss, Ns and Ps in my life instantly, and they bugged out ffffffassssttt! From now on, I’m gonna be like that. If you catch me fouling up, kick my @ss up between my ears!
When good hearted people hang around bad hearted people, then the good folks provide cover and concealment for the bad ones. It’s warning enough to others if you simply make yourself scarce.
Elizabeth Conley: The co-worker I confided in already knew what the other co-workers were all about. She once hung out in this group too. This co-worker was ousted out of the inner sanction of the crowd … and was using me against me to make her way back into their good graces. Not only did it NOT work for her … it boomeranged in her face … but they now had the knowledge that I was purposely choosing to stay my distance from them… so the jig was up … it was out and out war against me for my decision to not be friends with them any more. You are not suppose to choose to walk away from them, they chose whether you stay or not. The control/power issue to it’s core is what freaked them out.
That’s when I told them (stupid me for being honest to anti-social personalities) friends like you, I don’t need any enemies.
Hey, I would have kicked myself in the butt if I didn’t tell them the final truth … they already heard my opinion of anything they did that wasn’t decent over the years …
Peace.