Hello! Antisocial personality disorder is a mental illness that manifests itself in persistent antisocial behavior.
That is, a person usually violates the rules and norms of behavior, does not worry about it at all and does not experience such feelings as shame or guilt, remorse.
And today we will take a closer look at what this disorder is and by what signs it can be determined from our friends.
General information
Antisocial personality disorder (DID or DID) is popularly called sociopathy or psychopathy. Doctors do not use such terms in their practice, at least in medical research for sure.
DID is included in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, abbreviated as ICD 10.
Most common among men. Perhaps this is due to the fact that representatives of the strong half of humanity are more aggressive and impulsive. According to statistics, it is detected in 3% of men and only 1% of women.
That the behavior of sociopaths is antisocial is supported by data from the prison services. It turns out that about 75% of prisoners around the world are people with DID.
But it is worth considering that not all dissocials are criminals. Most of them commit acts, guilt for which is difficult, and sometimes impossible to prove. Or they are unacceptable in society, but in no way punishable by law.
Most often affects those who belong to the disadvantaged segments of the population. Especially if they grew up in large families. As well as city dwellers.
Evidence
To diagnose this disorder in yourself or a loved one, there must be at least three matches with the indicated symptoms. But it should be borne in mind that individuals with DID in very rare cases are able to recognize the presence of dissociality in themselves.
Even if specialists make a diagnosis, they are ready to challenge and deny it, no matter what evidence they are presented with. But you can check a person you know if you have doubts about his mental health.
So, the main signs:
Dependence
Prone to various kinds of addictions. That is, this disease is most often accompanied by alcoholism, drug addiction, food problems and other types of addiction.
Illegal groups
Such a person does not respect the law. He simply does not respect him and does not see the point in him. Why can commit illegal acts and fall into criminal groups.
Security breach
He does not value his life, and even more so, someone else’s. Why does he neglect the safety rules, take risks and do things that give a feeling of omnipotence, superiority over others.
A simple example is an aggressive driving style that leads to accidents. Violating the rules, such an individual is satisfied that he managed to overtake all road users, being the best driver and car owner.
Hypocrisy
As already mentioned, completely incapable of feeling guilt or shame. Why almost always uses lies to their advantage. Without thinking at all about the harm that his lies cause to those around him.
This refers to situations where a person forges documents, impersonates another, or manipulates using false information.
Irresponsibility
Seeks to avoid responsibility, shifts his obligations and guilt to others, acts in purely personal interests and does not worry about loved ones. He cannot take care of the family, make friends and appreciate any kind of relationship, remain faithful and devotion.
Low material income
It is not the main sign, but quite often lack of money arises due to the constant change of work. Due to the above circumstances, he does not stay long in one company. And he changes jobs without any moral discomfort.
Aggressiveness
Hot temper, irritability and aggressiveness are almost the main character traits. They do not know how to cope with anger, which is why, without completely controlling themselves, they can cause physical damage to both the health of the people around them and objects that are at hand. It is people with DID who are usually the instigators of fights, which is why they end up in places of deprivation of liberty.
Loneliness
Unable to form close bonds, sociopaths are most often lonely. Even if someone dares to feel affection for them, they will easily destroy the trust that they have shown in them.
Only those who are accustomed to the role of the victim and are able to stay in destructive relationships remain nearby. You can learn more about victimization by clicking on this link.
Violence
They commit both emotional and physical abuse. They choose mainly those who cannot fight back, who are weaker in comparison with them. They can intimidate or even mock others, seeking to gain a sense of power, their superiority. Often they torture animals, kill them for fun and pleasure.
Having disturbances in the emotional sphere, they do not draw appropriate conclusions after committing actions with negative consequences. Therefore, having avoided or even suffered punishment, they will continue to behave in the same way. The absence of guilt does not motivate the search for cause and effect relationships.
Associated difficulties
DID is often accompanied by depression and post-traumatic stress. Schizophrenia and chronic mania are sometimes present. This is what sometimes hinders the correct diagnosis in a timely manner.
Damage to someone else’s property
They take pleasure in destroying other people’s things. Some have a passion for arson.
Again, this gives a feeling of power and superiority. And also the pleasure of the fact that it was possible to spoil not only the object, but also the mood, the emotional balance of its owner. This is a challenge to society, with the help of which psychopaths demonstrate their disobedience to the rules and norms accepted in society.
Charm
In order to have influence and power over other people, sociopaths often try to use their charm and charisma. This allows them to become leaders of any groups and organizations, ranging from workers to criminals.
Mythology
Such a person is easy to recognize
It wasn’t there. Modern cinematography only contributes to the misperception of information. In films, sociopaths are easily recognizable, they instantly arouse suspicion and rejection.
But in reality, things are different. In addition, people with this disease usually have a host of other related problems that complicate the process of diagnosis by specialists. What then to say about people who do not encounter DID in their practice and life in general.
Treatment only makes things worse
There are a number of experts who are inclined to this opinion. But treatment can only interfere if the methods are chosen incorrectly, or they are outdated and require a complete rejection of them.
In principle, harm can be done in any disease, both mental and physical, if you have enough scarce information about the disease itself and how to deal with it. Agree, a simple and minor wound can endanger a person’s life if a dirty plantain leaf is applied to it.
Hypnosis in the treatment of DID is only needed to access memories
An individual with psychopathy has impaired communication, both with other people and between his own dissociative parts.
This is what hypnosis is for. To improve communication. Not to restore lost memories. In addition, according to the latest data, a person under hypnosis can describe any events very colorfully.
So colorful that there is no doubt about their reality at all. But in vain. Because patients often talk about things that have never really happened in their lives. The imagination works so actively at such a moment that it is impossible to determine where is fiction and where is the truth.
Types
Psychologist Eric Berne identified several types of people with antisocial disorder.
- Passive. Such individuals are passive in manifestations of protest against social norms. Why do some of them still perform, trying to avoid punishment. Without experiencing pangs of conscience, they can commit actions, the guilt of which is difficult to prove. But go straight against the system to be afraid. Passive-aggressive, manipulative and provoke others into conflict. After which they look flawless, exposing their victim as a tyrant.
- Active. It is these people who have absolutely no restrictions in the internal structure of the personality. They lead a criminal lifestyle, so their behavior is not only deviant, but also delinquent. After therapy, they can demonstrate decency and observance of moral standards, but this is only for others. The internal picture of the world does not change at all, therefore, at any opportunity, they return to their previous actions.
Causes
It usually manifests itself in puberty, that is, adolescence. At least, it is in these years of life that it is possible to diagnose the presence of sociopathy. Since in childhood, an antisocial style of behavior is most often an inability to realize a causal relationship between one’s actions and consequences. For this reason, parents are responsible for the crimes of the child.
At the moment, there is no exact data on what provokes the development of psychopathy, but there are theories of specialists that are most likely:
- Heredity. It is not uncommon for a similar disease to be observed in several generations in the same family. Especially on the paternal side.
- Education mistakes. If the parents did not take an active part in the upbringing of children, or if they themselves were an example of antisocial behavior. Which the child could adopt, not knowing another, more healthy model of perception of the surrounding reality and interaction with it.
- Craniocerebral injury.
- Strong stress. The impact of stress on the human body is sometimes so serious that the psyche loses its stability and undergoes changes. Unfortunately destructive.
What not to do
Sometimes it happens that a person with a dissocial disorder turns out to be a close relative, with whom it is quite difficult to completely stop communicating. How then to be, how to protect yourself and other family members from its impact?
- Let go of the illusion that he will understand how wrong he is behaving and correct himself. Even if he went through a long stage of therapy, you should not relax. A credit of trust is not at all an option for such a case. Be careful and careful. I mean, you should not trust him with your life, finances and so on.
- Stop blaming and proving him wrong. Keep your peace of mind, because, trying to reach out to his consciousness, you will simply face impotence. Which is better to recognize right away. Yourself is more expensive. No arguments can arouse pity, sympathy or remorse in him. And after the inevitable conflict in such cases, you will be the injured party. Since, in addition to defeat, you will appear in his and not only his eyes as a tyrant, a hysterical woman, and so on.
- The manifestation of emotions in the hope of appealing to his sensuality and conscience will also be a waste of time and effort. In addition, showing your weaknesses, vulnerabilities, you will only please the sociopath. Realizing that he caused pain, suffering and other unpleasant experiences, he will experience satisfaction, not guilt.
- Threats are also meaningless. They can provoke an attack of aggression, during which you will suffer due to his inability to control himself. In such a game, the superiority is clearly with the dissocial.
- Give up trying to appeal to his rationality, trying to organize conversations about good and evil, morality and morality. Such judgments are incomprehensible to him, not because he is stupid, but because it does not matter.
What to do about threats
If you are threatened and you understand that violence is inevitable, be sure to contact law enforcement agencies. It is not worth risking your own life, especially if the threats have been turned into reality before. He has access to a weapon, or even just periodically shares delusional obsessions about hurting others.
In the case when you feel the influence of dissocial, enlist the support of loved ones and go for a consultation with a psychologist. In therapy, you will be able to discover your own boundaries and how to protect them. Develop a style of behavior that will help maintain integrity and ensure safety.
Treatment
Psychopathy is quite a difficult task for specialists. Those who really suffer from this disease do not seek help. They are satisfied with the chosen way of life, its perception. They do not believe that they are sick, on the contrary, they think that the people around them are not intelligent and strong enough. Especially compared to them.
Therefore, they become patients mostly against their will. The initiators of treatment are usually representatives of law enforcement agencies. Less often teachers, employers, family members.
They independently turn to psychiatrists and psychotherapists because of a feeling of anxiety that arises for no reason. Or, if it seems that life is passing by, there is no motivation and so on.
The effectiveness of treatment is usually low, due to the fact that they do not know how to establish emotional connections with others, in particular, with specialists. Do not trust, unable to receive or provide support, sympathy.
Self-help groups have a beneficial effect on their change. Only if it is possible to gather a number of people with DID who have recognized the presence of the disease and are trying to cope with it.
The figure of the leader is also important, who is able to withstand tension, provocations and is able to cope and recognize the manipulations of the participants in time.
Often, drug therapy is used to reduce the symptoms of the disease. The same anxiety, irritability, which leads to rage.
Completion
And that’s all for today, dear readers! Finally, I want to recommend an article that indicates the classification of mental personality disorders.
Take care of yourself and be happy!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina