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Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis that focuses on an individuals antisocial and impulsive behaviors. The results of antisocial personality disorder results is what people commonly refer to as a sociopath. More people than psychologists originally thought suffer from this condition, with almost six percent of adult men and over one percent of adult women suffering from the condition.

Characteristics of Antisocial Personality Disorder

One of the prominent characteristics of antisocial personality disorder is the fact that the individual will often appear to have a limited range of emotions, this is as a result of a lack of exploring emotional response in detail. This explains why people with this condition often do not have an empathy for the suffering of others because they cannot experience the emotion that is associated with both empathy and suffering.

To fill the empty or emotional void many people with antisocial personality disorder will often turn to risk seeking behavior and/or substance abuse. Psychopaths will often exhibit a rage and other types of antisocial personality disorder will express anxiety. This is either a psychological response or a response to their limit of emotions.

However, this does not mean that the misconception that all people who are diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder are in prison is true. A diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder doesn’t mean a person will resort to criminal activity. Psychologists have uncovered that many high achievers may have a form of antisocial personality disorder or at least exhibit some of its characteristics.
In addition, psychological research ahs showed that people who have antisocial personality disorder are often indifferent to physical pain or any form of punishment. For this reason many with this disorder do not show fear when they are threatened. This explains why some criminals with this condition have a disregard for the consequences of their actions.

Treatment

Many psychiatrists believe that antisocial personality disorder has not form of treatment. However, some recent research has shown that people with this disorder do respond to impersonalized loss.

Diagnosis Criteria

There are seven factors that are used by psychologists to help diagnosis people with antisocial personality disorder. They are as follows:

1. A failure to abide by the law or to conform to social norms. Most often indicated by repeated acts that provide a grounds for arrest.
2. Deceitfulness that is often found in the form of habitual lying, the use of multiple aliases or conning people for personal gain or pleasure.
3. A failure to plan ahead or constantly acting on impulse.
4. Repeated physical fights or assaults that indicate irritability or aggressiveness.
5. A reckless disregard for the safety of other individuals or self.
6. A repeated failure to sustain a job or an ability to honor financial obligations which shows consistent irresponsibility.
7. Showing that they are indifferent to suffering of another or rationalizing the pain of another individual which shows a lack of remorse for ones actions.

Warning Signs of Antisocial Personality Disorder

While it is impossible to diagnosis a person under eighteen with antisocial personality disorder there are three warning signs that can be looked for in children. Those with these warning signs have a higher chance of developing antisocial personality disorder later on in life. The warning signs are:

1. A period of bedwetting that is longer than the normal period for children.
2. Cruelty to animals.
3. Pyromania.

While not every child who has any of these signs will grow up to have antisocial personality disorder, these signs are often found in larger proportions than in children within the general population. A child who has indicators of two or three of the warning signs will often have a very strong tendency towards sociopathy. In addition some children who are diagnosed with conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder may grow up to develop antisocial personality disorder, but once again not all will.

Personality Disorders

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Dependent Personality Disorder

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Personality Disorder NOS

Passive-Aggressive Personality Disorder

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

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