A sociopath is a person who... - description in simple words, causes and signs of sociopathy in men and women

Philanthropist and misanthrope, introvert and extrovert, psychopath and psychotic, sociophobe and sociopath... With the increased popularity of psychotherapy and psychological thrillers, a stream of specific terms has poured into society. They began to be used for business and not for business, diagnosing not only movie characters, but also the people around them, and even oneself.

Hannibal Lecter is a psychopath, Sherlock Holmes played by Benedict Cumberbatch is an impulsive sociopath, the upstairs neighbor is psychotic, the boss at work is a misanthrope. In fact, people understand little about the essence of these concepts and make such serious diagnoses unjustifiably. Today we are dealing with one of them in order to clearly understand what sociopathy is, who a sociopath is and whether such people can be in our environment.

Definitions

What is sociopathy

The scientific definition is as follows. This is a mental personality disorder characterized by a triad of main features - asociality, non-recognition of social norms and inability to attach and empathize. Often accompanied by impulsiveness and uncontrollable aggression. In psychotherapy and psychiatry, the following concepts are synonymous with sociopathy:

• antisocial psychopathy;
• antisocial personality disorder;
• heboid psychopathy;
• dissocial personality disorder;
• psychopathy;
• personality disorder of the emotionally incapacitated.

In ICD-11, this diagnosis is listed under code 6D11.2.

Who is a sociopath

A sociopath is a person who suffers from dissocial personality disorder, is clinically incapable of adapting to society, is characterized by deviant behavior, and lacks a critical perception of his words and actions. He is driven solely by his own interests and desires. Those around him are only a means to achieve them. He doesn’t feel any affection, sympathy, much less love for anyone.

According to the American Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), sociopath and psychopath are synonymous in psychotherapy. In simple terms, this is a person who does not perceive the rules of behavior in society due to mental inability to ordinary feelings.

Psychological portrait of a sociopath

A sociopath begins to exhibit traits of a personality disorder either from early childhood (inherited from parents), or during puberty (puberty serves as a catalyst), and much less often - already in adulthood. As a child, he is distinguished by an obstinate, harmful character and uncontrollable, deviant behavior. He doesn’t listen to anyone and is guided in his actions only by his own desires. At the same time, he can reveal extraordinary abilities in school, grasping everything on the fly. But he studies mediocrely, since he is not interested in grades. The most common pathology in childhood is animal abuse.

Growing up, a classic sociopath radically changes his behavior in public. Outwardly he seems to be a balanced and tactful person. His extraordinary mind allows him to make a career and achieve certain heights in life. No one can suspect him of being a mentally ill person. In fact, he uses many for his specific purposes. Those around him are the same things as a laptop or a microwave. This is a skillful, cunning manipulator. He will never communicate with those who are not interesting to him. Periodically, the illness spills out into terrible attacks of aggression when he fails to achieve something. He never sympathizes with anyone, often is not in any relationship, because he is not capable of love.

Often sociopathy leads to the fact that people, not recognizing either the rules of behavior established in society or the laws in force in the state, become murderers and maniacs. Given their remarkable intelligence, it is not surprising that solving such crimes can be incredibly difficult.

Understanding the concepts

What is the difference between a sociopath and...

• ...social phobia?

A sociophobe is afraid of society and tries to avoid people. A sociopath simply uses them for his own purposes, manipulates them.

• ...a psychopath?

No. According to DSM-5, these concepts have the same meaning.

• ...misanthrope?

The misanthrope hates people and society. A sociopath treats them indifferently - as if they were things.

• ...an introvert?

An introvert is reserved, focused on his inner world and loves solitude. He does not like noisy companies and avoids parties and public events. But not because he is afraid of people (like a social phobe) or hates them (like a misanthrope), but because he is more comfortable alone. He has a narrow circle of acquaintances (2-3 people) with whom he communicates openly and sincerely and loves them.

To explain in simple words, society is a frightening monster for a social phobe, a repulsive cesspool for a misanthrope, an uncomfortable bus for an introvert, and a thing, a means to an end, for a psychopath and sociopath.

Hannibal Lecter. He is the main character in The Silence of the Lambs, as well as Hannibal and Hannibal Rising. Perhaps one of the most famous sociopaths in the history of cinema. Initially, he appears before the audience as an educated, culturally and intellectually developed psychiatrist and surgeon. However, a little later his true inner world is revealed. He turns out to be a monstrous serial killer, and even a cannibal.

Testing for sociopathy in women

Sociopathy (signs in women differ little from the symptoms characteristic of male patients, with the exception of the complete absence of the feeling of compassion inherent in the female sex) is easily diagnosed during a psychiatric examination.

Before making a diagnosis, the specialist talks with the patient, sequentially clarifying:

• conditions for personality development;
• relationships in the family where the woman grew up;
• the presence of severe stress, mental or physical violence that occurred to the patient in the early years of life.
• the attitude of the parents and the girl herself to the traditional rules of morality, religion and law for society.

During the interview, the doctor tries to determine the boundaries of all permitted behavior acceptable in the sociopath’s parental family. After an oral conversation, a test is carried out to clarify the degree of deviation, the severity of the disorder, and to form a picture of the disease.

During the survey (available on psychiatric websites) it is established:

1. The patient's tendency to aggression.
2. A woman’s own attitude to the rules of behavior accepted in society. Sociopaths are characterized by a disregard for moral standards.
3. Relationship with the law. Active sociopaths are not afraid of punishment; they easily decide to commit crimes to satisfy their own needs.
4. The desire to take responsibility and care for other people. Sociopaths are unable to think about anyone other than themselves, so they often neglect the opinions and desires of others.
5. Level of compassion. Those with dissocial disorder are not moved by the pain of others.
6. Attitude to conflict situations. Sociopaths thrive during conflicts, which are often caused by themselves.
7. The patient's ability to form new relationships. With dissocial disorder, contacts are easily made, but never maintained.
8. The patient's attitude towards the people around her. Sociopaths constantly criticize and blame others, making unjustified demands and reproaches on colleagues and loved ones.

   

The diagnosis of “Sociopathy” is made when 3 or more criteria characteristic of diasocial mental disorder are observed.

The test for determining sociopathy is absolutely dissolute. You can go through it on any Internet site. In case of a positive result during self-testing, it is recommended to contact a competent psychiatrist for an accurate diagnosis.

Causes

The question of why people become sociopaths still remains open. There are only versions that have not been scientifically confirmed. Moreover, some of them are diametrically opposed. Today, experts name the following factors that have a good chance of being the cause of dissocial personality disorder:

• sociopathy is a hereditary disease;
• a consequence of a genetic mutation;
• education problems;
• psychotrauma associated with social adaptation;
• influence of the social environment;
• mental disorders: mental retardation, schizophrenia, psychosis;
• presence of traumatic brain injuries;
• organic personality disorder.

The most discussed question in scientific circles today is whether sociopathy is inherited.

According to studies and statistics, if parents are sociopaths, the likelihood that their child will suffer from the same disorder doubles. Therefore, there are all the prerequisites to study this factor in more detail. However, children often suffer from pathology, both father and mother have completely adequate behavior and pass all psychotherapeutic diagnostics without problems. Most experts adhere to an intermediate position: perhaps in this case several factors should be considered at once that could have a detrimental effect on the psyche and cause such a disorder.

Richard Kuklinski. And this is no longer a “cinematic” sociopath, but a very real one. Nickname - "Ice Man". A hitman who was accused of killing at least 100 innocent victims. The account was opened when he was only 13 years old. After his arrest, he willingly gave evidence to investigators, described everything in detail, helped psychiatrists with diagnoses, joked and created the impression of an absolutely adequate and sane person.

Signs

The ICD lists the following symptoms of sociopathy:

• discrepancy between personal beliefs (contemptuous, indifferent attitude towards people) and behavior (tactfulness, politeness, strained smile);
• abnormal behavior (outbursts of rage, aggression, grimaces, murders, mutilation of people and animals), which is chronic;
• the comprehensive nature of abnormal behavior, i.e. a sociopath does not make concessions for anyone: he can kill a loved one, hurt someone close to him, since he is completely devoid of empathy and incapable of affection;
• the disease begins in childhood, most often in adolescence, and does not disappear throughout life;
• one of the consequences of the disease is distress, since the patient does not always manage to achieve what he wants;
• a decrease in professional and social productivity (however, this symptom is increasingly criticized, since sociopaths often achieve high positions and career advancement).

According to the ICD, to confirm the diagnosis of sociopathy, the patient must have at least 3 of the above symptoms. There are also non-medical psychological signs by which you can identify a sociopath in your environment:

• callousness, indifference towards others (even the closest ones);
• irresponsibility, disregard for the rules of society and even laws;
• lack of relationships (friendship, love);
• loss of self-control when frustrated;
• outbursts of aggression when the goal turns out to be unattainable or when receiving a refusal;
• tendency to violence, inhumanity, brutality, cruelty;
• lack of guilt;
• the ability to explain any of your actions and blame others for mistakes, misdeeds, crimes;
• skillful manipulation;
• hypocrisy, a tendency to pathological lies, inventing pseudonyms for oneself.

However, remember that in everyday life it is easy to misidentify a sociopath. To be sure of such a serious diagnosis, you need long-term observation of a person, confidential conversations with him, and knowledge of the facts of his biography. So experts do not advise labeling your neighbor on the staircase or your boss at work as psychopaths.

Amy Elliott-Dunn. The main character of the detective thriller "Gone Girl". She was masterfully played by Rosamund Pike, who was nominated for an Oscar for this role. In the film, Amy stages her own kidnapping so that all the evidence points to her husband. When she makes a mistake and things start to go wrong, she stops at nothing, killing everyone who gets in her way. At the same time, society considers her an innocent victim.

Stages and degrees of sociopathy in women

Female sociopathy begins to develop during puberty during hormonal changes.

A minor girl with antisocial disorder is characterized by:

• aggressive behavior;
• neglect of one's duties;
• constant lies;

  

• cruelty towards peers;
• impulsiveness.

Sociopathic girls begin to be sexually active very early, constantly change partners and are characterized by cheeky behavior. One of the main manifestations of adolescent mental disorder is early conflict with parents and neglect of the necessary rules of behavior.

The girl has absolutely no remorse. In an attempt to avoid punishment, she resorts to lies and tries to shift responsibility for her actions onto other people.

By 20-25 The behavior of the young woman is leveled out, active socialization occurs. A sociopathic woman easily gets along with people, with superficial communication showing herself to be a bright personality, an interesting and unusual interlocutor.

In the future, the complete absence of any feelings provokes the development of manipulative tendencies aimed at satisfying one’s own desires. To achieve the goal, a woman with dissocial disorder is capable of lying, threatening, and emotionally suppressing the victim, possibly leading to suicide.

In adulthood, sociopathy can develop in two directions:

1. There may be a tendency toward schizoid psychopathy, accompanied by a denial of society and a preference for loneliness.

   

2. A pronounced narcissistic disorder characterized by inflated self-esteem.

Most often, a sociopathic woman under the age of 40 feels superior to others, which manifests itself in the desire to suppress possible rivals. After 40 years, there is a decrease in aggressive manifestations and criminal activity. Concomitant psychiatric disorders appear, alcoholism, drug addiction, and schizophrenia develop.

Sociopathy persists throughout life. Modern treatment methods can only stop the manifestation of the symptoms of the pathology without completely eliminating the disorder.

Typology

Since the scientific community does not have a common view on the nature of sociopathy, there are several classifications. For example, American psychologist Theodore Millon proposed 5 types of sociopaths. However, they were never included in either the DSM or the ICD:

The classic typology of sociopaths suggests only 2 types + an intermediate form.

• Active sociopath

He is impulsive, it is difficult for him to hide his protests against the laws of society. Openly conflicts with others. It costs him nothing to offend, call him names, or cause pain to another. He can start relationships, but only for a short time and only to achieve his own selfish goals. After which he rudely and scandalously interrupts them. A difficult person to communicate with. It is easy to suspect sociopathy in such people, since it practically lies on the surface. Within this type, three subtypes are distinguished: low-active (outbursts of aggression appear from time to time), medium-active (problems in communication are constantly observed), high-active (it is difficult to keep such people close to you, since they constantly provoke conflict).

• Passive (latent, hidden)

Only those closest to him, who have known him for many years, can suspect sociopathy in such a person. Most often, he outwardly recognizes the rules of society and laws, but only in order to break them on the sly, while no one sees. It is he who writes denunciations, complaints and slander against colleagues, bosses and neighbors. It is he who can lead a double life and do something illegal and even criminal. This is a manic type of disorder when a person is capable of killing, bullying and raping. Essentially, these are serial maniacs and murderers. The passive form of sociopathy is one of the most dangerous, since the patient accumulates energy inside and then pours it out on his victim.

• Multifunctional

Intermediate forms of sociopathy include the multifunctional type, when a person can openly demonstrate his protest towards society and at the same time lead a double life.

Experts say that the types of sociopathy are not limited to this classification, which requires serious additions and improvements.

Will Cornick . A terrible story that shocked the world. A 13-year-old teenager, who grew up in a well-bred British family, stabbed his teacher to death in front of the entire class. It turned out that he had been hatching this plan for several months. And in the future I wanted to do the same with 2 more teachers and one girl I knew. Will willingly told all the details to the investigation and with a smile expressed the hope that he would achieve his goals that had not yet been realized.

What is sociopathy

In psychiatric practice, sociopathy is considered to be dissocial psychopathy, a personality disorder. It is characterized by a constant disregard for social norms, increased aggressiveness and a specific inability to build close relationships with another person.

The largest number of sociopaths is observed among prisoners who have committed violence, alcoholics, and drug addicts.

2 types of sociopaths

1. Latent (passive). They are distinguished mainly by decent behavior. They adhere to the requirements of external authority (for example, religion, law) or become attached to stronger individuals who act as an ideal for them. For such sociopaths, such concepts as “decency” or “humanity” do not matter; they only adhere to certain rules.
2. Active. There are no internal or external barriers for them. Such sociopaths are capable of behaving decently, but only in the presence of people who demand normal behavior from them. If there is no evaluation system, barriers disappear, and the ability to commit criminal acts and inappropriate behavior appears.

The phenomenon of sociopathy was first described by the American psychiatrist Hervey Cleckley in his research work on psychopathic personalities, “The Mask of Sanity.”

Peculiarities

Age

Since a sociopathic child does not yet know how to masterfully hide his thoughts and emotions, it will not be difficult for attentive parents to see signs of the disorder:

• tries to attract attention to himself at school and at home by any means (bites, breaks windows, throws tantrums);
• stealthily (and maybe in front of everyone) spoils things, most often the toys of other children;
• does not caress towards parents, is not attached to brothers and sisters;
• does not find a common language with other children, is conflictual and scandalous;
• often throws hysterics, there are uncontrollable outbursts of anger and aggression - especially at moments when he cannot achieve what he wants;
• does not listen to anyone's requests;
• manipulates parents;
• does not regret what he did, does not feel guilty.

The most obvious sign of sociopathy in children is the deliberate infliction of physical pain on a living being. This results in abuse of small animals. Or the child chooses a younger and weaker one and begins to surreptitiously pinch, bite, poke, or kick him with something sharp. At the same time, he carefully observes the reaction of his victim, whose pain gives him pleasure. If sociopathy is not recognized in a timely manner, it can take on more terrible forms in adolescents. Under the influence of hormones due to puberty, psychopaths commit their first crimes at this age.

If you suspect that a child is a sociopath, you should immediately contact a psychotherapist.

Gender

According to statistics, in men, sociopathy is most often detected in early childhood. There is an assumption that it is in them that the leading factor is a hereditary predisposition to the disorder. Another feature is that in most cases they suffer from a passive form of the disease. Distinguished by high mental abilities and a penchant for rationalism, able to restrain their emotions, male sociopaths lead a double life. In public (at work, with friends) they are quite decent. Although outbursts of anger still occur, and one can see them as skilled manipulators. At home, they usually turn into real tyrants. They beat their wife, abuse their children or elderly parents.

According to the same statistics, the cause of sociopathy in women is most often psychotrauma, i.e. it is usually acquired. The most common form is active. Being overly emotional by nature, women cannot always hide their true feelings towards others. Or to be more precise, their absence. That’s why women’s work teams are often called serpentariums: the level of conflict and quarrelsomeness in them is maximum.

Famous sociopaths

There are famous sociopaths among historical figures and contemporaries.

Gaius Julius Caesar, or Caligula, the Roman emperor, was distinguished by his cruelty and composure. Ancient authors assessed him as a voluptuous tyrant-madman. During the four years of ruling the empire, his policies alienated the ruling class of the slave-owning class. He increased treasury expenses for construction and established ideas about what an empire should be like.

One of the famous personalities whose actions shook almost the whole world is Adolf Hitler. The disdain with which he exterminated everyone who, in his opinion, was not worthy of existing is a clear sign of sociopathy. And the lack of conscience and feelings of guilt contributed to gaining power. Only the superior sociopath Joseph Stalin was able to adequately resist Hitler.

Josef Mengele was a doctor from Auschwitz who conducted experiments on people. The number of people maimed exceeds 10,000. Despite the nickname "White Angel", his decisions were cruel. To determine how many times a person's bones could heal after being broken, he broke children's legs, let the bones heal, then broke them again. Never used anesthesia, stitched twins together and tried to change the color of the iris through chemical elements.

The famous serial maniac, cannibal Andrei Chikatilo kept the entire Soviet Union in fear. He has more than 50 victims, whom he tortured for a long time, slowly killing. The youngest was only seven years old, the oldest was 49. “Addiction” did not prevent him from living a family life and becoming the father of two children. The wife did not notice her husband’s abnormal behavior until recently. The psychotherapist who studied Chikatilo believed that he had a split personality: the first lived with his wife and children and was not able to kill a chicken, the second brutally raped, killed, chopped, bit and ate his victims. Cold-bloodedly luring, manipulating desires. Moreover, he did not touch those who refused the offer to go with him, but switched to searching for a new victim.

Jeffrey Dahmer is a cannibal from Milwaukee. Confessed to 17 murders. He lured victims to his home under plausible pretexts, drugged them, raped them, killed them, and dismembered them. During his arrest, a huge number of body parts and photographs of mutilated victims were found in his apartment. He showed no signs of inappropriate behavior; he is classified as a sociopath.

John Gacy - killed 33 people, including teenagers. After the arrest, 29 bodies were found on the territory of his house, four of which he threw into the river. He was sentenced to death, the residents of Chicago celebrated what was happening during the execution of the sentence, and after that they organized a city holiday.

All of these people are examples of sociopathy and other related mental disorders at their maximum. Many people with dissocial disorder manage to exist in society without causing such terrible harm to people.

Sociopaths know right from wrong, but do not feel the emotional need to conform to the rules of behavior that conforms to social standards.

M. Thomas

Diagnostics

You can take the “Am I a Sociopath?” test on your own.

Interpretation of results:

• 20-22 - you do not have any signs of a sociopath, you are not in danger of it;
• 15-19 - you are not a sociopath, but deviant behavior is present;
• 10-14 - you are unlikely to be a sociopath, but all the signs of a manipulator and a mild personality disorder and behavior are evident;
• 6-9 - an unadvanced form of sociopathy is present;
• 0-5 - advanced form of sociopathy.

Without additional research, no conclusions can be drawn based on the test results. Only a psychiatrist or psychotherapist can make an accurate diagnosis.

How to communicate

If at work or in the family there is a person suffering from dissocial personality disorder, sooner or later a reasonable question arises among colleagues and family: how to communicate with a sociopath? Psychotherapists suggest adhering to the following rules:

1. Reduce communication with him to a minimum.
2. If it is imposed and provokes a scandal, avoid such a development of events by any means - to another room (room) or outside, call a third party for help to resolve the conflict.
3. Don't be afraid of him and don't show him your fear.
4. Demonstrate the strength of your convictions. Sociopaths target the weak and insecure.
5. Do not tell him about your suspicions that he is a sick person, a sociopath.
6. Do not succumb to his charm and attractiveness, sweet speeches and luring into his networks. This is a common weapon of manipulators.
7. If you are in a relationship with a sociopath (romantic, love, family), the best option is to end it. He will never change.
8. Don't get into quarrels with him.

Communication with a sociopath usually does not end well. As a rule, he does not admit that he is sick, does not agree to treatment and is not going to change for the better. Therefore, it is advisable to cut off personal connections immediately. If this is one of your colleagues or bosses, most often this ends in dismissal and the search for a new, quieter job.

Experts warn that the consequences of communicating with sociopaths on a regular basis are not just stress, but also depression, neuroses, decreased cognitive abilities, panic attacks and psychological trauma.

How to deal with a sociopath?

Some rationalists advise not to communicate at all with such people who, in the eyes of the public, walk on the edge of a knife. Why adapt to a person who devalues ​​interpersonal connections? Such wise advice is not suitable for any of us, because a person close to us through family ties may be a sociopath. Of course, it is possible to abandon it, and public opinion will rarely condemn such a decision. However, how can you continue to live in harmony with yourself when not a single attempt has been made to correct the current situation?

How to behave with a sociopathic man?

Public opinion often likes to focus on the fact that the strong half of humanity has no right to weaknesses and oddities. A sociopathic man is, first of all, a person with whom you cannot behave in the following way:

• Provoke aggression
  . You should not play with fire, which can not only burn you, but can turn you into ashes. This is especially true for women who decide to play “cat and mouse” with a dangerous person. A relationship with a sociopath can be called “Russian roulette.” Do any of the women still have the desire to pull the tiger's whiskers?
• Indulge yourself with illusions
  . When asked how to live with a sociopath, you want to answer - with a constant eye on the possible consequences. In isolated cases, such mental deviation can be corrected. Most likely, it cannot be treated at all, even by a specialist with extensive practice.
• Show your superiority
  . The sociopath will definitely not tolerate the voiced model of behavior and will fiercely rebuff the insolent person. However, the manipulator must understand that he is dealing with a strong and intelligent opponent. Sociopathic men try not to enter into direct conflict with such people. In the end, they often won’t offer to communicate, because they will understand the futility of putting pressure on the consciousness of a strong-willed person.

Tips for Dealing with a Sociopathic Woman

It's time to talk about what people often try to keep silent about. In the eyes of the public, representatives of the fair sex should be gentle and sensitive creatures. A female sociopath is the exact opposite of the stated characterization.

If life turns out this way and there is such a cynical warrior in your immediate environment, then you should adhere to certain tactics in dealing with her:

1. Accuracy in actions
   . The vast majority of sociopaths like to spend their leisure time writing rape reports. There is no point in relying on their decency in the future, because the concept of conscience does not exist for such persons. Whenever possible, men should try not to be alone with them. The presence of third parties is also not a guarantee of calming the hysterical person. She may have the delightful idea of ​​faking an attempted gang rape.
2. The ability to say “no”
   . Female sociopaths are far from stupid in their life aspirations. Most of them want to find a “rich perch” and leech at it. You should initially forget about love on the part of such women, because they do not know such a feeling. It is better to endure a series of hysterics after announcing a hard “no” to intimate assaults than to then completely ruin your own life.
3. Avoiding verbal pauses
   . Many women love to talk about even minor events. The flow of information from sociopaths is generally difficult to stop. In most cases, they voice false facts, which is worth remembering. When communicating with such people, psychologists advise simply talking to the manipulator. You can broadcast anything you want, but the topic of the conversation should not contain personal information about the speaker.