According to Martha Stout, a Harvard psychologist and author of “The Sociopath Next Door,” one in 25 people is a sociopath. This can be a real problem for today’s society. But do we really know how a sociopath behaves?
Sociopathy is a disorder included in the Manual of Diagnosis and Statistics of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as an “antisocial personality disorder”. This disorder is defined as “a state of mind in which a person has a prolonged pattern of manipulation, exploitation or violation of the rights of others,” according to the US National Library of Medicine. But it’s not the first time
- The essential feature of this disorder is a general pattern of contempt and violation of the rights of others.
- Which begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood.
- This pattern was also called psychopathic disorder.
- Sociopathy.
- Or personality disorder.
To make the diagnosis, the person must be at least 18 years old. The person should also have a history of certain symptoms of behavioral disorder before age 15.
Behavioral disorder involves a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates the fundamental rights of others or key social norms. The behavioral characteristic of behavioral disorder is grouped into four categories: assault on people and animals, destruction of property, fraud or theft, and serious violation of rules. A sociopath disagrees with social norms and, in many cases, legality.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people with antisocial personality disorder are characterized by the following criteria:
A. Dominant pattern of neglect and violation of the rights of others, this pattern occurs before the age of 15 and manifests itself in:
B. The person must be at least 18 years old
C. There is evidence of a behavior disorder that begins before age 15.
C. Antisocial behavior does not occur exclusively during schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
The sociopath often lacks empathy and tends to be what we might understand as a cruel person. He is also cynical and despises the feelings, rights and suffering of others.
The sociopath can have a high conception of himself and be arrogant. For example, you may think that regular work does not live up to the task or does not have a realistic concern about your current problems or your future.
A sociopath is too stubborn, self-a sure, to the point that he can be described as vain; in addition, it emits a simplistic and superficial charm, with a volatile and artificial verbal capacity; for example, use term techniques or jargon that may impress someone who isn’t familiar with the topic.
Lack of empathy, high self-conception and superficial charm are characteristics that are often included in the definition of psychopath. A sociopath can also be irresponsible and exploitative in their sex and partner.
The person has generally started many relationships and has never had a monogamous relationship, this irresponsibility extends to his role as a father, as evidenced by malnutrition or conditions arising from a minimal lack of hygiene with his children.
Therefore, a sociopath may be expelled from the armed forces, it may not become self-sufficient, become poor, or even homeless. In addition, the person can spend a lot of time in prisons.
The person may experience dysphoria, with difficulty resisting a minimum level of stress or a marked inability to tolerate boredom; because that’s how it gets lost, because on its own it barely finds entertainment. It can develop anxiety, depressive disorders, substance use disorders, gambling disorders (pathological gambler) and impulse control disorders.
It also tends to have personality characteristics that make it prone to limit syndrome, histrionic personality disorder and narcissistic. The likelihood of developing an antisocial personality disorder in adulthood increases when a behavioral disorder or attention deficit disorder begins in childhood.
Child abuse or neglect, unstable or irregular paternity, or inconsistent parental discipline increase the likelihood that behavioral disorder will become an antisocial personality disorder; In other words, these situations increase the likelihood that the person will become a sociopath.
As we can see, sociopaths are those who show no empathy for others or remorse for their actions. Sociopathy, classified as a personality disorder, is now called antisocial personality disorder. So, if you find a person like that, be careful!