Sociopath infection. Video: deviation test. How to Treat Antisocial Disorder

The main signs of a sociopath are an inability to empathize and an insensitivity to the emotions and feelings of other people. A sociopath is a person with antisocial personality disorder.

Sociopaths are also manipulative and eccentric. They do not know the feeling of remorse, they will lie and deceive to get what they want. Sociopaths in rare cases will go in direct violation of the law or try to kill you, but will be in own interests doing everything in their power to do so. "Use" when you live with a sociopath means that they will use your money, connections, position in society, or your social status and so on.

A sociopath can be identified by certain characteristics. To do this, it is enough to observe a person impartially for some time and act on the basis of your observations.

The sociopath is irresistible

Sociopaths tend to have good oratory skills. He knows exactly what and when to say what needs to be done in order to benefit himself. That being said, you can't ignore a sociopath because he has an irresistible charm. If you are under the influence of a sociopath, you can help yourself in rare cases, but you can fall into a false trap when you start to feel good, completely subordinating your will to the will of the sociopath.

Self-confidence is a trait of a sociopath

A sociopath will convince you that you are unlikely to find a person even remotely similar to him. In any case, something better than him will never happen in your life. The sociopath himself believes what he tells you. He vehemently convinces others of this as well.

A sociopath is a jealous person

A sociopath will prefer to be either near you or constantly monitor you when he is away. Losing control over you, even for a few minutes, is very difficult for a sociopath. He begins to reproach you for not giving him the amount of attention that he deserves.

A sociopath will be jealous of you with or without

If you've committed your life to a sociopath, be prepared to limit your contact with your friends or cut them out entirely. All you will have is a society of a sociopath. It is unlikely that you will be able to find some kind of compromise when communicating with a person who has pronounced signs of a sociopath.

Signs of a sociopath - personality instability

A sociopath can be identified by unstable behavior. Today he acts like he loves you more than anyone in the world, and tomorrow he treats you badly, if not cruelly. The day after tomorrow is love again. These character traits are clear signs sociopath. It is better to take this into account at the stage of initial acquaintance with a person.

A sociopath will never admit to being wrong.

A sociopath will never admit that he is wrong. Instead, he will blame other people, although it is clear that everything happened through his fault. For a sociopath, any obstacle that comes his way will be the fault of other people. A person who shows signs of a sociopath does not want to be held responsible for anything in any way.

Sociopaths are good liars

Any sociopath can lie very well. Even if you find inconsistencies or discrepancies in the story he is telling you, the sociopath will try to distract you or quickly come up with something new. A sociopath will never give you a chance to know the truth. You can do this only if you pay attention to the little things and inconsistencies in his stories. Just don't ask the person to explain anything!

A hard look is a sign of a sociopath

We know that eye contact – main part communication. It is quite another thing when a person looks into your eyes, and you experience discomfort from such a look. Sociopaths have exactly this view. If you start to feel uncomfortable, just look away.

A sociopath is always in a hurry

Obsession and eternal haste are the next signs of a sociopath. If suddenly a person of this type decides to spend the rest of his life with you, he will insist that you formalize your relationship as soon as possible. Regardless of whether you want it or continue to doubt. A sociopath can force you to make commitments that you are not yet ready for. Be careful!

Nobody can brag perfect life. Every person has their own skeletons in the closet. A sociopath will try to win your empathy and compassion by talking about his painful past. A sociopath will begin to do this as soon as you appear in his life. Perhaps he will even ask you for such actions that go against your beliefs and dignity. If you feel sympathy for a sociopath, then you will begin to do this by hiding your pride to hell.

Sociopaths are very physically attractive

Signs of a sociopath include an irrepressible physical attraction to this type of person. Every moment intimacy with a sociopath will be better for you than the previous one.

Can a sociopath be cured by love?

If the person you love is a sociopath, you will hope that at some point he can change for the better, and that your love can work wonders.

The reality says that today there is no effective psychotherapy or medical methods treatment for such a disorder. There is nothing you can do to cure your sociopath.

If your man is a sociopath, the most you can do is try to convince him to seek professional help.

Try to get him to consult a professional, and designate deadline in which he must change his behavior. On this path it is possible different variants. A sociopath can simply deceive you that he went to the doctor. He may begin to behave in such a way that it seems to you that he has changed after all. The truth will be that he is still a sociopath. Another ending to this story is that your sociopath may decide to leave you when it comes to getting professional help.

How to end a relationship with a sociopath

If you've lived with a sociopath, you know it's not easy. Many in such a situation are visited by the thought that it is better to end any relationship with a person of this type. You cannot hope that the sociopath will change and return to you in a new, updated capacity. Sociopaths do not take responsibility for their actions, and therefore it would be naive to expect them to even apologize in this or that case. The way out is to arrange a breakup with the sociopath. Here are some ways:

Seek professional help

Breaking up with a sociopath is not as easy as you might think. If a man is unpredictable, call for the help of professionals before your man becomes uncontrollably violent.

Break Ties with the Sociopath

A sociopath will not respect your privacy boundaries. The best thing you can do is cut off all ties with him: change your phone number, address Email, delete profiles in in social networks and so on. If you still need to communicate with this person by law, communicate with him only in the presence of a lawyer.

Leave the Breakup Decision to the Sociopath

It is better and safer when breaking up with a sociopath to make him feel that breaking up with you is his choice, not your desire. Just do not fall into the psychological traps that he can set for you. Also, don't fall for the sociopath's endless manipulation. Stock up on patience and self-control. If you have children living with you, it is best to move with them to another place.

Don't feel sorry for him!

It may take several weeks, months or years, and the sociopath will again try to bring you back. He will still tell you sad stories to get your sympathy. Have pity on people who are in real pain, not those who are just trying to manipulate your feelings.

Irina Mozharkova, practicing psychologist

Sociopath - what kind of person is this, how to interact with such a person? Modern specialists they did not agree on whether sociopathy is genetically inherited, or personality deformation occurs during the process of upbringing in a dysfunctional, cruel family for a child.

What is a sociopath in simple terms?

A sociopath is a person who rejects the values ​​and morals of society, indifferent to the feelings of other people. In old textbooks on psychiatry, this personality dissociative disorder sounds like a psychopathy, and people suffering from this deformation are none other than psychopaths. Today, a sociopath is a broader concept, but it is still a person with a craving for impulsive acts and deviant behavior.

active sociopath

Highly active sociopath - maybe dangerous person: immoral, unprincipled, among them there are many criminals, and true psychopaths. Are characterized deviant behavior: commit criminal acts (rob, kill, rape, cause damage). If sociopathic traits are not so pronounced, this can manifest itself in petty hooliganism, fraud, inappropriate behavior as a driver on the road.

Passive sociopath

A latent sociopath (aka passive) is often a loner, behaving decently in public, and not showing his true attitude towards people, restrained, guided by the authority chosen for himself, doctrines (this is a kind of “substitute” for conscience). In a fit of anger, for example, criticizing a sociopath, or questioning his ideals, shows characteristics sociopathic personality.

Sociopath and sociophobe - the difference

For many people, a sociophobe and a sociopath are identical concepts, but they are not. The concept of a sociopath includes destructive psychopathological disorders that contain a deep inability for human affection and manifestations of love and compassion, often these are very cruel, cold-blooded people. Social phobia is an acquired phobia in which there is a fear of communicating with people, accompanied by strong excitement and fear of saying something wrong or doing something.

How to recognize a sociopath?

How to define a sociopath in reality? Sometimes it is difficult to recognize this kind of flaw in a person. These people can be very sweet, charming and enveloping consciousness at first glance, but this is only an appearance and charm is destroyed, replaced by aggression, if the other person tries to refuse the sociopath's request or does not agree with his point of view. High conflict and lack of people are the main features of a sociopath.

Sociopath - signs

From a meeting with a sociopathic personality, you can expect anything, how to see that in front of you is a person from whom it is better to stay away? Sociopaths - psychological signs:

• impulsive and inappropriate actions;
• pathological deceit;
• antisocial behavior (easily breaks the law);
• the absence of such feelings as: guilt, shame, remorse;
• overwhelming self-esteem;
• aggressiveness;
• constantly show their superiority over people;
• the desire to destroy both material objects, other people's property, and relationships between people.

Sociopath tricks

The definition of a sociopath does not reflect the whole variety of destructive personality traits, and the way such individuals interact with society, on the one hand, people with vices and weaknesses fall into their tricks and tricks, but in fact no one is immune from sociopath intrusion into their lives. How a sociopathic manipulator works, techniques:

1. Gaslighting is a technique that distorts a person's sense of reality and self-confidence. The result of gaslighting is the doubt: “what if he is right and I am wrong?”. Typical sociopath responses when gaslighting are: “no, it didn’t happen”, “it seemed to you”, “are you out of your mind?”.
2. Projection. A sociopath will never admit his guilt and shortcomings - he blames it on others ( defense mechanism psyche). They love to instill a sense of shame in the people around them, for their flaws and misdeeds. A liar accuses others of lying, a rapist shifts his blame to the whole world, steeped in violence.
3. Perversion of the interlocutor's thoughts during a conversation (cognitive distortion). For example, in a conversation, the interlocutor tells the sociopath that “I’m not happy that you are talking to me in such a tone”, in response, the sociopath will depict sincere bewilderment-indignation: “you want to say that I’m bad”, “and you mean we have Mother Teresa and Firestarter!".
4. Slander and persecution. They gossip behind their backs, tell fables, “expose” shortcomings.

How to communicate with a sociopath?

If there is such an opportunity, it is better not to communicate with such people in any way. At least energy devastation is guaranteed. A powerful sociopath knows and skillfully manipulates pain points in people. It is important to be alert and not succumb to the tricks and manipulations that the sociopath takes great pleasure in. If it is not possible to break off relations, for example, this is a close person, there are several methods of communication:

• during communication, try to stay calm, without showing your own;
• it is desirable to respond with monotonous answers “yes”, “no”;
• talk about what pleases or upsets should not be heard in the presence of a sociopath;
• feign boredom.

How to get rid of a sociopath?

A relationship with a sociopath is always devastating, it's like a black bottomless pit. How to protect yourself and get out of such an established relationship. There are no specific answers here, but observing simple recommendations you can reduce the sociopath's interest in yourself and reduce communication to nothing:

1. Don't talk about your plans. Human weaknesses are a favorite niche for manipulation.
2. Help from a sociopath in any form (money, favor) is unacceptable, it is imprudent to be indebted to this person.
3. If the sociopath is threatening, it is important to collect evidence (emails, recorded calls or conversations with threats, the presence of witnesses who can confirm).

Sociopath - how to treat?

How to stop being a sociopath - sociopaths themselves rarely ask this question, it is important to understand that in psychological help they do not need, do not consider it necessary. BUT compulsory treatment considered a mockery of themselves and a restriction of freedom. Sometimes they realize that for the most part other people are not like that and this may be the reason for contacting a specialist. Treatment can be lifelong, as is supportive psychological correction behavior.

Drug therapy, as a rule, is aimed at relieving symptoms:

• antidepressants;
• barbiturates and tranquilizers (reduction of symptoms of aggression, impulsivity);
• neuroleptics.

Psychotherapy:

• cognitive-behavioral approach to develop and consolidate new patterns of behavior;
• family therapy;
• psychoanalytic group therapy.

Notable sociopaths

A person with a dissociative identity disorder can also manifest himself for the benefit of society, the so-called high-functioning sociopath - an example is the hero of Benedict Cumberbatch - the detective Sherlock Holmes from the literary opus of C. Doyle.

Fictional characters such as Dexter, Dr. House are also examples of a sociopathic personality. Real sociopaths:

Films about sociopaths

Sociopaths in cinema are an attractive and inexhaustible topic for directors, films where psychopaths become antagonists of the main characters a large number of. The Silence of the Lambs, a chilling thriller about a sociopathic maniac released on the screen in 1991, became a cult classic. Why are these films so successful? Psychologists explain this by the desire of a person to know something that is not entirely clear. Movies about sociopaths:

1. « Clockwork Orange / A Clockwork Orange". A gang of teenagers led by the charismatic but cruel and unprincipled Alex break into houses, rob, abuse and rape. They have no feelings of compassion, only aggression and the desire to hurt.
2. « Speed". A psychopathic terrorist planted a radio-controlled bomb in a passenger bus that will explode at less than 50 miles per hour, so you can’t stop at full speed police officer Jack Treven (Keanu Reeves) infiltrates the bus, leaving him with little time to disable the bomb.
3. « The Dark Knight / The Dark Knight". A film from the Batman comic series. Gotham is an unsightly dark place, teeming with the dregs of society, most of them are sociopaths. They are all surpassed by the Joker, a sociopathic supervillain who leaves behind mountains of corpses with a frozen smile on his face.
4. « American Psycho / Amerian Psycho". During the day he is an ordinary American citizen, unremarkable in the crowd, but at night he is a sophisticated killer with a hatred for people and a pathological craving for blood and violence.
5. « There's Something Wrong With Kevin / We Need To Talk About Kevin". Kevin grew up as a strange boy: he cried for several hours non-stop, at the age of 3 he hardly spoke. At the age of 15, Kevin finds his only entertainment and outlet - books about Robin Hood. The father supports his son and gives him a sports bow for Christmas. A few days before the 16th birthday, Kevin kills his father and sister, cracking down on teachers and classmates.

AT modern world we often come across concepts that we use quite often, but we don’t know the real essence. For example, everyone knows the word "sociopath", in social networks, and in Everyday life we see it quite often, however, as it seems to us, it is worth understanding this concept in more detail. So, today we will understand what a sociopath is.

Medical sociopath

Sociopathy, otherwise known as " antisocial personality disorder" - this is medical disease psychoneurological nature.

Signs of Sociopathy the following:

• Ignoring social norms;
• Impulsiveness;
• Aggressiveness;
• Limited ability to form attachments.

Doctors can diagnose a person who has at least three of the following phenomena: indifference to others, disregard for social norms, difficulties in establishing relationships with other people, lack of guilt, a tendency to blame others for all their problems, which leads to conflict .

Sociopaths are often constantly annoyed. Some scholars also refer to sociopaths as " antisocial personalities". The above signs of sociopaths force them to commit crimes, organize sects, get involved in drugs and alcohol. Treatment of such people occurs with a psychotherapist, but only a few notice a conduct disorder, which is why sociopathy is very difficult to identify.

What is a sociopath in simple terms?

When using this term in everyday speech, we rarely mean a person with neuropsychiatric disorders. Most often, when someone says: “What a sociopath he is!”, He means the person’s inability to understand and build relationships. Moreover, sociopaths mean extremely taciturn and uncommunicative people.

It should be remembered that "sociopathy" is medical diagnosis, the essence of which was described above, therefore the thoughtless use of such a word is unacceptable. If a person does not get along well with other people, then it is much better to use the epithet “non-contact” or “non-communicative” in relation to him, because only a qualified psychotherapist can make a diagnosis of “sociopath”.

If a person, then in particular his character may be uncommunicative, this does not mean at all that he has one or another personality disorder.

Highly Active Sociopath

The term was first used in the BBC television series Sherlock. modern medicine does not use such gradation, therefore, most likely, we can say that this phrase was introduced for the "red word".

The series meant main character disregards social norms, putting any effort into it. Unlike the average sociopath, who is driven only by his desires, the highly active sociopath may deliberately try to destroy relationships with other people.

Another famous example such a sociopath Dr. House. Behind his anti-social actions you can see an inquisitive mind and quick wit, charm - this is what he attracts viewers. The producers and creators of the series have found a wonderful niche for attracting people - a person with a complex character and destiny, but at the same time a very smart person.

Signs of a sociopath

The signs of a sociopath have already been written above, but it is worth adding a few more symptoms to this list. For sociopaths, there are no boundaries, they elevate their desires to an absolute and try to achieve them by any means, not shunning the feelings and thoughts of other people or social norms.

No sociopath likes people, even (and sometimes even more so) loved ones. Such people know how to love only themselves, but scientists have found that they can fall in love. Only the object of love will have a very hard time, because the sociopath will not reckon with his desires. Many people with a personality disorder often lie and cheat. They are also unusually smart, because in order to achieve their goals, they have to somehow develop.

Sociopaths - closed-in people who prefer to be alone than go out with friends (although they either have very few or none at all).

As we can see, one can live with sociopathy, but it is unlikely that one will be able to cope with it without the help of a psychiatrist.

Sociopath and sociophobe: the difference between them

While the word "sociopath" is firmly entrenched in the lexicon of many people, "sociophobe" is a much more applicable word in relation to most people (those whom we consider sociopaths).

social phobia too mental diagnosis, however, it lies in the fact that such people are afraid of speaking in front of large quantity people who are afraid to talk to strangers (it is even difficult for them to call ambulance, if necessary, they simply do not know how to start a conversation). At severe stress social phobes may have panic attacks, a psychologist will help to cope here (and not a psychotherapist, like sociopaths) or you can get rid of your phobias on your own, it’s enough to train willpower.

Sociophobes are not aggressive creatures capable of showing sympathy - this is their main difference from sociopaths. Furthermore, various fears and fears do not speak of a personality disorder, everything can be corrected without medications(which, again, cannot be said about sociopaths).

Social phobes can be quite sociable people, only they need to get used to a new person in their environment.

How to deal with such a person?

When signs of sociopathy are found in loved one doctors advise to show it to a psychotherapist for treatment. But what if this is not your loved one, but, for example, the boss? It's more difficult here. Again, many people recommend simply not communicating with a sociopath, as he can pose a threat to society, and even quit your job.

But what if you value your work? Firstly, your emotional and physiological health should also be valued, so prioritize correctly. Secondly, keep your interactions with the sociopath to a minimum, try to follow all his orders and do not enter into open conflict. It is worth carefully checking everything that is in your area of ​​​​responsibility, watch what you sign, as sociopaths are prone to fraud.

Some of the most famous sociopaths in history were Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Think about it, and then decide if you are ready to work with Stalin or Hitler in miniature.

In this article, we looked at what a sociopath is and how to behave with them. If you notice at least three signs of sociopathy in yourself, it is best to consult a specialist, as delay can lead to more serious disorders.

Video: deviation test

Sociopathy is not mental illness, a personality disorder. characteristic features sociopathy can be called a disregard for social prescriptions and norms and a lack of skill and desire to build relationships with other people. At the same time, people with dissocial disorder (sociopathy) do not have problems with establishing new contacts.

Sociopaths can be outwardly very charming, keenly interested in others, but they are completely unable to reckon with the feelings of other people, do not show empathy, and are not able to bear at least minimal responsibility for what is happening.

Sociopathy may be due genetic factors and features of education in early childhood, since it is during this period that the foundation of behavioral reactions is “laid”.

Signs of Sociopathy

Sociopathy (antisocial personality disorder) should not be confused with protest behavior. Sociopaths not only cannot self-diagnose the presence of this disorder, but also deny it if others or specialists talk about it.

Sociopaths tend to engage in illegal activities

A person with antisocial disorder does not respect the law, does not consider it necessary to adhere to social norms. Therefore, such people are more likely to commit illegal acts and, according to statistics, are more likely to serve their sentences in correctional facilities.

Disregard for danger

A sociopathic personality regularly demonstrates a disregard for safety requirements, not thinking about the value of either one's own or someone else's life. Thus, a sociopath shows his own illusory power, demonstrates superiority over others. In everyday life, this can be observed on highways, when the driver constantly creates emergency situations, violating both written and unwritten rules of behavior on the road.

Sociopaths are hypocritical

Deceit is one of the characteristic manifestations of dissocial disorder. Since there are no moral standards for a sociopath, he will, without any hesitation, for his own benefit, deceive, forge documents, impersonate another, manipulate knowingly false information.

Sociopaths are irresponsible

This is also one of the main signs that an individual has a dissocial disorder. Such a person is incapable of acting in anyone's interests other than personal ones: he does not care for his family, does not maintain strong friendships, easily changes jobs or passes trade secrets to competitors. A sociopath not only does not feel moral discomfort from such actions, but also tries to shift the obligations it has assumed to others or does not attach any importance to its own irresponsibility at all.

Aggressiveness and irritability

Sharp, quick-tempered reactions to what is happening - also characteristic manifestations sociopathy. A person with this type of personality disorder may become the instigator of a brawl or throw various objects. Most sociopaths are irritable and aggressive, and their problems with the law are most often associated with attacks on people. This factor determines another feature inherent in sociopaths: they are most often lonely, because on the one hand they realize that a group of people can fight them back, and on the other hand, it is quite difficult to coexist with them.

Sociopaths bully others

A person with a dissocial disorder tends to demonstrate his physical superiority to others, to mock those who are not strong people, intimidate them, torture animals. A sociopath tends to develop a lot of detractors from his environment over time precisely because of his antisocial behavior.

Failure to learn social interaction

With dissocial personality disorder, a person does not draw conclusions from events that have already occurred, does not trace a causal relationship. In cases where social interaction has led to some negative consequences, the sociopath does not change his actions, but does the same the next time. He does not feel guilty for his destructive actions, nor, accordingly, remorse.

Sociopath destroys other people's property

Such people take special pleasure in destroying or spoiling what belongs to other people. Thus, sociopaths challenge society, demonstrate disregard for established norms and rules of behavior. The destruction of someone else's property is for a sociopath another confirmation of his special, elevated above others, position.

If a person has three or more of the following symptoms, then with high probability he may be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (sociopathy).

dissocial disorder. Causes

Antisocial personality disorder begins to manifest itself in adolescence and persists throughout life. In childhood, a person can also show some signs of sociopathy, but during this period it is difficult to distinguish them from the child's lack of awareness of the benefits of complying with social norms. To date, there is no reliable hypothesis about the causes of the development of sociopathy, but the following are put forward as the most likely:

• hereditary factor
• parental pedagogical mistakes
• environmental factors
• stressful situations
• traumatic brain injury

Sociopaths react destructively to any actions of others that are aimed at restricting their freedom or not corresponding to their desires. They do not think strategically and are not interested in establishing long-term relationships, they recognize only unconditional submission, considering other people only as tools to achieve what they want. Most often, it is these people who become leaders of charismatic religious organizations.

Sociopaths are prone to alcoholism, drug addiction, and other addictions. This desire is not connected with the desire to hide from reality, but is due solely to the satisfaction of their needs for pleasure and the inability to take into account security considerations.

Sociopathy treatment

Antisocial personality disorder is difficult to treat, but there are several methods that can partially correct behavior.

Medical help for sociopathy

Dissocial disorder is not a disease, and to date, no effective medicines for the treatment of sociopathy has not been developed. If sociopathy is accompanied by severe anxiety and depression, antidepressants are used in these cases. To stop impulsivity and aggression, it is recommended to use mood stabilizers and some neuroleptics. But it must be taken into account that individuals with an associative disorder are prone to the formation chemical addiction therefore, the prescription of medications should be carried out taking into account this feature.

Psychological help for sociopathy

Working with a psychologist or psychotherapist can help a sociopath learn to better control his thoughts, restrain himself, and be more tolerant of his close environment, if he so desires. Cognitive-behavioral methods of therapy can teach a person to adapt in society, but in practice, interaction with a psychotherapist does not show high efficiency because of the unwillingness of the sociopath to change anything in his life.

A major barrier to recovery from sociopathy is that the person with the associative disorder does not see it as a problem. He lacks reflection, empathy, the ability to feel guilty for what he has done or remorse. Therefore, sociopaths not only do not seek to correct their personality, but also actively resist all attempts by their loved ones to influence their behavior in any way.

It's rather strange, but many of us use every day various terms, the true meaning of which is not even suspected.

For example, the widely used word "sociopath", which is often found on the Internet, and sometimes in everyday life. We offer today to figure out who it is, as well as how to communicate with a person who has such a mental defect.

Medicine as the basis of interpretation

In order to understand what a sociopath is, it would be right to turn to medicine. This is explained by the fact that the person who received such a “nickname” suffers from a certain personality disorder. Its etiology, causes and symptoms can only be interpreted by science. Simply put, a sociopath is a diagnosis. So who can doctors put it on?

Speaking about what a "sociopath" is, you need to find out the nature of the occurrence of this word. Considering that a sociopath is considered to be a person with mental disorder and deviations in behavior, initially other designations were used instead of this term. And far from one.

Before appearing in scientific papers and official recognition, this word had many synonyms, and all had one definition, indicating the presence pathological deviation. Here are the most common terms that were used instead of the word "sociopath" not so long ago:

• A man with moral insanity.
• Suffering from moral idiocy.
• Psychopath.

Medicine has given the definition of a disorder of a dissocial nature "sociopath". According to the medical interpretation, sociopathy is a mental syndrome pathological reactions in human behavior, against which the concept of moral norms and principles of life in society is lost.

In psychology, sociopathy is severe disorder mental health personality, which leads to antisocial (dissocial) behavior. Consequently, psychology considers sociopaths as people who, against the background of their neurotic disorder individuals behave unacceptably to society. That is, they do not follow generally accepted norms of morality and moral principles, can break the law and at the same time do not think about their decency.

More about the disease: causes and signs

Speaking about who sociopaths are, it does not hurt to tell how this mental illness appears. It is worth noting that to date, doctors have not been able to establish the specific causes and signs of sociopathy. However, the results of numerous studies in this area have helped to establish some features of the functionality of the brain in people suffering from a similar mental disorder.

Thus, the part of the human brain that is responsible for the ability to apply the experience of past mistakes is the amygdala. It not only allows learning own mistakes, but also helps to identify differences in facial expressions of other people.

So, in sociopaths (psychopaths), the amygdala is too poorly developed to perceive emotional reactions and changes in the facial expression of his interlocutor. Consequently, his reaction to the emotions of others will be worse than that of a normal person.

And since sociopathy is considered an unstable neurotic state, one of three factors can lead to such a deviation:

• Tendency to mental disorders against the background of hereditary predisposition.
• Consequences of situations that traumatized the human psyche. Psychotraumatic events include violence (and not only physical, but also emotional), the death of a relative or other close person. In children, this may be a forced / forced stay in the environment of people suffering from a similar disorder, or a feeling of alienation, loneliness or abandonment gradually developing in the child.
• Sociopathy as a result of disturbances in the functioning of the brain, which are of an organic nature.

At the same time, it must be understood that the symptoms of deviation can manifest themselves in different forms which makes it difficult to identify exact reason occurrence and even the presence of the disease. So, for example, persons with hidden sociopathy (latent) in appearance - ordinary people. But, despite this, it is quite difficult for them to contact others.

However, if we are talking about the interests of a latent sociopath, then he easily copes with his antisocial disorder and communicates with others very naturally. Moreover, in some situations, he can even resort to people.

Sociopaths are active, unlike latent ones, easily build relationships with others and can demonstrate their own life position absolutely without hesitation.

How to find out if a person has a mental disorder

Those diagnosed with sociopathy tend to have inflated self-esteem. Moreover, having no justified reason to exaggerate the importance of their personality, they consider it permissible to offend others and hurt them.

But this is far from the only behavioral trait that can tell you how to recognize a sociopath. There are several more pronounced signs of the disorder that can be identified simply by communicating with a sick person:

1. Heightened pride. It is expressed in the fact that every sociopath needs excessive attention, admiration, compliments and recognition. Always open to praise, the sociopath responds extremely negatively and even aggressively to criticism.

2. Inability to draw conclusions from the past, apply experience and learn from your mistakes. The order of actions followed by a sociopath will not change even if he has previously made mistakes and “burned himself” on it. And all because for such people the ability to learn from the mistakes made is uncharacteristic.

3. Desire to spoil other people's property. This is another trait that can be expressed in a sociopath in varying degrees. It is perfectly acceptable for people diagnosed with sociopathy to believe that they have the right to destroy or deface property that does not belong to them. Thus, sociopaths express their protest against social norms.

4. Aggressive behavior pattern. In the lives of people with a severe form of antisocial mental disorder, trouble often arises (through their own fault). A sociopathic male tends to provoke fights to demonstrate his physical or social superiority over others. A sociopathic woman, due to a different physiology from a man, does not get into fights, but she is distinguished by a tendency to gossip and defiantly condemn.

5. Indifference, indifference, heartlessness towards others. To understand if you are dealing with a sociopath, just look at his attitude towards others. It is common for sociopaths to show indifference to the people around them, even to those closest to them. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that the majority of people suffering from a personality disorder are loners.

6. Striving for leadership. Since people with a neurological defect are people with high self-esteem, they want to be leaders. However, given the tendency to offend others, such a person cannot a priori become the leader of a group of people with strong character and will. Therefore, the followers of sociopaths are usually weak-willed individuals.

7. Unacceptable behavior for society and unjustifiably risky actions. Constantly going beyond the "decent", the sociopath behaves defiantly and thus expresses his challenge to society. Adventurism, cruelty, rudeness, insolence and deceit are typical sociopathic traits.

8. No sense of shame. Typical for almost all healthy and well educated people feelings of conscience, shame and guilt are absolutely not characteristic of sociopaths. They do not think what to do in this or that situation and whether the consequences of their decisions will harm someone.

The qualities that are signs of sociopathy are far from alien to the ordinary, ordinary person. However, install correct diagnosis and answer the question: “Am I a sociopath?” – can only be done by a highly qualified specialist.

Is it profitable to be a sociopath?

Specialists of various scientific fields, medical workers and other minds of mankind tirelessly ponder whether or not it is beneficial to be a sociopath. But so far they have not come to a common, generally accepted opinion. And this is because such a defect in the psyche should be considered from different angles.

For example, if you look from the point of view of a potential patient, then if you are a sociopath, then you do not have a bad life at all. Remaining indifferent to the fate of other people, without feeling guilty and uncomfortable, people with a mental disorder live carefree in this regard.

As for relatives, people close to and close to the sociopath, they have a much more difficult time. Moreover, one must be loyal to the whims of the patient, his demands, insults and stop expecting reciprocity from him (love, respect, etc.).

At the same time, when you have to constantly contact a person whose psyche is unstable and prone to antisocial disorder, you should always be on the alert. And this is not at all surprising, because aggressiveness, inability to perceive criticism and lack of conscience can lead to completely unpredictable consequences.

Despite the fact that sociopaths look like ordinary people, they are victims of circumstances. Why? Yes, they represent real threat for society, because they are not able to distinguish between evil and good, which means they do not understand how much they can hurt another person during communication, simply by making a not very good decision.

How do you communicate with potential victims of circumstance?

Considering different types, the degree of manifestation of the disorder, as well as an individual set of symptoms, it is important to be able to understand that you have a sociopath in front of you. It also doesn't hurt to know ahead of time how to deal with a sociopath if you outward signs were able to recognize him. But remember that only a certified doctor can identify antisocial personality disorder or authoritatively confirm its presence.

If you are interested in the answer to the question: “What will protect me from trouble if there is a sociopath in my environment?”, then first think about who the patient is. If this is a child suffering from a mental syndrome of pathological reactions, then you should seek help from a doctor. And the sooner the better.

A good child psychotherapist in a few sessions will be able to understand how "neglected" the patient's case is. However, the treatment itself will take much more time, because the doctor will need to spend with the patient corrective work to restore normal mentality. It is worth noting that during the treatment of the child, his parents must be present.

If the sociopath, in your opinion, is a guy or girl from the immediate environment, then you need to try to distance yourself from him / her. At the same time, having decided to send him / her for treatment, you need to remember that it will not work here to confine yourself to re-education.

Your boss or supervisor may also be a sociopath. AT this case Better not to provoke this person. If you are not satisfied with something at work, it is better to discuss it during a constructive dialogue in order to be able to argue your claims. But in general, we must remember that it is better to avoid contact with such a person so as not to cause aggression in his direction.

At the same time, try not to succumb to the manipulation of the sociopathic boss, who, quite possibly, will want to persuade you to act in his favor. In general, be careful and act according to the situation when interacting with a person with a mental disorder. Author: Elena Suvorova