Anti- Social Personality Disorder and Sociopathy

Anti- Social Personality Disorder

Intro to Psychology- Eibes

Fall Term Paper

Sociopath (n): "A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience." (Dictionary.com 2017). Infamous sociopaths include Ted Bundy, Herold the Great and Robert John Maudsley. 4% of the United States population suffer from a sociopathic condition according to Dr. Martha Stout. Those numbers roughly add up to 12 million of the 318.9 million citizens that live within the United States. Antisocial Personality Disorder symptoms lead to many abusive behaviors towards others. I have chosen this topic due to my interest in the behavior patterns and actions that these people who suffer this illness. I want to explore and explain this condition's effects on the person who suffers from it. Also to look at this condition for from both the victimization perspective and the malice intents of those with this condition.

"Anti-Social Personality Disorder is a condition of missing conscience." (Mauro 2009). The common symptoms of this condition manifest in behavior such as, antisocial behavior, deceitfulness, hostility, irresponsibility, risk taking behaviors, aggression, impulsivity, irritability, or lack of restraint. Behavior isn't the only part of life that is effected, the mood of a sociopath is filled with feelings of anger, boredom and general discontent with the world around them. The dangers of Anti-Social Personality Disorder can be exacerbated by the tendency to rush to decisions in an impulsive fashion such as using and abusing substances which can lead to permanent damage to the user and potentially the people around them. This is perfectly demonstrated in an article by Shiloh Monroe who herself was professionally diagnosed with ASPD as well as Psychopathy at age 19. "So you see, sociopathic persons are very dangerous if you're speaking acute, or short term. But psychopathic people are dangerous in that sense where it's been 8 months since a fight or argument happen with said person, and you think you are off scott free. The danger lies in exactly that. We can be very patient, because we care about ourselves first. Our freedom, our job, our trip we have booked to Tahiti next month that we don't want to miss out on. And the whole time we are living life, we are reaching into our mind, and pulling out that file of: Things to do, and flipping through the most important unfinished." (Monroe 2016).

Anti-Social Personality Disorder's causes are unknown but unique to the individual that suffer from it. It is found that some genes allow you to become susceptible and vulnerable. Development that happens beyond birth are tripped by changes inside the brain. If the functions and structure in the mist of development change drastically the risk of development will skyrocket. When certain life situations spring up the causes can be integrated into the human psyche. Per the Mayo Clinic these events that commonly lead to this disorder are as follows, "Diagnosis of childhood conduct disorder, family history of antisocial personality disorder or other personality disorders or mental illness, being subjected to abuse or neglect during childhood, Unstable, violent or chaotic family life during childhood." (Mayo Clinic 2017). An interesting fact is that men are at a greater this for this disorder than women.

Per the organization known as National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, almost 20 people a minute are physically abused by an intimate partner. This information is pertinent in the dangerous effects on life that that this horrible condition. Beyond substance abuse many of the unstable behaviors are abuse, neglect, homicidal behavior, suicidal behavior, poor social and fanatical status, and development of other mental illnesses which can host a whole new cluster of problems and criminal behaviors. The tragic fate of many involve premature deaths and serious injury by being persuaded to participate in nefarious actions with gang members and other underground criminal organizations. Targeting of mentally ill has been a well-known practice by these organization because of the victim's suggestibility to complete impulsive actions without a hint of remorse. It's sickening to know that people can be treated as a simple asset.

While a sociopath can be a known victim, they can also very well be the perpetrator in the creation of these crimes. It is so common for a sociopath to be remorseless of an action they commit or the feelings of others. This is demonstrated very well in the article titled "Your Conscience, the Sociopath's Weapon of Choice" by Marisa Mauro Ph.D. "The act of eliciting pity from another unequivocally makes the elicitor something to be pitied, a victim, per se. It is human nature to aid the pitied. Hence, the pity play, or victim stance, stands to get the Sociopath what he or she wants easily and without being found out as a bad guy. This is manipulation. Manipulation is the tool of choice for smart criminal thinkers and, according to Dr. Stout, the Sociopaths amongst us. She says, "Sociopaths have no regard whatsoever for the social contract, but they do know how to use it to their advantage. And all in all, I am sure that if the devil existed, he would want us to feel very sorry for him." (Mauro, 2009). In an interview by NPR in which they sat down and had a conversation with a diagnosed sociopath. In the series of questions individual was asked about how they handle relationships, key traits, and when they realized that they suffered from ASPD. On the topic of key traits "They can be very charismatic. They don't really get nervous. ... They tend to fail to conform to social norms." (NPR). On the topic of relationships "Definitely fulfilling, and I think loving; we feel a love. You know, whatever it is that we feel affection, for me it's maybe 70 percent gratitude, a little bit of adoration, a little bit of - if it's a romantic relationship - infatuation or sexual attraction." (NPR). And finally on the topic of realization of diagnosis "You might consider the fact that you are a sociopath.' So I looked it up, and I saw the traits, and it made sense. And it made sense in a way that nothing really before had." (NPR).

In conclusion, Anti-Social Personality Disorder is a condition that effects a large part of the United States population. In this paper, we explored behavior patterns, actions and explained this condition's effects on the person who suffers from it. Also, to look at this condition for from both the victimization perspective and the malice intents of those with this condition. My general reaction to my findings have left me in a state of awe to how many people suffer from this condition and its effects on our society. I am very much interested in how behavior can be drastically different to what we call our social norms. The fact that a person can contain such a lack of empathy is both intriguing and freighting.

Work Cited

Mayo Clinic Staff Print. (2016, April 02). Antisocial personality disorder. Retrieved March 13, 2017, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/home/ovc-20198975

Sociopath. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/sociopath

Mavro, Marisa, Psy. D. Your Conscience, (2009, December 27) the Sociopath's Weapon of Choice. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/take-all-prisoners/200912/your-conscience-the-sociopaths-weapon-choice

Monroe, Shiloh (2016, Jan 28) Who's more dangerous and why: A sociopath or a psychopath? Quora. Retrieved March 13, 2017. [Wed log comment], from http:// www.quora.com/Whos-more-dangerous-and-why-A-sociopath-or-a-psychopath.

Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from http://ncadv.org/learn-more/statistics

(n.d.). Retrieved March 13, 2017, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/sociopathy