Antisocial Personality Disorder
Among the vast things studied in the field of psychology lies psychological disorders. These psychological disorders can simply be defined as psychological functions that can be unhealthy and even harmful to a person (Gerrig, 2005). And because this disorders can cause damage to a person it is important to understand them, both to aid a person in this situation or get the correct help if the victim is oneself. There is a vast number of psychological disorders, however this paper will focus in one that in itself can lead to lethal consequences if not treated, that is Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD). This disorder can be reason for many of the problems faced in society today, which is why it is important to be aware of its existence, the symptoms and even the possible treatment.
Understanding the Disorder
What is Antisocial Personality Disorder?
The first thing to understand about the ASPD fall into the Personality Disorder category, among with many other disorders and it means that
According to Gerrig (2005) it is
A long-standing, inflexible, maladaptive pattern of perceiving, thinking or behaving. These patterns can seriously impair an individual’s ability to function in social or work settings and can cause significant distress. (p. 411)
In other words, just like the other personality disorders, ASPD is a pattern of behaviors that affects the life of its victim. However, specifically, “according to the American Psychiatric
Antisocial Personality disorder is defined as a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others (American Psychiatric Association, 659). This means any repeated actions that do not take into account any other factors like people's emotions are a case for Antisocial Personality Disorder. A diagnosis of APD requires three out of seven criteria as dictated by the American Psychiatric Association (659):
Antisocial personality disorder is a disregard for others rights and violating theses rights. This disorder starts as a child to people who carry this disorder portray the characteristics of irritability, aggressiveness, lack of remorse, and irresponsibility. A psychopath falls under the umbrella of antisocial personality disorders. A psychopath is a person with a personality disorders which is inherited from their parents at birth. Flashes of these inherited factors show and happen in the child upbringing this includes torture animals at a young age, playing weird dark games as a kid, or ripping heads of toys. A perfect example of a Psychopath is Edmund Kemper. A man who showed his psychopath tendencies at a young age that grew into to him becoming a serial killer.
The Misfit’s recollection of his past shows the development of ASPD in childhood. His lack of discipline in childhood and his recollection of when he behaved well are indicators of ASPD. The Misfit stated, “My daddy said I was a different breed of dog from my brothers and sisters” (948). As a child, he manifested an odd behavior indicating a difference between him and other children. Comparing him to “a different breed of dog” can be interpreted as having a riotous, disorderly behavior a characteristic that can describe someone with ASPD. He also stated, “I never was a bad boy that I remember of, but somewheres along the line I done something wrong and got sent to the penitentiary” (948). To his remembrance, he was a good child, but at one
It is common for a person with antisocial personality disorder to have had a neglectful or abusive childhood home life, possibly caused by alcohol or the absence or abandonment of one or even both parents (National Health Service, 2015). Many people with this personality disorder had a disturbing childhood in which they were abusive to animals or other children and had an abnormal fixation with fire (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). It is believed there is a connection between antisocial personality disorder and a lack of empathy during years in the child’s life, meaning the child did not grow out of being unable to understand point of views other than their own and were unable to empathize with their peers’ feelings (Mayo Clinic,
Antisocial Personality Disorder is a personality disorder recognized within the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. This disorder is
Some of the outcomes of ASPD can be harmful to the sufferer as well as those surrounding him/her. An example of a societal cost would be the suffering endured by the victim of a crime committed by a person with ASPD. Crimes like those committed by a religious cult leader, for example, can have devastating effects on the religious followers (some abuse drugs, other victims commit suicide). Other outcomes include the self-infliction of pain. Sufferers of ASPD are also at higher risk of abusing alcohol and drugs.
To be considered antisocial is to isolate oneself from general social conditions and demonstrate behaviors that deviate from the social societal norm. Antisocial Personality disorder describes an individual that lacks values and habitually violates societal standards in regards to ethics and social behavior. Individuals with this disorder can be described to lack empathy, act impulsively, and have flagrant disregard for other people. It is hard for them to form engage in positive social exchanges or maintain relationships with others. It was only until the early twentieth century that Antisocial Personality disorder was named. Previously, these individuals were categorized as psychopaths due to the thrill-seeking and cunning nature of their actions. Psychopaths have the ability to change their personalities to ultimately get what they desire then revert back to a malicious, egocentric state. When faced with a dangerous adventure, for those with ASPD the choice will always be to peruse the danger. This is due to a constant underlying feeling of restlessness (Nolen-Hoeksema, 2011, p. 272). Although these traits can be deemed “psychopathic” this disorder is not only seen in those who have established themselves as violent criminals, but in those who have established as high-ranking members in society. How can this disorder differentiate itself so starkly within people? Although there are no direct medical test to diagnose this disorder,
(a) A clear scholarly definition(s) of the disorder, "a serious psychiatric condition associated with instability in affect and identity, significantly impaired interpersonal relationships, and self-injurious behaviors".
Antisocial personality disorder is a disorder of the brain that cause one to disregard other people’s rights by violating them, they lack empathy and are very malicious towards others, they enjoy the suffering of individuals whether it be an animal or human being and it usually occurs during child/teen hood and worsens as the child ages. With this disorder comes a hatred toward society due to lack of knowledge of the real world “Many of the children grow up shy, lonely, highly sensitive, with feelings of being rejected, unloved and neglected by family and/or society”(Miller, 2014, p.13). Isolation at young ages causes children to not know how to interact with others in the real world they think that it is okay to violate personal space because they were never taught what that was. With the isolation and feelings of oddity in the child, they begin to manifest fantasies within their own mind (Miller, 2014, p.14). Many times the child starts out with violent sexual fantasies that they would like to act out but do not have an execution plan so they experiment on inanimate objects or even themselves or family members who will not tell such as younger siblings. This quickly escalates to the things they do to strangers in society starting with smaller steps such as stalking, peeping tom, or abduction. With such successes, they begin their reign of terror
Individuals with antisocial personality disorder frequently commit illegal acts like destroying property, stealing, and harassing others. They often employ manipulation and deceit to obtain profit or pleasure. The criterion of impulsivity is often seen in a lack of planning. In other words, these individuals live in the present, not thinking about the past or future. This is often seen in numerous and sudden job changes, homes, or significant others. They tend to repeatedly fight with others and commit physical assault. A reckless disregard for one’s safety and that of others is often shown by unsafe driving behavior like drunk driving, drug abuse, or high risk sex. Those diagnosed are irresponsible. For example, it is not uncommon to see erratic work history, large gaps in employment (even when employment was readily available), departing a job with no plan to get another, and repeated unexcused absences
A father who beat his children into submission, a grandfather who once strangled a baby because it would not stop crying, and a brother who threw his eight month pregnant wife into a ditch and beat her (Black, 2013, p. 134-135). The Deases family is an extreme case of ASPD and psychopathy being transferred, not all families are like this because averagely there is that 16% chance, but individually some families have higher percentages than others, as was the case with the Deases. ASPD can also be influenced by: “bad parenting, defective genes, childhood trauma, poverty—are a few of the proposed causes […],” however, this disorder usually arises from an combination of different causes (Black, 2013, p. 132). The idea that children who are young and impressionable are more than likely going to pick up habits that their parents exhibit, even if those habits are poor ones (Black, 2013, p. 132).
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD), opposition defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) are three distinct disorders based upon their respective diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. If ODD and CD were mild forms of ASPD, then there would need to be causal relationship between the childhood manifestations of ODD and CD and the adult manifestation of ASPD. There is evidence of comorbidity between ODD and CD, and also evidence to suggest that children diagnosed with these disorders may go on to develop ASPD later in life; however, correlation does not equal causation. The three disorders have subtle but important differences in their associated behaviors, underlying causes, treatment outcomes, and neurological signs.
Cognitive theory also explains the lack of remorse common in people with antisocial personality disorder by hypothesizing that those with the disorder genuinely cannot recognize a point of view other than their own. Based on the views of the biological perspective of psychology, antisocial personality disorder is a result of deficient functioning in the frontal lobe of the brain, explaining the lack of ability to plan ahead, strategize efficiently, experience sympathy, or
Antisocial personality disorder is one of the hardest mental disorders to treat. Treatment is long term and may better the situation but the disorder will not be cured. It is also very rare for an individual with ASPD to seek help for themselves due to their denial of symptoms. Oftentimes, help is only sought if the individual is in legal
Individuals with ASPD often lack sufficient motivation and fail to see the costs associated with antisocial acts, thus making it an extremely difficult personality to treat. Often times individuals who stay in treatment are those who are required to do so against their will, such as those who are on parole. There are many different therapeutic approaches that serve as potential avenues for treatment such as schema therapy and multisystemic therapy (MST). Schema Therapy is based on the assumption that many negative cognitions have their roots in past experiences. In comparison to standard cognitive therapy, schema therapy probes more deeply into early life experiences. It utilises experimental, cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal techniques,