Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy)
This page contains archived content originally from the US website thebitchnextdoor.com. It provides information about understanding and protecting yourself from antisocial personality disorder.
⚠️ Archived Content Notice
This information is reproduced from thebitchnextdoor.com, which is no longer available. The content is presented in its original form and may contain informal language. This is provided for educational purposes only.
Understanding Antisocial Personality Disorder
Antisocial personality disorder, or as it is more commonly referred to, sociopathy, is characterized by actions that consistently fail to conform to public social norms, consistent lying, cheating and stealing to get what they want, willingness to completely ignore the rights and boundaries of others with a complete lack of empathy for the distress that their actions cause to others.
The issue of most concern is that sociopaths will, without any regard for themselves or others, resort to acts of aggression and violence without any real thought. For this reason, if possible, any sign of anger or irritation should be a strong cue to anyone to get out of the area and just avoid this person at all costs. Getting into a fight is one thing, but anger from a sociopath can lead to a long-term feud of violent acts.
Characteristics of Sociopaths
These people sometimes develop a very superficial charm that they use to get away with their actions. This is seen through by many people; however, often even the people it does work on end up seeing the truth at some point.
Sociopaths commonly have a hard time making friends, and an even more difficult time keeping them. They are very narcissistic in terms of the sociopath also having that same sense of personal entitlement, a willingness to take advantage of people to reach their goals, and having no empathy for the people they hurt in the process.
Early Warning Signs
Officially, antisocial personality disorder cannot be diagnosed before the age of 18, but there are markers that can indicate the possible future diagnosis with younger children.
Younger children that are known to be later diagnosed as sociopathic have longer than average periods of bed wetting, they show behaviors of extreme cruelty toward animals, and an interest in burning things (pyromania).
It is impossible to know how many people with those markers develop into diagnosed sociopaths; however, a large percentage of diagnosed sociopaths do have those three markers in their personal histories.
Causes and Risk Factors
Exact causes of this disorder are not known; however, several factors have been identified:
- Parents that are antisocial have an increased likelihood of raising antisocial children
- Alcoholism of the father seems to increase the likelihood of the child becoming antisocial
- Children that lack maternal attention for the first five years of life
- Lack of consistent parental discipline and attention
These factors lead to an unpredictable home that does not teach consistent rules for behavior.
Dealing with a Sociopath
⚠️ Critical Safety Information
Dealing with sociopaths, more politically correctly known as "antisocial personality disorder," is impossible. They can live among normal society by blending in pretty easily; however, it's the people that befriend them, work with them, or are otherwise just too close to them that get hurt. They have no conscience as normal people know it—they do what they want, to who they want, when they want, and never feel badly about it.
Treatment Challenges
While it is subject to debate, many mental health professionals hold the belief that therapy actually makes sociopaths worse, as in the process of therapy they learn new vulnerabilities to exploit in "normal" people. It is commonly accepted that sociopaths are not treatable.
Protecting Yourself
The only way to deal with a sociopath is to keep your distance and get them out of your life. Do it discreetly and do not make a big dramatic case out of it. Remember who you are dealing with and handle your separation with care so as not to offend or anger the sociopath in question.
Angering or offending somebody with no conscience can have nothing but bad outcomes for you. Be smart, be safe, be distant.
While a good "get even" may feel good for a brief moment, the consequences could be bad. For a seriously sociopathic person, it could be harmful and violent. One thing you certainly do not want to do is get into a vengeance contest against somebody with no conscience.
Key Safety Principles
- Maintain distance: Minimize contact whenever possible
- Don't confront: Confrontation can trigger dangerous responses
- Document everything: Keep detailed records if you must interact
- Involve authorities: Don't try to handle serious situations alone
- Trust your instincts: If you feel unsafe, you probably are—act accordingly
- Don't retaliate: Never engage in a "get even" scenario
- Seek support: Talk to professionals, police, or legal advisors