Just An Average Psychopath

Just an Average

Psychopath… By Allison P. Slep

Michael Myers(8)

 Jeffrey Dahmer(7)

Most people hear the word psychopath and immediately think of famous serial killers or the main character in a horror movie. It is easy to see why Jeffery Dahmer, the cannibal, or Michael Myers, from the Halloween movies, could be dubbed a psychopath. These men are crazed murderers. It is examples like this that have caused the words psychopath and killer to practically be synonymous to one another. Everyone knows that not all people who murder are psychopaths. What many don’t know is that there are psychopaths all around us that aren’t killing. Average psychopaths that don’t make the headlines for murdering numerous people are still causing as much harm to the lives of people they come in contact with  in other ways. This average psychopath could be your ex-girlfriend, your boss or your neighbor. You could be related to one or sitting next to one in a class. People with this condition are not easy to spot, they seem normal. By the time you have figured out what they really are it is usually too late and your life will be changed forever.
                                                   

The terms psychopath, sociopath and antisocial personality are interchangeable in the mental health field. The condition was first identified by James Cowles Prichard in 1837 as “Moral Insanity”. A person with this disorder was described as seeming to have no conscience, harms others and shows no remorse (Intro to Psych., p 346). Today the psychiatric term that is used is “Antisocial Personality Disorder”. The “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4^th Edition” is the book used by mental health professional to diagnose mental disorders. This book tells us that ASPD is a condition characterized by a persistent disregard, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in early adolescence and continues into adulthood (Long, Phillip W. M.D). In 1980 a diagnostic tool was developed to identify, specifically, psychopaths. Robert Hare, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia, came up with the “Psychopathy Checklist”. This is a standard instrument for researchers and clinicians worldwide (Stout, Martha). The psychological diagnosis of “Psychopath” overlaps with the psychiatric diagnosis of “Antisocial Personality Disorder”. The difference is that ASPD requires a history of delinquency during adolescence and psychopath does not. Some clinicians believe there is a difference between a psychopath and a sociopath. The difference being that a psychopath is better able to fit in socially than a sociopath, who would appear obviously uncomfortable. It is thought that psychopathology is genetic whereas sociopathology is developed as a result of abuse or neglect during childhood (Long). It really doesn’t matter what term is used to describe an individual with this condition. Both labels share the same traits.

“Everyone, including the experts, can be taken in, manipulated, conned and left bewildered by them.” – Robert Hare

This is a chilling quote coming from the man who wrote the book, literally, about psychopaths. How can we protect ourselves from this type of individual? What are the signs we should look for? Unfortunately, it is not easy to tell if someone is antisocial. The people who have this condition are very charming and manipulative. They don’t want you to know the person they really are. You must be very careful about who you let into your life. The only way to really know someone is to take time getting to know them.

The common characteristics exhibited by an individual that can be diagnosed “Antisocial” or labeled a “Psychopath” are the same. They are amusing and entertaining conversationalists, always ready with a witty response. They are amazing storytellers. While the stories may seem unlikely, they are convincing and always casting themselves in a good light (Hare, Robert). Often attractive and likable, psychopaths come across as exciting and confident people. So what’s the problem? This sounds like an ideal person to be friends with. In fact, these are probably the most common qualities people are seeking on any dating site you find; attractive, funny and confident. It is the perfect disguise. When you look for what is underneath the disguise you will begin to notice the ugly truth. What you thought was self-confidence is actually narcissism. Psychopaths have an extremely inflated sense of self-worth and importance. Caring only for themselves, they have such a sense of entitlement that they are justified in living by their own rules. Violating the rights of others is second nature. Combine this with a lack of concern for the effects their actions have on others and you have a pretty dangerous individual. This person is willing to do anything to get what they want and can rationalize any way they choose to get it. They are skilled liars and proud of it. When a psychopath is caught in a lie, they simply change the story or twist the facts so they appear consistent with the original lie. Deception and manipulation are main features of this disorder. Getting caught doesn’t even faze them. These individuals feel no remorse or guilt and have a very limited range and depth of emotions (Hare). They learn to display emotions by observing the way others react and behave. It’s as if they are acting in a play. These characteristics alone are scary. Add in a tendency for sudden violence due to weak inhibitory controls and a need to live in the fast lane and you’ve got a ticking time bomb of a person. Psychopaths bore easily and don’t tolerate routine. This makes it difficult for them to keep a job or honor commitments to others. When they do work they are frequently absent and misuse or steal money from the company. Most end up with criminal convictions of all sorts. They tend to try every crime instead of having a “specialty” (Hare). Beginning in childhood, rules and expectations of society seem inconvenient so they just ignore them. Not all psychopaths wind up in jail, however. Many go through life below the radar of the law. Many don’t commit crimes but do things that are unethical and immoral. The things that people with a conscience would never do.

It is thought that 4% of the population has this condition of having little to no conscience (Stout, 8). This may sound like a tiny fraction of people but when compared to other disorders and illnesses it is quite alarming.  1% of the population has schizophrenia, a well known disorder (Intro..., 344). There are 100 times as many sociopaths as there are people that have colon cancer. Perhaps most frightening, the percent of the population diagnosed with anorexia is 3.43%. Anorexia is known as nearly epidemic (Stout, 8). Chances are, you know or have met more than one psychopath in your life.

There has been over a century of study and decades of research on the subject of psychopathy. The disorder still remains a mystery. The cause is still not known for sure. There are several theories regarding genetic and biological factors as well as a faulty early social environment and a combination of both (Hare). Recent studies have shown that the functioning of the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex and their interaction with one another are compromised in individuals with the disorder. The amygdala is the part of the brain where punishment and reward are processed as well as emotional expressions. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that is critical in decision making. The impairments caused by these areas of the brain not functioning properly leads to the development of psychopathy. Why this happens is not known for sure (Long).

The Diagnostic and Statistics Manual states that in order for an individual to be diagnosed as having ASPD they must meet a certain criteria. They must be at least 18 and have had symptoms of conduct disorder before age 15. They must have a persistent disregard for, and violation of, the rights of others that begins in early childhood and continues into adulthood. A diagnosis of this disorder is only given when these behaviors become persistent and disabling or distressing. Antisocial Personality Disorder may be responsible for more social distress and disruption then all other psychiatric disorders combined. Interestingly, it is the only disorder that doesn’t seem to cause the person who has it much suffering. It is everyone around them that suffers instead. The disorder is chronic and there is no specific treatment (Staff, Mayo Clinic).  Usually the psychopath doesn’t feel they have psychological or emotional problems and sees no reason to change in order to conform to the standards of society.

Is it possible that there are benefits to being a psychopath? It’s hard to fathom that there are people put on this earth that are essentially plain evil. Perhaps having no empathy and no guilt has its pros. Imagine if, instead of our loved ones and neighbors going off to fight in wars, our country had an army of psychopaths that had no problem killing. They could work as executioners in our jails. I suppose, if you had to have a psychiatric disorder, that the benefit of having this one is that nobody could look at you and know that your brain functions differently.

I chose to write about this disorder because I have been affected by it. I didn’t even know that people like this existed until I married one. It is still hard for me to accept that I could be fooled by someone to the extent that I married and had a child with him. It didn’t take long for me to figure out that something wasn’t right and I divorced him within a year. I still deal with him on a regular basis because he constantly takes me to court in attempts to take my daughter from me. Hopefully that will end soon. At first I just thought he was an evil person but now I see that he can’t help it. Learning about this disorder has helped me learn how to deal with him. It’s scary to me that it’s possibly genetic and my daughter has a risk of developing it. Fortunately, she has an amazing step-father that is a positive role model and a stable, loving family. I have always had a fascination with abnormal psychology and the events in my life have inspired me to continue my education in psychology.

Bibliography

1.        Stout, Martha “The Sociopath Next Door”. USA: Broadway Books, 2005. Print.

2.           Hare, Robert. “This Charming Psychopath.” Web. psychologytoday.com
               http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199401/charming-psychopath

3.          Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Antisocial Personality Disorder." Web. MayoClinic.com. 8 Oct.            2010. 11 Oct. 2011.
             http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antisocial-personality-disorder/DS00829

5.       Introduction to Psychology. Evanston, Ill: Nextext, 2001. Print.

6.      Long, Phillip W.M.D. " Antisocial Personality Disorder." Web.  Internet Mental Health.               1995-2011. 11 Oct. 2011.
                 http://mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-pe04.html

7.   "Jeffery Dahmer." Photo. thequoteblog.com 9 Oct. 2007. 11 Oct. 2011

                 http://www.thequoteblog.com/serial-killer-jeffrey-dahmer-on-his-life

8.    Horror Man. "Michael Myers." Photo. theRealmCast.com 27 Dec. 2010. 11 Oct. 2011
                  http://therealmtoys.com/wordpressorg/tag/michael-myers/