Warning Signs of a Sociopath: Tips for Recognizing the Sociopathic Personality Disorder. We've all met them.
They ooze charisma, are well-liked by their acquaintances, seem knowledgeable about a variety of subjects; yet -something is not quite right. If you are involved with a sociopath, or even worse, in love with one; you are in for a painful, destructive relationship. Trust your gut - if you have any doubts about this person, be wary -even if others who don't know the person as well as you do think you are being foolish. Know the warning signs of a sociopath before it's too late. This personality disorder can destroy the lives of people who are involved with the sociopath. Psychopaths Have No Morals Meet their friends. Observe their morals, and sense of right and wrong.
Psychopaths are Master Manipulators Find out as much as you can about their past relationships from family members and other sources. Realize that sociopaths are pathological liars. Watch out for the warning signs of a sociopath. Psychopathic Traits Linked to Brain Reward System - NIH Research Matters. March 29, 2010 People who scored high on a test that measures impulsive and antisocial traits had exaggerated brain responses to certain “rewards,” like winning money or taking stimulant drugs.
The new study provides evidence that a dysfunctional brain reward system may underlie vulnerability to a personality disorder known as psychopathy. Impulsive and antisocial personality traits correlate with amphetamine-induced dopamine release (red and yellow) in the brain. Image by Buckholtz et al. Psychopathy is characterized by a combination of superficial charm, manipulative and antisocial behavior, impulsivity, blunted empathy and shallow emotional experiences.
Many studies of psychopathy have focused on the emotional and interpersonal aspects of the disorder, like lack of fear and empathy. In one experiment, the researchers used positron emission tomography (PET) to image the brain’s dopamine response when participants received a low oral dose of amphetamine. Inside the Mind of a Sociopath. This excerpt is from: "The Sociopath Next Door: The Ruthless vs. the Rest of Us" by Martha Stout Ph.D.
(Broadway Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-7679-1581-X). Martha Stout is a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and elaborates on the tales of ruthlessness in everyday life based on her 25 years of practice as a specialist in the treatment of psychological trauma survivors. Imagine - if you can - not having a conscience, none at all, no feelings of guilt or remorse no matter what you do, no limiting sense of concern of the well-being of strangers, friends, or even family members. Imagine no struggles with shame, not a single one in your whole life, no matter what kind of selfish, lazy, harmful, or immoral action you had taken. And pretend that the concept of responsibility is unknown to you, except as a burden others seem to accept without question, like gullible fools.
How will you live your life? You become unimaginably, unassailably, and maybe even globally successful. Dr. Profile of the Sociopath. Profile of the Sociopath This website summarizes some of the common features of descriptions of the behavior of sociopaths.
Glibness and Superficial Charm Manipulative and Conning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims. Grandiose Sense of Self Feels entitled to certain things as "their right. " Other Related Qualities: NOTE: In the 1830's this disorder was called "moral insanity. " DSM-IV Definition Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture.
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV) 1. 2. 3. 4. Antisocial Personality Disorder Overview (Written by Derek Wood, RN, BSN, PhD Candidate) Antisocial Personality Disorder results in what is commonly known as a Sociopath. THE PSYCHOPATH NEXT DOOR (Source: Eight Ways to Spot Emotional Manipulation.