Psychopaths: How to deal with them

Psychopaths: How to deal with them

By Janna Bunescu

These enigmatic creatures live among us, but it is so hard to differentiate them from normal humans. They rarely ever take their masks off, using their charm to hunt people. If we want to protect ourselves, we need to learn to identify them.

ASPD or Antisocial Personality Disorder is a Cluster B personality disorder.

Cluster B is composed of:

• Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

• Histrionic personality disorder

• Narcissistic personality disorder

Psychopathy and Sociopathy go under the same name — Antisocial Personality Disorder. Although, they are both pretty different in nature. Psychopathy is believed to rely heavily on genetic components while sociopaths tend to be made by their environment. ~1% of the population is psychopathic and ~4% is sociopathic. Both sociopaths and psychopaths often have been raised in environments full of violence. People with ASPD also often have comorbid Narcissism.

Some obvious signs to tell these two apart:

Sociopaths:

• Make it clear they do not care how others feel

• Are impulsive

• Irritable and prone to displaying anger and rage

• Recognize that they are doing something wrong but rationalize their behavior

• Unstable work and family life

• Can form emotional attachments, but with difficulty

Psychopaths:

• Pretend to care but don’t

• Are overconfident and charming

• Display cold-hearted behavior

• Fail to empathize and to form genuine emotional attachments

• Maintain a normal life as a cover for criminal activity

• Don’t like to apologize and are deceitful

Psychopaths have many differences in their brain chemistry that make them inhumane. Studies show that psychopaths have reduced connections between the part of the brain responsible for sentiments such as empathy and guilt, and the amygdala, which mediates fear and anxiety.

They usually have grown up in an unstable or chaotic family, such as living with an addict; having little or no support from their family; having bad experiences during their school life; living in poverty, discrimination, or abuse.

Psychopaths have a need for stimulation and get that from breaking the law, hurting, and deceiving others. They’re prone to impulsiveness, and pathological lying, and have the ability to manipulate others. They are able to read people and learn how they function, realizing their weaknesses early on and waiting for the right moment to exploit them. Because of all the observation they do, they can mimic normal reactions to fit in.

They can seem like the most interesting person in the room and sometimes their grandiose self-worth can be evident. You’re going to hear them agree with you, undertake your interests and see them mirror your movement. Psychopaths use insincere flattery to take hold of your heart, giving them an easier path toward manipulation. To gain your trust, they will tell you false secrets and do you favors and once they’ve gained your complete faith, they’ll start asking for favors in return, reminding you of what they did for you. Once they get what they need, they abandon you and move on.

It’s important to trust your gut if you feel like you have encountered someone who might be a psychopath. Don’t fall for their compliments and ask yourself about the intent behind their flattering words.

The best way to get rid of them is to literally leave. If you are coworkers and you cannot simply avoid them, you have to make sure that you don’t play their games. Keep conversations as brief as possible.

Please don’t follow the urge to analyze them or befriend them. You can’t change them and you need to understand that they don’t have a good side deep in them.

If you encounter someone like that, it’s important to notify others and they might be able to have your back. Don’t let your guard down.

“Remember that the danger that is most to be feared is never the danger we are most afraid of.” ― Andrew Lang