Table of contents:
- 12 characteristics or symptoms of a sociopath
- Sociopath: main characteristics and symptoms
- Treatment of sociopathy or antisocial personality disorder
- Psychological therapy
- How to treat a sociopath
When we speak of sociopathy we refer to a personality disorder currently known as antisocial personality disorder. Unlike what many of us can come to think of as the term antisocial (which is about people who do not like to live with others, who isolate themselves and do not participate in social relationships), people with this type of personality disorder do not have to act in this way, in fact the vast majority do not. Sociopathy is closely related to psychopathy since people who suffer from it have some very similar symptoms such as the fact that they do not have any type of remorse for their actions.
In this Psychology-Online article, we are going to describe in detail what are the characteristics of the personality of a sociopath, to let you know what their treatment consists of and give you some advice on how to deal with this type of people.
You may also be interested in: How to treat a sociopath Index- 12 characteristics or symptoms of a sociopath
- Treatment of sociopathy or antisocial personality disorder
- How to treat a sociopath
12 characteristics or symptoms of a sociopath
This type of pathology is generally detected and diagnosed from the age of 18, however the symptoms begin to develop from the stage of adolescence and sometimes even from childhood.
Although it seems that sociopathy is a rare disease, there are more sociopathic people than we imagine, it is just that on many occasions they tend to mask their true personality since they are people who are very good at acting. Do you want to know how a sociopath acts? Pay attention to its characteristics.
Sociopath: main characteristics and symptoms
Here are the main characteristics of a sociopath:
- A CTUA cruelly. A sociopath can behave very harsh and / or ruthless towards another person and then pretend nothing had happened.
- He has no regrets. Despite having carried out certain actions that directly or indirectly affect one or more people, the feeling of guilt or remorse for having done so does not appear in his mind.
- Lack of empathy. He totally lacks empathy since it is impossible for him to put himself in the place of another person, to feel their pain or share their joy.
- Egocentrism. He focuses solely and exclusively on himself and the only thing that interests him from other people is what he can get from them for his benefit.
- Handling. Although they cannot understand or feel it, they know perfectly well what are the weak points of other people, especially the most insecure. Therefore, they take advantage of them whenever they can to manipulate, exploit them and obtain all the possible benefits from them regardless of the physical and / or psychological damage that it may cause them.
- Charm. Contrary to what can be expected of a sociopath, they tend to be extremely charming with other people to get what they want from them. They may superficially appear to be trustworthy and / or funny enough when the situation warrants it.
- They lack fear and / or anxiety. This type of person does not really experience any kind of fear and / or anxiety in the face of an even extremely dangerous situation where their life is at stake. Really before this or any other type of situation that a normal person would generate this type of reactions, they would respond in a calm and safe way having "everything coldly calculated".
- Intelligence. They are people who have a high degree of intelligence and their mental agility is incredible. That is why they regularly achieve success in the workplace, reaching high job positions. The downside of their intelligence is that they always use it for their own benefit and to harm others.
- They do not have stable interpersonal relationships. Due to the characteristics of this disorder, sociopaths cannot connect with people and therefore the relationship they have with others is quite superficial and is based solely on their own interest.
- They repeat the same mistakes. Despite the fact that sometimes, when they have been caught committing some serious act or crime, they have been punished, they will never learn the lesson. It is very common that they keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again regardless of the consequences that this may bring.
- Unreliable. These are people who have a high capacity to lie.
- Ease of speech. They are people who have great verbal ability, they have a high level of persuasion towards others, they know how, when and when to say things. This makes it very easy for them to be successful, especially economically, since over time they manage to establish a good network of contacts, they can easily convince their clients of what they want, etc.
Treatment of sociopathy or antisocial personality disorder
Now that you know the profile of a psychopath, it is time to know how to treat it through psychological therapy.
The hardest part of treatment for a sociopath is not going through the treatment itself and ending it, but for the sociopath to recognize that they have a problem and really have the desire to overcome it.
Generally, when a sociopath comes to request help, it is because they are feeling discomfort in other areas of their life and it is difficult for them to carry out their goals and increase their emotional well-being. At first it is very difficult for him to accept and acknowledge his problem, however if the professional who treats him knows how to use good strategies with him, he can get him to do so.
Psychological therapy
With regard to cognitive behavioral therapy, it should be mentioned that first a functional analysis and a complete evaluation of the individual's personality profile, their medical history and their context are carried out. After the exact diagnosis is made, it is intervened through a psychoeducation where the patient is explained in detail what his disorder consists of, the symptoms, consequences, causes, how the treatment will be carried out, among other things. In this way, you will also work with the acceptance and recognition that you have this disorder.
Once you have begun to accept this condition, you work with the elimination of the main symptoms that generate more discomfort. It is also reflected by means of cognitive restructuring with the patient about his thoughts, feelings and emotions that he is experiencing, trying to modify them by other more rational ones.
His personal values are reestablished and exchanged for others more positive and favorable for him (her) and he is taught skills to know how to modify his actions. It is necessary to mention that each case is totally different even if one suffers from the same disorder and therefore it will not be the same treatment for everyone.
How to treat a sociopath
First of all, it is necessary to know how to recognize which are the most obvious signs that indicate that we are indeed facing a person with this type of illness. You can make a reflection about his way of acting and even think if you are a person close to him (her) since on many occasions it is not easy to recognize this type of person. If you are sure that you are facing a sociopath, it is necessary that you learn to distance yourself from him (her) since it could cause you problems on a psychological and even physical level.
If it is a close relative, it is best to attend support groups and with a professional to provide you with the techniques and tools necessary to live with him (her) in the best possible way, as well as to let you know counseling to try to convince him (in case you are not at risk) to receive help.
If you want to know a little more about a sociopath, we recommend reading this article: can a sociopath love?
It is necessary to be attentive to any signal that indicates that this person may harm us and, if so, carry out measures to protect our safety. If you receive direct threats, it is essential to notify the police.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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