The concept «Psychopath» has become the current popular culture, whether influenced by cinema, literature or television, in a kind of tailor's drawer for a slang term that symbolizes evil in its purest form .It is no longer used only to refer to serial killers; politicians, athletes, your boss, and maybe even your friends are being labeled as psychopaths, but do we really know what we are saying?
How to know if you are a psychopath
Although it is it is possible that your boss is a control maniac, or that girl you met in college is, really, a psychopath, the term is generally used in a totally wrong way.
The references of the popular culture already mentioned are not helping the situation.I'm sorry, guys, but Norman Bates is not a psychopath.It's disappointing, but even Patrick Bateman of "American Psycho" can't be a true psychopath.:
There is an entry for antisocial personality disorder, which is what most people would consider psychopathy.Psychopaths have certain traits:
- A charm is overwhelming and they have the ability to take advantage and hide it completely according to Consider it timely
- They need to experience intense sensations , like practicing extreme sports, because if they don't find life tedious
- They have a high self-concept and rarely feel guilty or any kind of remorse
- They do not show empathy (nor do they feel it)
- They have strong impulses that they find it hard to control
- They are manipulators , to the point that they "parasitize" the people around them
- They are quite superficial
- They have very unrealistic ambitions , but for those who fight no matter who they pass over
However, the mere presence of these characteristics does not automatically turn someone into a psychopath.
On the other hand, it is important to underline that psychopaths are not, in general, violent criminals.There are tons of cases of psychopathy that happen completely unnoticed, perhaps even to psychopaths themselves, who ignore their condition.Only a low activity in areas that are linked to empathy and self-control can indicate reliable signs of psychopathy.
It is important that you consider this: psychopaths are not crazy .Psychopathy is a personality disorder, not a mental disorder.Hallucinations and other symptoms of mental illness are usually described as part of psychosis, and are really serious, but do not have to be linked to psychopathy.
Neither is sadism intrinsic to them , despite their lack of empathy.A full-fledged psychopath will use any means, including violence, to achieve his goal, but this does not mean that he gets pleasure from it.
Finally, psychopathy could be incurable, but not intractable.Dexter Morgan, the friendly serial killer of the HBO explains how a good part of what happens to him is genetic, but as we see in the story of Dr.Fallon, that does not mean that there is nothing what to do.
More and more psychologists identify "insensitive, emotionless" children who may be showing the first signs of psychopathy.The idea that a child with a personality disorder can be diagnosed is controversial, since the brain of children is still developing , and no one wants to run the risk of hanging a child the "psychopath" label from the beginning, especially if it could be a misdiagnosis.
On the other hand, some researchers argue that early detection in children could help in their treatment.Although they cannot be "Cured" in the biological aspects of antisocial personality disorder, some therapies can effectively teach Children and adults on how to practice empathy , morals and behavior in a pro-social way.
Do you have the traits of a psychopath? Do you think it should be diagnosed from childhood to try to "treat it"? If you still have doubts about whether it is your case or not, we encourage you to read: Are you a Psychopath? Discover it with this Test
If you liked this topic, you can not miss our article: This is how the brain of a murderous psychopath works.
Image: The Glow 1980, Dexter
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