Contents
Who Is Psychopath?
Psychopath is one of the most misunderstood and controversial personality types. It is because they’re complex, to say the least. They have a tendency to be superficially charming, which is often mistaken for sincerity. This can lead people who don’t know any better to let their guard down around them, which is exactly what psychopaths want.
Psychopaths comprise only one percent of the general population and there is a great deal of controversy surrounding their definition. According to a study, psychopaths are characterized by “the presence of antisocial behavior, such as violating laws and social norms” in addition to “impulsivity or failure to plan ahead” and “manifest glibness, superficial charm or pathological lying.”
Psychopathy is understood to be a personality disorder with three key features. These are:
- Antisocial behavior: breaking the law, lying, cheating, stealing, etc.
- Impulsivity: Acting on sudden impulses without thinking about the consequences
- Irrational beliefs and attitudes: for example, feeling that they are above the law or that rules don’t apply to them
Types of Psychopaths
There are two types of psychopaths: primary and secondary.
Primary Psychopaths
These are the type of psychopaths most people think about when they hear the word. They include a wide range of violent criminals, such as rapists and serial killers.
Secondary Psychopaths
These are less well-known than primary psychopaths but no less dangerous because their violence is covert rather than overt. Secondary psychopaths may not commit crimes themselves but can be found in positions where they encourage or condone this behavior from others – for example, police officers who neglect to investigate certain types of crime because it doesn’t fit with their worldview or bureaucrats who order torture despite official prohibitions against it.
This makes secondary psychopathy more insidious and difficult to counter-act since its outward appearance does not give away what lies beneath. It also means that society often fails to protect itself against these types of psychopaths.
Signs of Psychopaths
These are some signs of a psychopath:
Manipulation
Manipulation is one of the key tactics psychopaths use to get what they want. They are experts at exploiting people’s weaknesses and playing on their emotions.
Lack of Empathy
Psychopaths are unable to feel empathy for others, which makes them incapable of forming meaningful relationships or understanding other people’s points of view. This coldness can make them seem ruthless and heartless.
Superficial Charm
One of the most dangerous things about psychopaths is their ability to be superficially charming. They know how to manipulate people into trusting them and often use this charm to get what they want.
Grandiose Sense of Self-Worth
Psychopaths have a grossly inflated sense of self-worth, which gives them a sense of entitlement and a feeling that the rules don’t apply to them.
Lack of Guilt or Remorse
Psychopaths feel no guilt or remorse for their actions, which can make them seem remorseless and even sociopathic.
Poor Self-Control
Psychopaths have poor self-control, which leads to impulsive behavior and a lack of discipline.
Pathological Lying
Pathological liars are unable, to tell the truth, even when it would be in their best interests to do so. This makes them very unreliable and often causes people to doubt what they say.
Reasons Why Someone Is Psychopath?
These are the reasons why someone might become a psychopath:
Genetic Mutation
There are studies that suggest that psychopathy might be genetically caused due to the evidence of psychopathy being seen in family trees or genetics studies with adopted children. There is also a debate whether it’s possible for parents who are psychopaths to have children who are also psychopaths because of an abusive upbringing or through exposure to environmental factors including parental neglect or deprivation during childhood-adolescence.
Viral Infection
Viral infection is considered as one of the causes of sociopathy/psychopathy because some viruses can affect normal brain functioning by changing the circuitry in different parts of the brain affecting areas associated with behavior control, moral judgment and thinking, and fear.
Brain Damage
There is also evidence that brain damage can lead to psychopathy which can be caused by a birth injury, a brain tumor, damage due to alcoholism or drug abuse, poisoning including lead poisoning, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), epilepsy (recurrent seizures) or head trauma. The effects of such damages vary from person to person depending on the location of the damage in the brain and how much it affects normal brain functioning.
Developmental Issues
Development issues contribute to the cause of sociopathy/psychopathy in children and adolescents. These problems include conditions such as autism spectrum disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A child with ADHD, for example, may have problems with regulating emotions or controlling their impulses which can lead to problems such as aggression, stealing, and lying. Some children who are on the autism spectrum may not feel empathy for others or be able to understand other people’s feelings which can result in them being uncooperative, disruptive, and violent.
How To Help Someone Who Is Psychopath?
These are some of the ways to help someone who is a psychopath:
Suggest Professional Help
You can suggest they seek help from a mental health professional or to see one on their own. Mental health professionals are trained in dealing with the different types of disorders and learning more about what they can do to improve their symptoms knowing that everyone is unique and may need different treatment approaches.
Educate Them
You can educate them about the disorder including its symptoms, nature, and possible treatments which can help them understand themselves better. You can also share information with them about local support groups, self-help organizations for people who have these conditions, etc. The idea behind this approach is for them to be able to know how it’s like living with the condition so that they won’t be ashamed or afraid which will allow them not to hide their symptoms anymore.
Try Verbal Approach
You can approach them in a calm and non-threatening way telling them that you’re concerned about the person’s behavior and that they need to seek help which can be effective if done correctly. You should not threaten or scream at him/her especially if he/she is violent as this will only escalate the situation, but rather show empathy for their condition even though you still have to set some boundaries for your own safety.
Try Behavioral Approach
You can try to limit his or her exposure to negative influences. These are such as drugs or people who encourage violence, verbal abuse, etc., by doing things like avoiding friends who are bad influences, asking them not to come home under the influence of alcohol or drugs because it’s dangerous for everyone in the house, and setting rules and limits on unacceptable behavior.
Help Them Find Meaningful Activities
You can help them find meaningful activities to do such as a hobby, volunteer work, or part-time job that will give their life purpose and structure. This can also help them learn how to interact with other people in a positive way.
Be Supportive And Understanding
Just being supportive and understanding towards the person can make a big difference. This will show that you care about him/her and are not judging them. Offer practical assistance such as rides to appointments, accompanying them to therapy sessions, providing moral support, etc. which will make it easier for the person to get the help they need.
Conclusion
The psychopath is a complex and controversial personality. Their condition is due to different factors. These are such as viral infection, brain damage, developmental issues. Want to know how to help someone who is a psychopath? There are many ways to approach someone with this disorder but it should be done in a calm and understanding way. The most important thing to remember is that they need help and support which you can provide.
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