ITT I Answer Your Questions About Sociopaths and Psychopaths

[Random Guy]

Been awhile since I visited BB.com so don't let me down brahs.

[ImSuperSerial]

Mirin joindate, gjdm on PhD.

[MUFC]

Is it true that a lot of CEOs display qualities of sociopaths?

[getbig_ttt]

In. I can answer some basic questions as well.

[RightKindaGuy]

do environmental factors contribute to sociopathy? or is it something you are born with?

[PlayTheGameBRAH]

Tell us something interesting you've learned about it.

[TaxPayingTongan]

How does late childhood bed wetting correalate to psycho/sociopathy? (its a symptom apparently)

How would you describe the facial expressions/eyes of a psychp/sociopath? Is it completely blank?

[RightKindaGuy]

it seems like a lot of sociopaths are successful with women (not maintaing a relationship, but getting them to fall in love), why its that the case?

[Random Guy]

Mirin joindate, gjdm on PhD.

Thanks man.

Is it true that a lot of CEOs display qualities of sociopaths?

I'm not sure about "a lot" but there has been literature written about some CEOs being sociopaths. For a sociopath to be that successful would be rare but some sociopathy traits (completely selfishness, cut-throat attitude, disregard for rules and concerns of others) could come in handy when it comes to business, finance, etc.

[ermagehd]

how does a bad childhood correlate between being a psycho/sociopath

[Archangel_Lost]

What made you so obsessed with mental illness?

Does it have something to do with your family?

Maybe a family member that you couldn't help at the time, and now you still feel driven to make up for that?

Or does it come from your own inner fears about your own psyche?


Sit down on my couch OP and tell me all about it.

[ishter]

NPD and it's relation to sociopaths and psychopaths?

And what are the differences between a sociopath and a psychopath?

[JOK3RR]

Im a sociopath. Can I upgrade?

[Random Guy]

do environmental factors contribute to sociopathy? or is it something you are born with?

The cheesey answer is that both environmental factors and genetic factors contribute to any mental illness or personality disorders. However, for sociopathy, there seems to be a pretty heavy environmental side to it.

How does late childhood bed wetting correalate to psycho/sociopathy? (its a symptom apparently)
I don’t think it’s a symptom. The idea that wed wetting predicts future sociopathic behavior, to my knowledge, has been discredited. However, if a child is wetting the bed in late childhood I would, after a medical exam, wonder about trauma.
How would you describe the facial expressions/eyes of a psychp/sociopath? Is it completely blank?

Psychopaths hear the words but don’t hear the music. They fake emotion. Emotional expressions are “off” and seem rehearsed.

[RightKindaGuy]

can video games contribute to ones sociopathy?

[JtotheIzzo]

Psychopaths hear the words but don’t hear the music. They fake emotion. Emotional expressions are “off” and seem rehearsed.

Could you elaborate on this concept and give examples of what you mean?

[pollywogpriest]

intredasting thread op, subscribed

[Apollo151]

As a mental health professional, do you find we (north america) live in an over-medicated nation?

[Lendogg]

why is james holmes a *******? srs.

[Random Guy]

how does a bad childhood correlate between being a psycho/sociopath

A bad childhood has more to do with antisocial personality disorder and less to do with psychopathy

What made you so obsessed with mental illness?

Does it have something to do with your family?

Maybe a family member that you couldn't help at the time, and now you still feel driven to make up for that?

Or does it come from your own inner fears about your own psyche?


Sit down on my couch OP and tell me all about it.

You assume obsession without any data. Having a job or studying a field doesn’t make you obsessed. No, I’m not a wounded healer. I’m not compensating. I don’t have some primal, neurotic drive to compensate for my own inadequacies. I just like helping those who often don’t get helped.

NPD and it's relation to sociopaths and psychopaths?

And what are the differences between a sociopath and a psychopath?

NPD and ASP share a lot of common traits and they can be difficult to tease apart. To me, conceptually, what separates them is how they view other people. NPD feel inferior to others do develop this mask to hide behind. They envy other people and really want others to think they’re great. The “pride” NPD have is pretty shallow. Behind a NPD person is feelings of weakness and vulnerability.
Psychopaths genuinely just don’t care about others. Other people are tools that you use to get what you want.
And sociopaths/ASP are folks that just can’t play by society’s rules. They do their own think. Some have psychopathic tendencies as well while others do not. For instance, there are remorseful criminals.

As far as the differences between sociopaths and psychopaths, it's pretty much the same construct. Sociopath implies more social influence while psychopath implies more psychological influence. The base word implies the genesis. Antisocial personality disorder, which is in the DSM, is suppose to be analogous to psychopathy but it isn't. APD has more to do with specific behaviors and less to do with personality structure.

[basshead444]

Is there a similarity between some traits of autism and traits of sociopathy/psychopathy? To me, it seems that many psychopaths are similar to higher functioning people who have autism. In that the emotion isnt there, but the social awkwardness people usually associate with autism isnt there either. Im not a professional so take what I say with a grain of salt lol.

[Random Guy]

can video games contribute to ones sociopathy?

I’m not familiar with the video game literature but I would think not. Could be wrong though.

Could you elaborate on this concept and give examples of what you mean?

Psychopaths don’t feel emotions the way others do. They know that when someone tells a joke, people smile and laugh. They learn that at a funeral you’re suppose to frown and be quiet. So that’s what they do. They “learn” how to pass as having emotions. They do feel some things, usually angry, but they don’t feel much. They don’t understand the emotional experiences of other people since they don’t experience the same things they do.
Does that help?

As a mental health professional, do you find we (north america) live in an over-medicated nation?

We’ve been told everything is a medical disease which requires a medical treatment. That and pharmas being advertised all over the place…
Just my thoughts.

[JtotheIzzo]

Psychopaths don’t feel emotions the way others do. They know that when someone tells a joke, people smile and laugh. They learn that at a funeral you’re suppose to frown and be quiet. So that’s what they do. They “learn” how to pass as having emotions. They do feel some things, usually angry, but they don’t feel much. They don’t understand the emotional experiences of other people since they don’t experience the same things they do.
Does that help?

Thanks, that makes much sense. What cause psychopaths to not feel emotions the ways others do?

[AgRyan]

Any ways/big clues to see if someone is a sociopath? Think someone in my unit might be one srs.

[Random Guy]

Is there a similarity between some traits of autism and traits of sociopathy/psychopathy? To me, it seems that many psychopaths are similar to higher functioning people who have autism. In that the emotion isnt there, but the social awkwardness people usually associate with autism isnt there either. Im not a professional so take what I say with a grain of salt lol.

They are similar in the sense that they have blunted emotional experiences (with psychopathy anyway). You’re also right in that sociopaths/psychopaths tend to have social skills. They also know right from wrong and social rules and expectations..they just don’t follow them.

[SQTFTW]

do they all have a tendency for having some form of OCD?

[bagge677]

so are psychopaths basically people who know the social rules but give a **** about them if they stand in their way ? like not caring how their decision influences others aslong as they benefit ?

[BrosefMengele]

Im a sociopath. Can I upgrade?

No you're not, *******.

[Random Guy]

Thanks, that makes much sense. What cause psychopaths to not feel emotions the ways others do?

Great question. Many folks think psychopathy is more genetic/neurobiological. There have been studies showing they have differences in their frontal lobes, specifically the orbitofrontal cortex (which houses morality). There are also studies showing that rough childhoods/environments/etc do not contribute to later psychopathy.

Any ways/big clues to see if someone is a sociopath? Think someone in my unit might be one srs.

For a sociopath, blatant disregard of rules and the rights of others. They do whatever the hell they want, consequences or not.

[basshead444]

They are similar in the sense that they have blunted emotional experiences (with psychopathy anyway). You’re also right in that sociopaths and psychopaths have social skills. They also know right from wrong and social rules and expectations..they just don’t follow them.

I guess what I'd like to know is what is the main difference, the cause for their symptoms? Like the difference between someone with Asperger's who is socially awkward, and a corporate psychopath? Are the underlying causes for their behavior different, or are they the same (or close), but one just happened to be more outgoing and learned how things work, faster than the other did?