Antisocial Personality Disorder
Luisa Sánchez Villarreal
Definition
The Antisocial Personality Disorder, also known as sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. They lack remorse or do not regret their behaviour.
People with antisocial personality disorder often violate the law, becoming criminals. They may lie, behave violently or impulsively, and have problems with drug and alcohol use. They have difficulty consistently meeting responsibilities related to family, work or school.
They have difficulty consistently meeting responsibilities related to family, work or school.
Symptoms
- Ignoring right and wrong.
- Telling lies to take advantage of others.
- Not being sensitive to or respectful of others.
- Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or pleasure.
- Having a sense of superiority and being extremely opinionated.
- Having problems with the law, including criminal behaviour.
- Being hostile, aggressive, violent or threatening to others.
- Feeling no guilt about harming others.
- Doing dangerous things with no regard for the safety of self or others.
- Being irresponsible and failing to fulfil work or financial responsibilities.
Aggression toward people and animals. Destruction of property. Lying and dishonesty. Theft. Serious violation of rules.
Antisocial personality disorder is considered a lifelong condition. But in some people, certain symptoms may decrease over time. It's not clear whether this decrease is a result of the effect ageing has on their mind and body, an increased awareness of the impact that antisocial behaviour has had on their life, or other factors.
Causes
- Changes in the way the brain functions may have resulted during brain development.
- Genes may make you vulnerable to developing antisocial personality disorder — and life situations, especially neglect and abuse, may trigger its development.
- Changes in the way the brain functions may have resulted during brain development.
Risk Factors
- Diagnosis of childhood conduct disorder.
- Experiencing abuse or neglect during childhood.
- Unstable or violent family life during childhood.
- Family history of antisocial personality disorder or other personality disorders or mental health conditions.
Men are at greater risk of having antisocial personality disorder than women are.
This behaviour usually becomes most extreme and challenging during the late teens and early 20s. It may improve by the time the person reaches their 40s.
Treatments
Evidence suggests behaviour can improve over time with therapy, even if core characteristics such as lack of empathy remain. But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat.
A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court. The recommended treatment for someone with antisocial personality disorder will depend on their circumstances, taking into account factors such as age, offending history and whether there are any associated problems, such as alcohol or drug misuse.
The person's family and friends will often play an active role in making decisions about their treatment and care.
Movie Character Examples
The Joker
Hannibal Lecter
Patrick Bateman
Hannibal Lecter
Both a talented psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, the majority of Lecter’s personality traits and behaviours can be categorised as evidence of ASPD. He can be specifically categorised as a malevolent antisocial due to his striking lack of remorse or guilt.
When the film’s protagonist, an FBI trainee named Clarice, interacts with Lecter at the beginning of the film, he displays his capacity for deceptive charm with a greeting that appears courteous. As the conversation progresses, the pretence of politeness begins to slip and his viciousness becomes present through his micro expressions, tone of voice and eventual verbal harassment of Clarice.
Antisocials also tend to have above-average intelligence scores, which is evident in Lecter’s incredible memory and status as a brilliant psychiatrist. He is so intelligent that the film’s protagonist seeks his advice in apprehending another serial killer despite the obvious risks associated with soliciting his help, including him directly threatening her during their first meeting. However, Lecter’s extreme intelligence combined with his antisocial tendencies make him an incredibly dangerous combination of fearlessness, cunning and psychopathic inclinations.
The Joker
Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker in “The Dark Knight” has been lauded as one of the best cinematic performances in history. Ledger himself described his portrayal of the iconic comic book villain as a “psychopathic, mass murdering schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”
The Joker’s objective in the film is to upset the social order of Gotham through crime. He exhibits dozens of textbook examples of antisocial behaviour as he attempts to tear the city to pieces. One of these instances is the string of murders he commits to incite Batman to reveal his identity. This willingness to use human lives as tools to move closer towards his goal shows not only an intense lack of empathy, but an ability to dehumanise those who stand in the way.
Not only does the Joker feel no remorse for his habitual crimes, but, true to his clown-like persona, he takes joy in them. He uses his cunning to find the best way to manipulate Batman out of hiding, his disregard for human rights and passion for anarchy both symptomatic of ASPD.
Patrick Bateman
Bateman spends his time looking good, working out, and religiously watching "The Patty Winters Show." He is meticulous about his cleanliness and health and idolises Donald Trump, because he is interested in only the most expensive things in life.
He is also a serial rapist and murderer. He is a man filled not only with anger but also with the sadistic desire to enact his most violent and twisted fantasies on other people.
Bateman takes the reader through the events of his life in a first-person narrative and into the darkest parts of his mind, and as his addictions to drugs, sex, and violence grow, the reader follows Bateman down a graphic spiral of torture, hallucination and insanity.
This American Psycho knows how to pull a charming, sociable facade. He surrounds himself with coworkers and friends who are just as good-looking and wealthy as himself. He puts on a good show of pretending to care about important world issues and such.
Bateman is very aware of what is right and wrong, he chooses to do wrong. Bateman much more fits the description of a sociopath. A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder.
Real Life People Examples
Jeffery Dahmer
Ted Bundy
Richard Ramirez
Ted Bundy
Bundy appears to meet several of the criteria required to be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder. The DSM- IV defines antisocial personality disorder as the pervasive, inflexible, and enduring pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others (APA, 2013). In order to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, the individual must have at least three of the criteria listed in the DSM-IV. Bundy indicated to fit eight out of the possible ten criteria to be diagnosed.
A group of 73 psychologists got together with the University of Kentucky to study Ted Bundy's mental health in 2007, and almost all of them agreed he had antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). In fact, nearly 80 percent of the team believed Bundy was a prototype (a perfect example) of the disorder, checking off all of its criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a.k.a. DSM-5, a.k.a. the psychologist's bible).
Jeffery Dahmer
Dahmer had a propensity for violence, manipulation, and deceit, which is symptomatic of antisocial personality disorder. He also exhibited a strong sense of entitlement, was highly self-centred and unable to empathise with those he manipulated and abused, signs of narcissistic personality disorder.
He is often referred to as the Milwaukee Cannibal. Some of the traits of Dahmer that emerged from his criminal activities include:
- Coldness and Lack of Remorse
2. Isolation and Loneliness 3. Insatiable Appetite
4. Attention to Detail 5. Ability to Disguise His Actions 6. Manipulation
Richard Ramirez
He was raised in a family that wasn’t wealthy, and he was the youngest of seven children. From the approximate age of 13, he began abusing drugs and alcohol with an adult cousin who he considered a role model. He had behavioural issues as a child and teenager and was frequently in trouble with the police. Ramirez also witnessed the murder of his cousin’s wife and remained emotionless when later describing her blood spattering on his face.
Richard Ramirez was a Hispanic male in his mid-twenties. He was approximately six feet tall, had dark hair, and brown eyes. He was believed to be responsible for a recent increase in home invasions, sexual assaults, and murders in the state of California. He exhibited characteristics that are associated with a psychological disorder, was most likely armed, and was considered to be extremely dangerous. If you saw him, you were asked not to attempt to apprehend him; instead to contact your local emergency services and request help. Ramirez was believed to have ties to Satanism, due in part to symbols he left at the crime scenes and his behaviour during previous incarcerations.
He also had a history of drug use, but it is unclear whether he was currently using any drugs. At the time, police were unable to give a description of any vehicle that he may have been travelling in. He appeared to be using stolen cars as his primary mode of transportation. Ramirez’s behaviour could only be described as ruthless, with absolutely no regard for the lives of others. Residents were asked to exercise caution as police worked to apprehend the suspect.
APA Citations
Famous People with Antisocial Personality Disorder - Healthyplace, www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/antisocial-personality-disorder/famous-people-with-antisocial-personality-disorder. Accessed 17 May 2023.
Iconic Movie Villains with Antisocial Personality Disorder, www.gcu.edu/blog/psychology-counseling/iconic-movie-villains-antisocial-personality-disorder. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“Antisocial Personality Disorder.” Mayo Clinic, 24 Feb. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353928.
NHS Choices, www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/#:~:text=Carbamazepine%20and%20lithium%20may%20help,and%20general%20personality%20disorder%20symptoms. Accessed 12 May 2023.
Ted Bundy: Antisocial Personality Disorder, www.ipl.org/essay/Ted-Bundy-Antisocial-Personality-Disorder-FCJZZTPGZT. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“A Case Study of Patrick Bateman.” Psyche, vocal.media/psyche/a-case-study-of-patrick-bateman. Accessed 17 May 2023.
Quora - a Place to Share Knowledge and Better Understand the World, www.quora.com/. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“6 Famous People with ASPD.” New Health Advisor, www.newhealthadvisor.org/Famous-People-with-Antisocial-Personality-Disorder.html. Accessed 17 May 2023.
whole, The dount. “What Was Dahmer’s Personality Type?” The Donut Whole, 6 Mar. 2023, www.thedonutwhole.com/what-was-dahmers-personality-type/.
“This List of Ted Bundy’s Potential Mental Health Disorders Is Bizarrely Fascinating.” Women’s Health, 2 Nov. 2021, www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a27346043/ted-bundy-mental-health-disorders-antisocial-behavior-personality/.
Thank You
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Luisa Sánchez Villarreal
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Transcript
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Luisa Sánchez Villarreal
Definition
The Antisocial Personality Disorder, also known as sociopathy, is a mental health condition in which a person consistently shows no regard for right and wrong and ignores the rights and feelings of others. They lack remorse or do not regret their behaviour.
People with antisocial personality disorder often violate the law, becoming criminals. They may lie, behave violently or impulsively, and have problems with drug and alcohol use. They have difficulty consistently meeting responsibilities related to family, work or school.
They have difficulty consistently meeting responsibilities related to family, work or school.
Symptoms
Aggression toward people and animals. Destruction of property. Lying and dishonesty. Theft. Serious violation of rules.
Antisocial personality disorder is considered a lifelong condition. But in some people, certain symptoms may decrease over time. It's not clear whether this decrease is a result of the effect ageing has on their mind and body, an increased awareness of the impact that antisocial behaviour has had on their life, or other factors.
Causes
Risk Factors
Men are at greater risk of having antisocial personality disorder than women are.
This behaviour usually becomes most extreme and challenging during the late teens and early 20s. It may improve by the time the person reaches their 40s.
Treatments
Evidence suggests behaviour can improve over time with therapy, even if core characteristics such as lack of empathy remain. But antisocial personality disorder is one of the most difficult types of personality disorders to treat.
A person with antisocial personality disorder may also be reluctant to seek treatment and may only start therapy when ordered to do so by a court. The recommended treatment for someone with antisocial personality disorder will depend on their circumstances, taking into account factors such as age, offending history and whether there are any associated problems, such as alcohol or drug misuse.
The person's family and friends will often play an active role in making decisions about their treatment and care.
Movie Character Examples
The Joker
Hannibal Lecter
Patrick Bateman
Hannibal Lecter
Both a talented psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, the majority of Lecter’s personality traits and behaviours can be categorised as evidence of ASPD. He can be specifically categorised as a malevolent antisocial due to his striking lack of remorse or guilt.
When the film’s protagonist, an FBI trainee named Clarice, interacts with Lecter at the beginning of the film, he displays his capacity for deceptive charm with a greeting that appears courteous. As the conversation progresses, the pretence of politeness begins to slip and his viciousness becomes present through his micro expressions, tone of voice and eventual verbal harassment of Clarice.
Antisocials also tend to have above-average intelligence scores, which is evident in Lecter’s incredible memory and status as a brilliant psychiatrist. He is so intelligent that the film’s protagonist seeks his advice in apprehending another serial killer despite the obvious risks associated with soliciting his help, including him directly threatening her during their first meeting. However, Lecter’s extreme intelligence combined with his antisocial tendencies make him an incredibly dangerous combination of fearlessness, cunning and psychopathic inclinations.
The Joker
Heath Ledger’s version of the Joker in “The Dark Knight” has been lauded as one of the best cinematic performances in history. Ledger himself described his portrayal of the iconic comic book villain as a “psychopathic, mass murdering schizophrenic clown with zero empathy.”
The Joker’s objective in the film is to upset the social order of Gotham through crime. He exhibits dozens of textbook examples of antisocial behaviour as he attempts to tear the city to pieces. One of these instances is the string of murders he commits to incite Batman to reveal his identity. This willingness to use human lives as tools to move closer towards his goal shows not only an intense lack of empathy, but an ability to dehumanise those who stand in the way.
Not only does the Joker feel no remorse for his habitual crimes, but, true to his clown-like persona, he takes joy in them. He uses his cunning to find the best way to manipulate Batman out of hiding, his disregard for human rights and passion for anarchy both symptomatic of ASPD.
Patrick Bateman
Bateman spends his time looking good, working out, and religiously watching "The Patty Winters Show." He is meticulous about his cleanliness and health and idolises Donald Trump, because he is interested in only the most expensive things in life.
He is also a serial rapist and murderer. He is a man filled not only with anger but also with the sadistic desire to enact his most violent and twisted fantasies on other people.
Bateman takes the reader through the events of his life in a first-person narrative and into the darkest parts of his mind, and as his addictions to drugs, sex, and violence grow, the reader follows Bateman down a graphic spiral of torture, hallucination and insanity.
This American Psycho knows how to pull a charming, sociable facade. He surrounds himself with coworkers and friends who are just as good-looking and wealthy as himself. He puts on a good show of pretending to care about important world issues and such.
Bateman is very aware of what is right and wrong, he chooses to do wrong. Bateman much more fits the description of a sociopath. A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder.
Real Life People Examples
Jeffery Dahmer
Ted Bundy
Richard Ramirez
Ted Bundy
Bundy appears to meet several of the criteria required to be diagnosed with Antisocial Personality Disorder. The DSM- IV defines antisocial personality disorder as the pervasive, inflexible, and enduring pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others (APA, 2013). In order to be diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, the individual must have at least three of the criteria listed in the DSM-IV. Bundy indicated to fit eight out of the possible ten criteria to be diagnosed.
A group of 73 psychologists got together with the University of Kentucky to study Ted Bundy's mental health in 2007, and almost all of them agreed he had antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). In fact, nearly 80 percent of the team believed Bundy was a prototype (a perfect example) of the disorder, checking off all of its criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (a.k.a. DSM-5, a.k.a. the psychologist's bible).
Jeffery Dahmer
Dahmer had a propensity for violence, manipulation, and deceit, which is symptomatic of antisocial personality disorder. He also exhibited a strong sense of entitlement, was highly self-centred and unable to empathise with those he manipulated and abused, signs of narcissistic personality disorder.
He is often referred to as the Milwaukee Cannibal. Some of the traits of Dahmer that emerged from his criminal activities include:
- Coldness and Lack of Remorse
2. Isolation and Loneliness 3. Insatiable Appetite4. Attention to Detail 5. Ability to Disguise His Actions 6. Manipulation
Richard Ramirez
He was raised in a family that wasn’t wealthy, and he was the youngest of seven children. From the approximate age of 13, he began abusing drugs and alcohol with an adult cousin who he considered a role model. He had behavioural issues as a child and teenager and was frequently in trouble with the police. Ramirez also witnessed the murder of his cousin’s wife and remained emotionless when later describing her blood spattering on his face.
Richard Ramirez was a Hispanic male in his mid-twenties. He was approximately six feet tall, had dark hair, and brown eyes. He was believed to be responsible for a recent increase in home invasions, sexual assaults, and murders in the state of California. He exhibited characteristics that are associated with a psychological disorder, was most likely armed, and was considered to be extremely dangerous. If you saw him, you were asked not to attempt to apprehend him; instead to contact your local emergency services and request help. Ramirez was believed to have ties to Satanism, due in part to symbols he left at the crime scenes and his behaviour during previous incarcerations.
He also had a history of drug use, but it is unclear whether he was currently using any drugs. At the time, police were unable to give a description of any vehicle that he may have been travelling in. He appeared to be using stolen cars as his primary mode of transportation. Ramirez’s behaviour could only be described as ruthless, with absolutely no regard for the lives of others. Residents were asked to exercise caution as police worked to apprehend the suspect.
APA Citations
Famous People with Antisocial Personality Disorder - Healthyplace, www.healthyplace.com/personality-disorders/antisocial-personality-disorder/famous-people-with-antisocial-personality-disorder. Accessed 17 May 2023.
Iconic Movie Villains with Antisocial Personality Disorder, www.gcu.edu/blog/psychology-counseling/iconic-movie-villains-antisocial-personality-disorder. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“Antisocial Personality Disorder.” Mayo Clinic, 24 Feb. 2023, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20353928.
NHS Choices, www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/antisocial-personality-disorder/#:~:text=Carbamazepine%20and%20lithium%20may%20help,and%20general%20personality%20disorder%20symptoms. Accessed 12 May 2023.
Ted Bundy: Antisocial Personality Disorder, www.ipl.org/essay/Ted-Bundy-Antisocial-Personality-Disorder-FCJZZTPGZT. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“A Case Study of Patrick Bateman.” Psyche, vocal.media/psyche/a-case-study-of-patrick-bateman. Accessed 17 May 2023.
Quora - a Place to Share Knowledge and Better Understand the World, www.quora.com/. Accessed 17 May 2023.
“6 Famous People with ASPD.” New Health Advisor, www.newhealthadvisor.org/Famous-People-with-Antisocial-Personality-Disorder.html. Accessed 17 May 2023.
whole, The dount. “What Was Dahmer’s Personality Type?” The Donut Whole, 6 Mar. 2023, www.thedonutwhole.com/what-was-dahmers-personality-type/.
“This List of Ted Bundy’s Potential Mental Health Disorders Is Bizarrely Fascinating.” Women’s Health, 2 Nov. 2021, www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a27346043/ted-bundy-mental-health-disorders-antisocial-behavior-personality/.
Thank You